VISA TO GERMANY IN 2021: DOCUMENTS, COST, REGISTRATION

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There are many Russians living in Germany, and their compatriots often go to this country to stay with relatives, chat with friends or just relax. Those who are not yet familiar with Goethe's homeland are intimidated by the prospect of obtaining a visa. Experienced travelers say: there is nothing complicated about it.

Do I need a visa

Germany is one of the member states of the Schengen Agreement, therefore visa-free entry there is prohibited. To visit the country, the guest must first issue a special permit - Schengen or national visa. These norms are the same for Russians, Belarusians and citizens of Kazakhstan.

If the traveler has an open visa to another Schengen country, he has the right to enter Germany through it, even if the stamp is in the expired passport. Additional permission is not required, since there is an agreement between the Schengen countries on the unhindered movement of a foreigner within this zone.

Important! If a foreigner has already applied for a German visa, he cannot immediately go to another country. The country of first entry should be exactly Germany, and then you can go anywhere.

First time: registration of the German Schengen

Primary Schengen to Germany is issued by analogy with other countries of the treaty. Contrary to the belief that the German consuls are hostile, they readily approve of permits for Russians and citizens of the CIS countries.

In 2015, Germany, like other Schengen countries, introduced a new requirement. Every tourist must undergo fingerprinting before visiting the country. This name hides the taking of fingerprints and scanning of the retina of the eye. This happens during the submission of documents, and the data is stored in the database for 5 years.

Download a sample of filling out an application for a visa to Germany by the link

Types of permissions

The German Embassy issues three categories of visas, which differ in terms of the purpose of the trip, the cost of registration, the peculiarities of obtaining and look different. This:

Schengen visa, category C. It involves short visits to the country for the purpose of rest, treatment, visiting friends / relatives or business meetings. It is allowed to travel with it to all countries of the Schengen area, but no more than 90 days in half a year.
Transit visa type A. It will be useful if you are expecting a transfer in Germany during a flight to a third country, and there is no transit zone at the airport.
National, type D. Issued for long-term visits on various grounds. An example of a long-term stamp is a bride visa, student, labor, family reunification visa, Blaue karte - blue card. They can be given for a year, after which the permit is renewed. Reissued into a residence permit.

Where to apply for a visa

There are 3 organizations that can apply for a visa:

Accredited travel agency. The easiest way, as the travel agent takes care of filling out the questionnaires, assisting the tourist. But the cost will also be higher than with self-registration;
Visa centers. There is a network of visa service centers in almost every city in Russia. The employees check the documents, say if something needs to be corrected, and send the full package to the embassy;
Embassy of Germany. They apply there if the visa center refused to apply for the Schengen, or for a national visa.

If the applicant decides to submit documents on his own, he will face difficulties:

filling out a questionnaire in English;
independent search for a place of residence or hotel reservations;
purchase of air tickets;
re-registration of documents if something is wrong.

There is nothing difficult in this, if you have minimal computer skills and are well prepared.

Important! Self-sufficient applicants need to pay particular attention to proving the purpose of the trip and proof of financial viability.

Where to go for self-registration

Despite the difficulties, travelers often decide to submit papers on their own. The easiest way to do this is at one of the branches of the VFS Global network. Addresses, contacts and office hours in a particular city can be found at www.vfsglobal.com or germania.diplo.de.

Registration and visit to the visa center

It is necessary to make an appointment in advance at the visa center, and before that, collect all the necessary documents. You can sign up online on the center's website or by phone. The applicant will be sent a confirmation, with which he will need to appear for the submission of documents. You need to come at the appointed time, and preferably 10 minutes earlier.

When visiting a visa center or embassy, it is strictly forbidden to:

Documents for obtaining a visa to Germany

The package of papers must contain full information about the applicant: his personal data, family status, information about how much the applicant earns.

To obtain a visa, you need to prepare:

a statement on 4 pages with a personal signature of the traveler;
international passport and national passport with copies;
2 photos according to ICAO standard;
covered medical insurance from 30 thousand euros for the entire duration of the trip;
confirmation of solvency (certificates from the bank, a letter from the sponsor, statements of the purchase of currency).

Important! Consuls have the right to request additional papers if the applicant arouses suspicion.

Registration of different types of visas

The process of registration and the need to collect additional documents will depend on the purpose of the trip.

Schengen

The main package is added:

For a tourist visa. Hotel reservation, air tickets in both directions, travel plan (planned excursions, route of movement within the country).
By invitation. An invitation from relatives or friends, confirmation of their legal residence in the country. A request from a legal entity with the purpose and dates of the visit (for a business trip).

National

An impressive set of documents is submitted for a national visa, a detailed list depending on the purpose of stay can be found on the embassy's website.

