Visa Procedures in Los Angeles
Visa applicants must apply in person by prior appointment only. Click below to make an appointment online:
Please note:
You may apply by mail
1. If you are a spouse of an EU or German national or
2. If you have had a Schengen visa from the Consulate issued within the past 12 months or
3. If you have had at least 2 used Schengen visas from any Schengen Embassy issued within the past 24 months or
4. If you have had a one-year or multiple-year Schengen visa within the last 24 months and have used it or
5. If you hold a valid advance parole and approval notice document (I-797) and transit through an airport in Germany on your travel to your country of origin.
This Consulate does not assume any liability for the loss of documents submitted by mail.
Only applications filled out online from the Consulate/Embassy website will be accepted. It is extremely important that you fill out the application with all personal data exactly as it appears on your passport. After completion, please print the form including the Annex page containing the barcode (only visible at time of printing). It is crucial that the barcode is not torn, folded or otherwise damaged at time of submission.
Make sure to send or bring all required documents as listed in the visa requirements to avoid delays in the processing of your application.
To return your passport with the visa, we exclusively use FedEx. We charge an extra fee of 20 US dollars, payable in cash or money order only for this service. If you prefer, you can pick up your passport in person or have someone else pick it up with a letter of authorization, signed by you.
At this time, holders of US travel documents issued as refugee travel documents do not require a visa to travel to Germany for tourism, transit or business. Please note that this only applies to Germany, as other countries of the Schengen agreement may require you to hold a visa. This may be subject to change, so check this website for updates before each trip. As this exception may not be known to some airlines or immigration officers, we suggest you print this information and take it with you. The printout quotes the address of this website and the date, enabling you and others to verify the information and to check if the printout is up-to-date.
Holders of US travel documents issued as Permit to Reenter need a visa according to their nationality. Please check the list of countries that require a visa on our website.
Only after checking the information in the link below, and you find you have further questions, please contact the visa department of the Consulate General in Los Angeles via the contact form or by calling 323-930-2703.
