The country of Goethe, beer, high mountains, medieval castles and romantic Rhine ... Many of us have dreams connected with it. Go there on a long journey, to study, and maybe to work ... All that’s needed for this is to obtain permission to enter this state. After all, it can become for you a window to the rest of Europe. How to get a visa to Germany? Detailed instructions and useful tips await you in this article.
Highlights
Although a couple of years ago there was talk of canceling visas for Russians, the disturbances of the last year postponed these changes for the long term. In order to visit any European country, you need to collect a package of documents and fulfill all the necessary bureaucratic requirements. And for this you need to know how to get a visa to Germany. First of all, you need to decide what kind of entry document you need. In order to come to Germany, you must apply for either a “Schengen”, or a national visa, or a work permit - the so-called blue card. There are others types of documents and we’ll talk about them too.
“Schengen” and a national visa provide an opportunity to visit Germany for a short time. But the first solution is good because the package of documents for it is standard, pan-European. And this visa to Germany gives travelers more opportunities. Its processing time is short, from five days to two weeks. And embassy staff do not have the habit of holding passports with such permits. And having received them, you can travel to other countries of the Schengen zone, using common rules.
Where to apply?
How to get a visa to Germany for travel? There are several ways to do this. A travel company, a visa center, or a visit to the embassy or authorized consulate of the country can help you with this. The choice is yours. Where to get a visa to Germany to be cheaper and faster? Of course, in the embassy or consulate. But not all residents of different cities of Russia have the opportunity to come there.
After all, the embassy is located in Moscow, and consulates that have the right to issue visas are located only in four cities: in Novosibirsk, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg. In addition, there you can expect difficulties, primarily of a psychological nature. Many people are afraid of the questions they will be asked. A visa center and a travel company are a good solution to this problem. But keep in mind that the organization, which is taken to rid you of unnecessary trouble, does this far from free. Therefore, the cost of such an enterprise will increase, as in the case of an urgent visa.
Travel agency
Of course, intermediaries will also issue for you permission to enter the embassy or consulate. But they will tell you how to get a visa to Germany, and will correct possible errors. First of all, you will be asked to collect the necessary package of documents. A passport is required. But not every similar document is suitable. He must be in a certain condition. For example, act three more months after your trip ends. The passport must have two blank pages, otherwise the visa will not be pasted to you.
Next, two photos that meet the requirements of the European Union. You will have to stick one of them to the questionnaire, and the second one to attach to the passport, preferably with a paper clip. In the case of a visa through a travel agency you will be shown this need. Next, you submit copies of all pages of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.A mandatory requirement is a certificate proving your place of work and the profile of the organization or enterprise. In order to prove your solvency, you will also have to provide an extract from your bank account, a copy of a credit card and a document confirming your ownership (for example, an apartment). And, of course, the completed questionnaire itself, which you must sign in person. It will also require a special statement that all the information you provide is true.
Additional documents
A travel company will not only tell you how to get a visa to Germany, and help you get the necessary paperwork. You will also be asked to write a document stating that you agree that your personal data will be processed. This is a requirement. In addition, some features will be clarified if you are a senior citizen or student. Non-working persons must submit a pension recipient certificate. Both the original and the copy are needed. You also need a statement from the person who pays for the trip and expenses of a traveling pensioner, a certificate from the sponsor's place of work. A photocopy of the first page of his passport is also needed. The same documents from sponsors are necessary for students. They also need to submit a certificate from the university and a student ID card (also a copy and the original).
Visa to Germany. Visas for children
If you want to leave with your child or send your offspring on a trip abroad with one of the parents, additional chores await you. First, a copy of the birth certificate is required. Then permission to travel to countries Schengen area issued by a notary and certified by him. These documents will have to be translated into German or English. If the child has an internal passport, you need to make copies of all its pages.
If there is only one parent, you need to provide a document to the embassy stating that the first one died or did not live with his family at all. When traveling with a child, you must also take care of the paper proving your relationship with him. In addition, two special forms should be completed for children. This is done even if the child is inscribed on your passport. After obtaining a visa, make sure that it is issued correctly. There should be a special note about the children traveling with you - immediately after the passport number.
How to get a visa to Germany on your own?
If you decide to beat the thresholds of the embassy or consulate yourself and have an interview, then be prepared not only to collect all of the above documents. You will need to supplement your package with some more papers. First of all, in this case you submit not only a passport, but also a photocopy of its first page. The one where your personal data is located. The following is evidence that you will live in Germany at a specific place. To do this, the embassy requires you to provide hotel reservations for the entire time that you stay in this country, as well as documents confirming payment. Only in this case a visa to Germany can be obtained.