When collecting documents, it is important to remember the following nuances:

Obtaining a national permit requires perfect knowledge of the German language. If there are appropriate diplomas, they must be attached to the package.
The questionnaire is filled in only in German in two copies. If the applicant is not sure that he will fill in everything correctly, it is better to leave this case to specialists.
All collected papers are translated into German by a specialized agency.

Important! When re-submitting papers for a visa to Germany, it is important to remember that the register contains information about all applicants. Therefore, the information provided should not contradict the previously indicated.

Transit

To open a transit visa, you need:

all air tickets on the route;
permission to enter the destination if the destination is a visa country.

Multivisa

Multivisa is the same Schengen visa, the only difference is in terms of validity. Such permission is given:

for 6 months;
for a year;
for 2-3 years.

An annual permit involves multiple entries not only to Germany, but also to any other Schengen country. But in order to get a multivisa, you need to have several closed visas to Germany or try to convince the consul of the need for a long-term permit.

Traveling with children

For the child, the entire package of papers is also collected along with a questionnaire, photographs and other documents.

Additionally, you will need to pass:

birth certificate with a copy;
valid Schengen of the father / mother (if issued after the parents received a visa);
permission to leave from the father / mother or both if the child travels to Germany with or without one parent.

Trip of retirees

A non-working pensioner applies:

the original and a copy of the certificate of the appointment of the pension;
a letter from the sponsor with the intention to cover all the traveller's expenses abroad or a certificate from a pensioner from the bank (the account must have at least 1000 euros).

Travel by car

Those who are going to cross the German border in their own car will need to provide:

international driving license category B;
vehicle registration certificate;
GreenCard is an international car insurance policy.

Terms of registration

The term for processing documents and issuing a visa depends on the type of permit:

Schengen visa - from 5 to 7 working days;
express visa - 3 working days;
national visa - several months.

The verification time may increase depending on the workload of the German consulate. Waiting for a visa in season can take up to three weeks. Therefore, those who are planning a summer trip are advised to submit papers a month and a half before departure.

Tracking status and receiving documents

The status of the visa and each stage at which it will be done can be tracked on the websites of visa centers or the German Embassy in Russia. The application number is entered into a special window, and after pressing the "confirm" button, information about the readiness of the visa will appear. Also, the status of the application can be clarified by phone.

When the permit is ready, a representative of the visa department will contact the applicant himself and tell you when to receive the documents. If it was not possible to come to the call on the appointed day, you can come later. For those who do not have the opportunity to come for a passport, courier delivery works.

Registration cost

In the process of submitting documents, a consular fee is paid. Money is accepted in rubles at the current exchange rate.

Registration will cost:

35 euros - regular Schengen visa;
70 euros - registration of urgent Schengen;
70 euros - national visa.

When issuing a visa at the Visa Application Center, a service fee of 20 euros is also paid. Courier services are paid additionally, if necessary.

Dates of validity

The primary visa to Germany is usually given only for the duration of the trip. A traveler who has multiple closed visas to the country may get a permit for a year or two. It is allowed to stay in the country no more than 90 days in half a year.

Reasons for refusal

Most often, applicants are refused if:

the purpose of the trip was not confirmed or a fake booking was provided;
the applicant has provided bogus documents or false information;
no health insurance;
there is not enough money in the bank account.

Preparing a complete set of documents will help minimize the risk of rejection.

Visa processing for Belarusians, Ukrainians and Kazakhstanis

Belarusians and Kazakhstanis collect the same documents as Russians, with the same filing procedure.

The difference is in the amount of collection and the place of visa issuance:

for Kazakhstan: fee 60 euros, submission to the German Embassy in Astana;
for Belarus: fee 60 euros, submission to the German embassy in Minsk.

In 2017, a visa-free regime was introduced between Ukraine and the EU countries, so Ukrainians do not need a Schengen visa to enter Germany. However, for a long-term stay, you need a D visa, which can be obtained at the German Embassy in Ukraine.

Testimonials and Recommendations

Anna, Moscow:I always apply for visas myself, so it's faster. For some reason, Germany is in second place in the ranking of myths about evil consuls. But I did not have any difficulties: I made out the German stamp after a trip to Great Britain. I believe that in order to obtain the first Schengen, you should pay attention to more loyal countries, and then apply for a German visa.

Daria, Rostov:I crossed the border twice in Munich. First in 2011, then I had the Czech Schengen. The woman at the border looked at the sticker, asked for a return ticket, a hotel reservation and stamped it. Then I decided to postpone and went to Germany only in 2014. I went with a Greek visa, immediately gave the hotel reservation and tickets. It was not there: they began to find out with whom I was flying, who was the second in the room, why I was going to Germany. As I have noticed, they are checked selectively. Someone is thoroughly questioned, someone is not even asked to make a hotel reservation.

So that there is no doubt that a visa to Germany will be approved, it is important to correctly collect the package of documents. The most important thing is to convince the consul of the truthfulness of the purpose of the trip, to speak only the truth and not to forge documents in order to obtain the Schengen.

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