Traveling to Europe can be considered one of the most demanded destinations. And although the flow of people leaving has slightly decreased in recent years, Russians are still quite active in filing visa applications, in particular, to get to German territory. Someone goes to visit relatives, others just want to see this part of the world, but someone has plans to stay for a longer period. In any case, for a short-term visit, a tourist visa to Germany in 2021 remains a prerequisite for travel.
What is a tourist visa
When planning a visit to one of the most popular and amazing countries in Europe, do not forget that it is a member of the Schengen Agreement. This means that you will need a visa permit that allows you to cross the Schengen border. The presence of such a sticker in the tourist's passport gives the right to travel to Germany on a tourist visa from another signatory country.
There are a few rules to follow:
- the first entry must be made across the border of the state that put the stamp in the passport;
- stay in Germany should not be longer than in the country to which the visa belongs.
So, before you start issuing a tour visa, you need to figure out what it is. A visa permit for tourism allows its holder to make a visit to the target state, during which you can see the sights, relax, get to know the country, visit friends and relatives or improve your health. In a word, to do everything that does not bring profit.
It is important to remember that a tourist cannot work or conduct business on the basis of such a visa. This will be considered a violation of immigration laws, may lead to deportation and a ban on subsequent entries.
For a better understanding of the issue, read the material "Tourist Visa".
Registration procedure
Obtaining a tourist visa to Germany will not be burdensome if you know how everything happens and strictly follow the instructions. If you already have the Schengen area of another state and you are planning to visit the famous Bavaria or other equally interesting lands, then such a stamp is quite suitable for a short visit. In all other cases, you will have to contact the German consulate.
Recall that starting from September 2021, all guests of the European part of the continent must undergo fingerprinting and digital photo taking. This must be done once every five years. Traveler data is entered into the EU's Unified Information System, which saves time on document checks by the border service.
There may be several options on which path to go:
- you can get a tourist visa yourself;
- you can contact a travel company;
- use the services of visa centers.
The easiest way is to order a visa through a travel agency. All you need is to choose a route and provide documents to the consulate. This, however, does not guarantee that the visa will certainly be opened for you. But the money that you pay for the trip may not be returned to you. As a result, you can be very seriously hurt financially. But if everything goes well, you will be spared from all formalities with documents. And this is an important advantage.
Many people mistakenly believe that you can quickly apply for a tourist visa through the visa center. Let us remind you that this organization is just an intermediary between you and the consulate. He himself does not issue any entry permits, and in any case, he applies on these issues to the representative office you need. That is why the time it takes to obtain a visa stamp is exactly the same as if you applied for yourself.
But it cannot be denied that such a path may be the most convenient. The centers operate on the principle of a single window. Having occupied the electronic queue, you get to an appointment with one employee who must check and accept all documents from you, thereby eliminating the need to run around the offices and take other queues. There is also no guarantee of issuing a visa.
To make a visa permit on your own, you will have to spend a little more time, effort and patience. But you can save financially.
In any case, before starting the process, answer a few questions for yourself:
- what are you going to do in Germany;
- how long the trip will take;
- how much money can you invest in it;
- you will deal with the visa issue yourself or through intermediaries.
Having received the necessary answers, proceed with the preparation of the package of papers.
Preparing documents
Documents for a German tourist visa must be prepared in advance and responsibly. Because it is errors, inaccuracies and incompleteness of information that can cause a refusal.
So, in order for the entry stamp to appear in your foreign passport, you will have to take care of the following papers:
- Visa application. It can be filled out on the website of the German representative office in the Russian Federation, and then printed. After that, all that remains is to sign it.
- Foreign passport (original). The document must be valid for at least another 3 months after you leave Schengen. Check that there are two blank pages in your passport.
- 2 photos.
- Copy of your passport (main spread).
- Round-trip tickets for any type of transport.
- A booked hotel room, an apartment rental agreement or any other confirmation of the availability of a place of residence for the period of the trip. The reservation must certainly contain the names of all applicants for a visa, as well as overlap the days of your stay in the country.
- Health insurance policy. It must cover an amount from 30 thousand euros and be valid throughout the Schengen area.
- A receipt confirming payment of the visa fee.
- Guaranteed financial support for the trip. For these purposes, a certificate from the company where you work is suitable, indicating the salary and confirmation of the preservation of the workplace, a bank statement on the account status, cash, traveler's checks, a letter from the sponsor. In the latter case, confirmation of the availability of funds will be required from the person who will pay for your trip.
If you are traveling by invitation, you need to take care of the invitation letter in advance. The sender must issue it in his home country, indicating exactly where you will live, who will pay for your stay. A copy of the host's passport must be attached to the letter.
When filling out the questionnaire, adhere to the following rules:
- reliability of information;
- absence of discrepancies with what is indicated in other documents accompanying the application;
- the presence of your signature in three places on the form.
Our article "Application for a visa to Germany" will help to avoid mistakes and inaccuracies.
If a minor is traveling with you, prepare the following papers for him:
- Copy of birth certificate. Providing the original is optional.
- Power of attorney from the parents, if the child leaves alone or with an accompanying person, or the consent of the parent who remains at home.
- If you order a visa for a child later, you will need to provide your Schengen and confirm that you are traveling to Germany together. For this, tickets and hotel reservations will be useful, in which data about the young traveler will be entered. It will be better if he has a personal passport. Paper for 5 years is fine.
