Visa information

Depending on your home country and the duration of your stay, you may need a visa to enter Germany. Below you will find general information regarding this process, but for exact details, please contact your local German mission (embassy or consulate) in your home country or see the German Federal Foreign Office.

In general, it takes two to ten business days for an application for a short stay visa. Applications for longer stays or requesting gainful employment, may take several months to process. Applicants must submit all paperwork in person at their local German mission. It is important to check their website in advance to see which documents are required.

EU nationals (incl. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland)

You are not required to apply for a visa and can enter Germany with your national identification document.

Non-EU nationals of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and the USA as well as other visa-free countries

(check the German Federal Foreign Officefor an up-to-date country list)

You are generally not required to obtain a visa and can enter Germany with your passport.
You are allowed to stay for up to three months without working. If you would like to stay longer or start working, you will need to get a residence permit after arriving in Germany.
You need a visa if you would like to start working immediately in Germany (Visa zur Arbeitsaufnahme). You can apply at the local German mission in your home country and convert it to a residence permit once you arrive in Germany.

Non-EU nationals of all other countries

You are required to obtain a visa.
You can apply for a visa at your local German mission in your home country.
Make sure you apply for the proper visa. It is not possible to extend a Schengen or visitor’s visa!
Please start this procedure as soon as possible, as it can be a very time-consuming process.

More Information

Contact

Ronja Schneider
Phone: +49.6151.16-30022
Email: welcomecenter@h-da.de
Office: D20, 114