Russian citizens need a Schengen visa to travel to Germany. If a tourist plans to spend the most time in this country, you need to apply for a document at its representative office. If the entry is made through German cities, but the main vacation period will take place in another state, then it is recommended to obtain a visa from the main country of destination. You can submit papers both directly to the consulate and to accredited visa centers. According to COUNTRYAAH, Germany is a country that starts with letter G.
Since Germany is part of the Schengen countries, you can also visit other countries with a multiple entry visa. This is beneficial and convenient, especially if the applicant draws up a document not for the first time and can apply for a three-year right of entry.
Tourist visa to Germany: general information
| Do they give multivisa? | Yes |
| Term of receipt | 10 working days |
| Validity limit | 3 months from the end of the trip |
- The cost of a regular visa: 80€
- Express visa: not issued
- Visa fees: ~ 32€
Types of visas
Germany issues two types of visas:
- type C – short-term (stay up to 90 days: no longer than 3 months for every six months) – it is received by travelers, as well as those who go on a short-term business trip, to language courses, exhibitions, concerts and sports, to visit relatives;
- type D – long-term, national (stay more than 90 days) – it is issued for a long stay: work, education, treatment, or for the purpose of family reunification.
Applying for a visa yourself
A package of documents for a tourist visa can be taken to one of the visa service centers, where it is advisable to register through the office. representative website. This is a convenient option for those who are not confident in their abilities and are afraid to make mistakes in paperwork. Employees will answer all questions, make photocopies, photographs for a fee, and can also arrange home delivery of a passport. The application must be submitted no earlier than 3 months and no later than 3 weeks before the trip.
The standard visa processing time is 10 working days, but in service centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Kaliningrad, you can order express processing in 3 days (this is a paid service).
In addition, travelers can apply directly to the consulate, but in this case, the time for issuing a document may be delayed. You can sign up for a meeting through website of the German embassy.
Documents for a visa to Germany
For self-issuance of a visa, you must prepare the following papers:
- Questionnaire
Completed online, printed out along with the received barcode and personally signed by the applicant in three places. The application guide can be found at visa center website. Before starting data entry, it is proposed to select a language (including Russian).
- Consent to the processing of personal data
Signed personally by the applicant.
- international passport
Issued no more than 10 years ago, valid for at least 3 months from the end of the trip and with at least 2 blank pages.
- Copy of international passport
With passport data and a Schengen visa (if any). with previously submitted biometrics. If the expired passports were Schengen, you must provide copies of them. If the applicant has a second valid passport, it must also be presented.
- Photo
2 color photographs 3.5×4.5 cm on a light background, without corners.
- Health insurance policy
Valid throughout the Schengen area and for the duration of your stay. Insurance coverage must be at least 30,000 EUR. The policy must indicate the name and surname of the applicant.
- General passport
Original.
- Copy of the national passport
Photocopies of all sheets containing information, as well as a page with notes on issued international passports, even if it is empty.
- Proof of residence
Hotel reservation or rental agreement for the entire stay.
- Tickets
Round trip. If tourists plan to travel by their own car, it is necessary to provide transport documents and a detailed description of the trip.
- Financial guarantees
Original bank statement for the last three months indicating the remaining balance of funds, or savings book (original and copy), or sponsorship letter from a third party in the established form, financial document of the sponsor and a copy of the personal data page of the sponsor’s civil passport.
- Help from the place of work
Certificate of employment on company letterhead with the applicant’s position and salary, contact details of the company. Individual entrepreneurs provide an extract from the tax register, the original and a copy of the IP registration certificate, a copy of the tax return, certificates of 2NDFL or 3NDFL. Pensioners – the original and a copy of the pension certificate and a certificate from the pension fund on the calculation of the pension.
- Students and pupils
Certificate from the place of study with a seal and signature, a sponsorship letter from one of the parents.
- Documents confirming readiness to return to the Russian Federation
Additionally, you can provide papers confirming ownership of real estate in Russia, family ties, etc.
If the purpose of the trip is business, education or treatment, documents confirming the declared plans will be required: an invitation from the host, educational or medical institution. For those visiting close relatives in Germany, an invitation and sponsorship letter from them is required.
A transit visa is required for those who make a transfer in Germany and fly to countries that are not included in the list of the Schengen Agreement. In addition to the list above, you will need tickets for onward travel, as well as permission to enter the country of destination (if necessary).
At the airports of Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Hamburg (from 16:30 to 23:30), Dusseldorf (from 6:00 to 21:00, by advance registration only), Cologne/Bonn (from 16:30 to 23: 00) and Berlin (from 6:00 to 23:00) transit zones operate. When transplanting, you can do without a visa, but the rules must be clarified before buying a ticket.
Visa processing for children
For minors, parents fill out a separate form. In addition, you must provide the original and a copy of the birth certificate, passports for those who have reached the age of 14, as well as copies of the parents’ passports with personal data and visas.
If the child is traveling with only one parent or with other adults, a notarized consent to take the minor abroad from one or both parents will be required. If there is no mother or father, a supporting document is required (death certificate, paper of a single mother, etc.).
Photo Requirements
To apply for a visa, you will need two color photographs 3.5×4.5 cm on a white background without corners, frames and retouching, taken no earlier than 6 months before the submission of documents. Pictures must be clear, high quality, free of dirt and abrasions.
The face is placed in the center and occupies 70-80% of the frame, the size from the top of the head to the chin is 2.5 cm. The photo is taken from the front, the gaze is directed directly into the camera. Headwear, sunglasses and other accessories, such as large, extravagant hair ornaments, headbands, etc., are not allowed. The exception is items that are needed for medical reasons, such as an eye patch. It is desirable that the ears are open.
The facial expression is neutral, a slight smile is possible. If a person wears glasses, they can be left, but only if the frame is not too large and original, does not cover the eyes and eyebrows. There cannot be other people or foreign objects in the frame. Even in the photo of small children.
Consular fee
The consular fee is 80 EUR, it is paid in rubles, in cash or by bank card at the current rate of the European Central Bank. In the visa center, you additionally need to pay for services – about 32 EUR. Consular and service fees are non-refundable.
Children under 6 years of age, schoolchildren, students and teachers entering for the purpose of educational activities (supporting papers are required), members of official delegations, as well as spouses of German citizens and parents of minors who are German citizens are exempt from payment.
When applying at the consulate, the cost of a visa is 80 EUR, when submitting documents at the visa center: 80 EUR + 32 EUR (service fee).
Fingerprinting
Each applicant is required to be fingerprinted and take a digital photo. The information is valid for 5 years, after which it must be updated. The procedure of fingerprinting and photographing is carried out on special equipment in the visa center (consular section of the embassy). The requirement applies to all applicants over 12 years old, with the exception of people who are physically impossible to take fingerprints due to injuries.
If over the past 5 years a person has been fingerprinted, then he can apply not personally, but through an intermediary under a notarized power of attorney.
Visa validity period
Short-term visas assume that the traveler will spend no more than 90 days in six months in the Schengen countries. To calculate the number of days in a specific 6 months, you can use the calculator.
The first time a visa is usually issued for a trip or six months, then for a year, for two, and so on up to 5 years. In order to obtain longer entry permits, you need to comply with visa laws and reinforce the intention to visit Germany frequently with regular visits.
Refusal
Visa denials are extremely rare, but if they do, you will be provided with a document stating the reasons in a general form. Most often, they are refused due to the submission of deliberately false information, lack of funds or an incorrectly completed questionnaire. You can file an appeal if you wish.
