The Schengen area covers 29 countries (“Schengen States”) without border controls between them. These countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

With regard to Bulgaria and Romania travellers are now able to cross internal sea and air borders without border controls. A date for a possible lifting of border controls at internal land borders has not yet been announced.

Cyprus and Ireland are members of the EU but currently do not apply the Schengen agreement.

The Schengen Visa Code standardises the visa requirements that the mission has to use for visa processing. The mission takes a decision on the visa application at its own discretion, taking into account all the circumstances in any given individual case. There is no automatic entitlement to a Schengen visa. The mission must ensure that the following requirements have been met in each individual case:

• The purpose of your trip to Germany must be plausible and comprehensible.
• You must be in a position to finance your living and travel expenses from your own funds and/or income. This includes a travel health insurance policy with minimum cover of 30,000 Euros, valid for the entire Schengen area
• You must demonstrate that you intend to leave the Schengen area before the visa expires.

The Schengen Visa Code also stipulates with which Member State you need to file your visa application:

1. The Member State whose territory constitutes the sole destination of your visit(s).
2. If your visit includes more than one destination, or if there are several separate visits within 2 months, the Member State whose territory constitutes the main destination of your visit(s) in terms of the length or purpose of stay.
3. If no main destination can be determined, the Member State whose external border you intend to cross first in order to enter the territory of the Member States.

Please note that you may not pursue any economic activity in Germany unless such activity is explicitly authorized by a visa or a residence permit issued in Germany.

Where and how to apply?

Customers will need to schedule an appointment via the service provider BLS International (except Consulate General Atlanta). If you live in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General in Atlanta, please make sure to schedule an appointment in order to apply for a Schengen visa directly at the consulate (not via BLS).

Click here to find out where to submit your application.

Please note processing time of minimum 2 weeks.

In order to apply for a visa, it is not necessary to use services of an agency or service provider for facilitation. Also, some of such agencies provide false claims and information regarding the visa process. The German Missions are only cooperating with BLS International in the US.

Please be aware that the submission of forged documents and/or itineraries will lead to the rejection of the visa application.

Under certain circumstances you can mail in your application to the service provider BLS International.

If you are unsure how many days you have left on your current visa, check the Short-stay Visa Calculator.

What do I need to fill out and bring?

• Online Schengen Visa Application Form
• Declaration of Accuracy
• Visa Photo Examples
• Visa Fees​​​​​​​

Which documents are required?

• Schengen Visa
• Schengen Visa (EU/EEA spouse, parent or child)
• Schengen Visa (German spouse, parent or child)