Visas are also a procedure in which online bookings are not taken into account. Therefore, you need to ask the hotel to send you these papers by mail or fax. If the purpose of your trip is tourism, visiting sights or cultural events, you should detail your route (by city and day). It is also necessary to submit, among other documents, an insurance policy (together with a copy). It must also meet certain requirements. The amount of insurance must be at least thirty thousand euros. And the policy itself should be recognized in all countries that are part of the Schengen zone. It is also necessary that its validity coincides with the period of time during which you will be in Germany.Well, and to ensure your return, the embassy requires you to provide copies of round-trip tickets. You can use air, rail or bus. The main thing is that the tickets are there and back.
Visa by invitation
It often happens that people go abroad on a private visit. In this situation, you can get a guest visa to Germany. To do this, the person you are traveling to should send you an invitation. With this document and its copy you should come to the embassy, consulate or visa center. The invitation must be issued in accordance with German law. In Germany there is a foreign affairs agency, which has a representative office in every major city.
The invitation must be written on the official letterhead of this institution. The person with whom you will live must write a commitment that he takes upon himself all your expenses - for food, a roof over your head, and even medical services. It doesn’t matter if he is a German citizen or lives there in a different status. His signature must also be certified by the Office for Foreign Citizens. The main thing is that this person himself legally be in this country. Of course, along with the invitation, you must still bring the whole package of papers described above. In addition, the receiving party or your embassy has the right to demand other additional documents or information if something seems unclear or suspicious to the employees.
How to get a work visa to Germany
In this case, you, as well as someone who wants to see you as their employee, will again have to deal with the foreign affairs agency. That it should give consent to your request for work in Germany. Experts advise you to apply there in advance, because to obtain a work visa you need permission from this institution. Having it, you can contact the embassy. If you do not have such permission, you can also submit documents.
But then, probably, you will have to wait for a response from the department for several weeks, or even months. But, first of all, you should have the original of the employment contract or invitation in order to carry out any professional activity. This document, among other things, should indicate what exactly you will do, where and for how long. Further, as in the situation with a private invitation, your future employer must declare that he will bear all your expenses that you may incur when you arrive in the country. You must also show that you have a place where you will live all the time while working. All these documents must be submitted in the original and in two copies.
How else is obtaining a work visa different from other permits? The questionnaire must be submitted in triplicate, and in addition to a foreign passport, you must also provide a Russian one, which indicates where you are registered at the place of residence. A work visa has a national status. This means that upon arrival in Germany you must register. This happens at the same foreign office. Then, if you decide to travel, you will no longer have to worry about how to get a Schengen visa to Germany. You will put a special mark in the passport. With it, you can visit almost all Schengen states.
Issue price and deadlines
What is the cost of applying for a visa to Germany? It depends on where you are applying. If you come to the consulate yourself, then pay the so-called visa fee. For Russians, it is set in ruble terms of thirty-five euros. If you use the services of a visa center, then additionally post another 1330 rubles. You must pay the fee on the day you submit the documents, according to the exchange rate of the ruble. If they refuse you, then no one will return the money. For children under the age of six, payment is not taken. The shortest period for which a visa is made is five days.However, some entry clearance centers may provide services to reduce this time. It happens that a visa is issued in two days. But then, accordingly, the price of this service rises.
What are the other visas?
Of course, here we have examined far from all cases of entry permits. The procedure for applying for a visa to Germany may vary slightly if you want to go to the exhibition, book a group tour or book a luxurious five-star hotel. In such cases, for example, you may not attend an interview at the embassy. There are also transit visas, entry permits related to family reunification (for the bride or wife). There are documents that are issued to students for study or to business people for business.
Recent visas are issued to activists of public organizations that visit Germany. They may not even be charged a fee if the consul so decides. And the number of entries can be different. A single-entry visa is issued, as well as a permit by which you can visit the country not just once, but a lot. But most of all, we focused on the most frequent cases of filing documents. We also examined the design of the most common types of visas. And finally, a few useful tips for those who come to the embassy or consulate themselves.
Instead of an afterword
Look carefully at whether you filled out the required form or not. The embassy website has several types. So do not confuse. Do not forget to paste the photo in the questionnaire. If you apply for a visa yourself, they may simply put you out the door. Enter the name and surname in Latin letters, as in a foreign passport. Do not forget about the necessary certificates - from the place of work, study, and so on. Not always embassy staff allow them to convey later. Sort the documents in the correct order and remove them from the files. Do not be late for your scheduled interview time. Be prepared to answer questions regarding the purpose, financial means and how you used previous visas, if you had them. Be careful, and luck will always be with you.
