Germany Information
Joined: 21 Oct 2006
Posts: 27
Home Country: germany
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 Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:10 am Post subject: VISA TO GERMANY/ GERMANY VISA GUIDE |
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VISA TO GERMANY
REQUIREMENTS
f you come to live, work or study in Germany, you might need to get a visa, residence permit and/or work permit. Be prepared to spend a lot of time assembling your documentation and waiting in line. As some permits have to be applied for from your home country, you should start this process well in advance of your move to Germany. German immigration laws are complex and confusing for many foreigners (and for most Germans as well!).
When coming to live in Germany, you will probably need to go through the process in the following order (each step requires documentation from previous one), although there are some exceptions:
1. Visas: EU citizens and some other nationalities do not need a visa for Germany. If you do need a visa, you have to apply in your home country (visas are never issued in Germany). Visa applications take some time and the type of visa will affect your residency rights, so choose accordingly.
2. Residence registration: In the first week after arrival, you have to register at the local residence registration office ( Einwohnermeldeamt).
3. Residence permits: Everybody staying in Germany for more than 3 months must officially obtain a residence permit (including EU citizens). After completing your residence registration, you need to apply for your residence permit at the local immigration office ( Ausländeramt).
4. Work permit: Once you have your residence permit, you can apply for a work permit at your local labor office (Arbeitsamt). EU citizens do not need a work permit to work.
Germany is a bureaucratic country and bureaucrats love documents. Be prepared to fill in many forms, take them to different offices, have them stamped numerous times and spend a lot of time waiting in line. Before leaving home, you may find it essential or useful to get:
* a passport valid for the entire period to be spent in Germany
* if going to study, a notification of university admission or confirmation of application
* proof of financial resources
* visa (not a tourist visa), if applicable
* originals and certified (!) translations of your birth certificate, secondary school leaving certificate, possibly academic qualifications and your insurance documents. Certifications can be made at German diplomatic and consular missions.
* confirmation of health insurance cover or, for students from the European Union, a European health insurance card
* book of vaccination certificates, if you have one. Check at the German diplomatic presence in your home country whether you need any vaccinations
* an international driving license if you need one (EU citizens do not)
Also note that regulations are subject to frequent change. Information can be obtained from German embassies, consulates, immigration offices and the German ministry for foreign affairs. These institutions are often overloaded with immigration requests. This may partly explain why German officials are not known for their friendliness and why some foreigners feel intimidated by the authorities. If your legal situation is complex, consider hiring a lawyer or immigration expert to represent your interests or advise.
Nationalities that don’t need a visa for any purpose:
EU citizens and those of Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. After three months in Germany you are required to get a residence permit.
Note: EU- member countries are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Nationalities that don’t need a visa for stays up to three months:
Citizens of the United States of America, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Korea (South), Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela and Switzerland, who may also apply for their residence permit after entering Germany without a visa.
You can enter Germany without a visa, as long as you don’t plan to do any paid or self-employed work. If you intend to stay longer or wish to work, you have to apply for a visa in your home country (remember that visas are never issued in Germany), so it’s recommended to get a visa before coming to Germany, even if you can enter without one. If you do not do this you will have to go home and apply for a visa before returning to Germany,
Nationalities that require a visa for any purpose:
In this case you will need a visa even for short visits. This is true for most African and many Asian countries.
More information on visas for Germany can be found at www.auswaertiges-amt.de (German ministry of foreign affairs).
Visas are generally linked to a specific purpose of your stay in Germany (i.e. tourist visas, student visas, business visas, etc.). The type of visa depends on the reasons given for coming to the country and is the same as the different types of residency permits; the only difference that the visa is issued outside of Germany.
Once you have entered Germany, you may be issued a residency permit for the same reasons stated in your visa. The purpose of you stay cannot be changed within Germany, e.g. you cannot enter on a student visa and then get work residence permit. If you wish to change your residency status, you will probably need to first leave the country to then apply for a different type of visa! Consider carefully the reason you give for your visa application as this can have expensive implications later.
DOCUMENTATIONS
For a visa application, you will have to produce some or all of the following documents (contact your local embassy/consulate for exact requirements):
* passport with at least 3 months validity beyond the end of the visa period requested, with a blank page available for the visa.
* application form(s); number dependent on nationality of applicant.
* 2 passport photographs
* proof of adequate means of financial support during stay
* proof of medical insurance.
* proof of purpose of visit and/or a hotel reservation and/or a return ticket.
* letter from employer or place of study. If self-employed a letter from a solicitor, accountant, bank manager or local Chamber of Commerce.
Applications should be made at least 6 weeks before the planned departure date. If you apply for a visa outside of your home country, your application will be referred to the German embassy there, and may take longer to be issued.
The Schengen Area
Germany is a signatory to the Schengen Agreement, which enables free circulation of residents within Schengen Area countries. A visa granted by one of these countries is valid in the whole Schengen Area. Travelling within the Schengen Area is legally the same as travelling within Germany. If you enter Germany with a tourist visa, you will be able to stay in Germany and/or any other country in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days during any 6-month period.
In addition to Spain, the other parties to the Schengen Agreement are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
* Although you can leave the Schengen Area and come back in as many times as you need during your 6-month visa validity, the total amount of time you can stay in the Schengen area cannot exceed 90 days.
* A visa granted by one of the Schengen countries is valid in all other member countries.
Countries outside the Schengen Area include Switzerland, United Kingdom & the Channel Islands, Ireland, Morocco, and Gibraltar. |
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