The village of Karden on the Moselle, Germany

Who needs a visa for Germany?

Western Europe · Berlin

Photo: Lothar Spurzem / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 de

Of 198 nationalities, 93 enter Germany with no paperwork at all. The rest: 105 must be approved before they travel.

Government fee
€90
Typical decision
15 days
Stay permitted
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, across the whole Schengen area
Apply on the official Germany government site

This is the government's own portal. We are not paid to send you there.

Checked 19 September 2026 — read the fees and rules on home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

What Germany asks for

  • Passport valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure, issued within the last 10 years, with two blank pages
  • Completed and signed Schengen visa application form
  • One recent photograph to the published specification
  • Medical insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation
  • Evidence of where you will stay for the whole trip
  • Return or onward ticket, or evidence of your travel plans
  • Proof of funds for the length of the stay
  • Evidence of your employment, studies or business

Worth knowing

  • One Schengen visa covers all 29 member states. You do not need, and cannot buy, a separate visa for each country.
  • Medical insurance is a legal condition of the visa, not an optional extra. It must cover emergency care, hospitalisation and repatriation.
  • Consulates charge the same €90 wherever you apply. Where a consulate uses an external centre such as VFS or TLS, that centre's service charge is separate and is not the visa fee.
  • Ireland is not in the Schengen area, and neither is the United Kingdom. A Schengen visa does not cover either.

Photo requirements

Germany passport photo, for its own citizens: 35 x 45 mm. bundesdruckerei.de · read Visa photo: the common Schengen rule, 35–40 mm wide (no height stated). home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · read Every photo rule for Germany

Resize a photo in your browser. It is never uploaded.

How long your passport must be valid for Germany: see passport validity by country.

What do you need?

Who needs what

Visa free 93

Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you travel.

Visa required 105

You must apply and be approved before you travel. Airlines will refuse to board you without it.

Guides for Germany

About Germany

Region
Western Europe
Capital
Berlin
Population
83,491,249 2025 · 19th of 197
Size
357,114 km² 62nd largest of 199
Density
234 per km²
Language
German
Currency
Euro EUR
Borders
Austria Belgium Czechia Denmark France Luxembourg Netherlands Poland Switzerland

Capital, area, languages and currency from the open country dataset, pulled 21 September 2026. Population from the World Bank, series updated 13 July 2026. Density is calculated from the two figures above.