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Business / Tourism / Visitor Visa
A Schengen visa is required if you intend to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 180 day period for business, visitor or tourist purposes.
Visa needed?
Entry clearance requirements depend on the citizenship of the applicant. Citizens of many countries do not need a visa to visit Germany for stays of up to 90 days. Please check our country list if you are not sure whether you need a visa: country list
Where and how to apply?
German consular services are available throughout the USA. If you live in the jurisdiction of our Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, or Houston, please make sure to address your competent mission and schedule an appointment in order to apply for a visa there.
Customers residing within the consular jurisdiction of the Embassy in Washington DC (DC, DE, MD, VA, WV), the Consulate General in New York (CT, NJ, NY, PA), Los Angeles (AZ, CA, CO, NV, UT), Miami (FL, PR, US VI), and San Francisco (AK, CA, HI, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY) will need to schedule an appointment via the service provider BLS International.
Click below to find out where to submit your application and to learn about any specific application procedures. Due to local particularities handling and processing may vary slightly among the German Missions involved: Consulate Finder
Please note processing time of minimum 2 weeks. In some cases processing time may take up to 4 weeks plus additional business days for mailing your documents. Therefore make sure to schedule an appointment as early as possible before your intended trip to Germany.
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.
Please be aware that the submission of forged documents and/or itineraries can lead to the rejection of the visa application.
Under certain circumstances you can mail in your application to the German missions which have not outsourced visa operations yet.
What do I need to fill out and bring?
- Online Schengen Visa Application Form
- Declaration of Accurancy
- Visa Photo Examples
- Visa Fees
- Information on Data Protection
Which documents are required?
Additional content
Information on Medical Health Insurance when applying for a visa.