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Visa and Entry into the Federal Republic of Germany

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Do you need a visa to enter Germany? How does the application process work?

Visa required for entry?

Pässe mit verschiedenen Visa
Pässe mit verschiedenen Visa © Colourbox

Citizens of Cameroon, the Republic of Chad, the Central African Republic, Gabon, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Sao Tomé and Príncipe require a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany. Persons with EU citizenship do not require a visa. Detailed information on nationalities requiring a visa can be found here.

If you are subject to the visa requirement, you must distinguish between two possible visa types:

Schengen-Visa or National-Visa?

The type of visa depends on the duration of your planned stay.

  1. Are you only travelling to Germany for a short time, for example for tourism or a business trip? For stays of up to 90 days, apply for a Schengen-Visa.
  2. Are you planning a longer or permanent stay, for example to study or work? For stays of more than 90 days, apply for a National-Visa.

Select your planned length of stay below:

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