How long is the visa valid
Tourist or visitor visa to Germany is divided into several subtypes:
- C1 - for one entry. Usually valid for a month.Issued most often to those who arrive in the country for the first time.
- C2 - assumes multiple visits, validity period is 6 months.
- C3 is a one-year visa that limits the total number of days of stay to 90.
- C4 is a multivisa valid for 2-3 years. Usually it is issued to those who own real estate in Germany, or who have close relatives living in the country.
These terms are the same for all member states of the Schengen Union. In any case, whatever the validity period of the visa permit, it is not possible to stay in Europe on the basis of a type C visa for more than 90 days in each half of the year.
It is important to remember that in addition to the standard time constraints, individual approaches can be applied to travelers. Germans can open a multivisa for 5 years for very active foreigners in terms of travel, depending on the situation. But only those whose passports already contain visa permits opened earlier, and who are not in violation of migration regulations, have such an opportunity.
What determines the processing time
When planning a trip, it is also very important to take into account the period during which the request will be considered at the consulate. How many days a tourist visa to Germany is made depends on many circumstances. The deadline is officially set at 10 days. In practice, in Moscow, for example, visas are issued within a week. And if everything is in order with the documents and this is not your first visit, then everything is decided in a few days.
In the regions, the process may be delayed. It will also affect how far your town is from the German representation. A lot of time can be spent on the usual mailing of papers in both directions.
If the travel dates are tight and you want to keep your finger on the pulse, the article "Tracking a visa to Germany" will help you.
Financial costs of opening a visa
Immediately, we note that the duration of a tourist visa to Germany does not affect its value in any way. But it can be formed from several components:
- self-registration - only a fee;
- serez travel agency - visa fee + agency services (usually this amount is already included in the cost of the voucher);
- visa center - fee + center services.
According to the unified Schengen legislation, the amount of the visa fee for all countries is fixed.
| Type of visa | Cost (in EUR) |
|---|---|
| Type C for adults | 35 |
| Type C for children under 6 years old | Is free |
| Urgent registration | 70 |
The price of services of visa centers usually ranges from 18 to 20 euros and depends on whether you need to provide biometric data or not.
Where to contact
If you started issuing a visa on your own, it does not hurt to know where the nearest diplomatic mission or visa center is located. Information of this order will also help to correctly calculate the period that will be required to settle all organizational issues.
Consular departments and embassies
Direct interaction with diplomatic missions is possible at the following addresses:
| Organization | The address | Telephone | Working hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embassy | Moscow, Leninsky Ave., 95A. | +7 (495) 933-43-11 | Mon-Fri 8.00-10.00 10.30-13.00 Mon-Thu 13.30-16.00 Fri 13.30-14.00 |
| Consulate General in Yekaterinburg | st. Kuibysheva, 44 | +7 (343) 318 2735 +7 (343) 226 0935 | Mon-Fri 13.00-15.00 |
| Consulate General in Kaliningrad | Telman street, 14 | +7 (401) 292 0219 | Mon-Thu 14.00-16.00 |
| Consulate General in Novosibirsk | avenue Red, 28 | +7 (383) 231 0052 | Mon-Thu 8.00-16.30 Fri 8.00-15.30 |
| Consulate General of Saint Petersburg | st. Furshtatskaya, 39 | +7 (812) 320 2400 | Mon-Thu 8.45-12.15 Fri 8.45-12.15 |
Please note that visa applications are only submitted by appointment by phone.
Visa centers
To apply through intermediaries, please select one of the following Visa Application Centers:
| Organization | The address | Telephone | Business hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submitting online applications | Moscow, st. Maroseyka, house 7/8 of. 206, floor 2 | +7 (499) 381 2900 8 (800) 301 2606 | Mon-Fri 9.00-20.00 |
| Moscow | st. Shabolovka, 31, building 5 | +7 (499) 290 5228, +7 (499) 705 9408 | Mon-Thu 8.30-16.00 Fri 8.30-14.00 |
| Saint Petersburg | st. B. Raznochinnaya 16/7 | +7 (812) 309 5319, +7 (812) 424 4969 | Mon-Thu 8.30-16.00 Fri 8.30 -14.00 |
What to do if a visa is refused
Do not forget that Germans are very pedantic about visa issues. The chances that the business will be crowned with success are high, provided that everything that is needed for a tourist visa to Germany for Russians is carefully prepared. If the decision was not in your favor, you should know what to do.
When you receive a negative answer, first you need to clarify its reason. A stamp that will be affixed to your passport will tell you about this. Not all of them put an end to your journey. To settle the issue, you are offered:
- convey some documents;
- pass an interview with a representative of the country;
- correct errors in the questionnaire.
If the refusal is categorical, submit a letter of appeal, to which you need to attach evidence that you are a tourist with a good reputation and your intentions are fully consistent with the purpose of the visit.
To understand in detail the intricacies of this procedure will help the article "Refusal of a Schengen visa".
Outcomes
Russians who intend to visit Germany in the near future as tourists will find it useful to consider:
- You can get a visa permit in three ways: on your own, through the visa center, at the consulate;
- the package of documents must correspond to the purpose of entry. Round-trip tickets, hotel reservations and financial guarantees are required;
- Schengen, which the German side will give you, will be valid in all countries participating in the agreement, but the first entry must be through Germany;
- all type C visas (tourist) cost 35 euros for regular processing, regardless of how long it will be issued.
If you are invited for an interview, it means that the visa officer has doubts about your visit. Try to prepare and convince him that there are no discrepancies in your plans, words and documents.
