Tourist visa Germany: requirements, checklist and tips

Germany is a sought-after holiday destination that attracts millions of visitors every year. Would you also like to visit trendy cities like Berlin, Hamburg, or Munich? Or experience the Oktoberfest in Munich or the Carnival in Cologne? Depending on your country of origin, you may need a Schengen Visa Type C or a so-called Tourist Visa for Germany for travel purposes.

If you are not traveling to Germany as a tourist, you may need a different visa. Therefore, be sure to check the various types of visas for Germany before your trip.

Contents:

• Is Germany a popular destination for foreign tourists? 
• Who needs a tourist visa for Germany?
• Which Schengen visa should you apply for as a tourist in Germany?
• Checklist: What do I need for a tourist visa? 
• How long can I stay in Germany with a tourist visa? 
• How many times can I enter and exit Germany with a tourist visa? 
• Where do I apply for a tourist visa for Germany? 
• How much does a German tourist visa cost? 
• Do I need an invitation for a German tourist visa? 
• Can I extend a tourist visa for Germany? 
• Tips for tourist visas for major non-EU countries 
• AXA provides sufficient health coverage for German tourist visas 
• Submit your visa application on time! 

How popular is Germany as a travel destination for foreign tourists?

Germany ranks 9th worldwide among the most popular travel destinations. Every year, more foreign tourists come to Germany (except during the COVID years). In 2022, there were 28.5 million international visitors. Most foreign visitors traveling to Germany for tourism were from the United States and Asia. The most overnight stays were recorded in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, and North Rhine-Westphalia. The most popular city for foreign tourists is Berlin.

Who needs a tourist visa for Germany?

Whether you need a visa to travel to Germany and the Schengen countries depends on your nationality. Citizens of over 100 non-EU countries are required to have a visa for travel to Germany and within the Schengen area. Even for tourist visits, you must apply for a tourist visa for Germany. If you want to know right away whether you need a tourist visa for Germany, check our Visa Country List.

If you are from one of the 27 Schengen countries or an EU country, you do not need a visa. Additionally, about 60 non-EU countries (such as the United States and South Korea) are exempt from visa requirements. However, citizens of these countries must prepare for the electronic entry document ETIAS from 2024 onwards.

Good to know: Germany is one of the 27 Schengen countries. The Schengen Area is a large region in Europe (not to be confused with the EU!) that is especially attractive for travelers as it is one of the largest contiguous areas in the world without border controls!

Which Schengen visa should I apply for as a tourist in Germany?

Please note that there are different types of Schengen visas. If you want to apply for a tourist visa for Germany, you need the Schengen Visa Category C. The C visa allows for short-term stays (up to a maximum of 90 days within 180 days) in Germany and the Schengen Area. This short-stay visa is suitable for tourism, business trips, medical treatment, and also as a visitor visa for Germany.

Complementary to the Schengen Visa C, there is also the Schengen Visa Type D, also known as the national visa. The national visa allows for longer stays in Germany and the Schengen Area and should be applied for if you plan to study, work, or stay in Germany for other long-term reasons.

Regardless of the type of visa you apply for, you must contact the appropriate German foreign mission and submit the application there. This may be the consular section of the German Embassy or a German consulate in your home country.

How long can I stay in Germany with a tourist visa?

If you receive a visa for Germany as a tourist, you can usually stay for a maximum of 90 days within 180 days in Germany and throughout the Schengen Area. However, the validity period is also important. Some Schengen visas are issued explicitly for a few days as transit visas, while others may be valid for up to 5 years.

Note: If you are issued a tourist visa for Germany for the first time, your first visa may only be issued for the exact duration of your planned stay (e.g., exactly 14 days for your scheduled stay from March 1 to 14).

How many times can I enter and exit Germany with a holiday visa?

When issuing the visa, a distinction is made between a single-entry visa, a double-entry visa, and a multiple-entry visa. With a single-entry tourist visa for Germany, you can enter the Schengen Area only once. If you leave the Schengen Zone, even if your visa is still valid, you must apply for a new Schengen visa to re-enter. With a double-entry visa, you can enter the Schengen Zone twice. The multiple-entry visa allows for multiple entries.

Good to know: Regardless of the number of entries, it is essential to adhere to the 90-day rule!

Where do I apply for a tourist visa for Germany?

You can apply for your German tourist visa at the German foreign mission in your country. This could be the German embassy or a German consulate. For your first visa application, you must appear in person. This is necessary because your fingerprints will need to be taken.

In large countries such as Russia, China, and Turkey, German foreign missions work with official service providers. These partners are located in all major cities of these countries, so you do not have to travel to Moscow, Beijing, or Ankara personally. However, there are additional processing fees for the service provided by these service providers!

How much does a visa for Germany cost?

The visa fee for the uniform Schengen Visa C, i.e., the German tourist visa, is 80 euros, which you must pay when submitting your application. Due to the Visa Facilitation Agreement, citizens of the following countries are eligible for a reduced fee of 35 euros: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine.

What do I need for a German tourist visa?

Before attending your appointment with the German embassy or the official service providers, you should make sure that your visa application is correctly completed. The standard tourist visa for Germany is issued as a single-entry visa. If you plan to enter and exit the Schengen Area two or more times, you should indicate in your application that you require a double-entry or multi-entry visa.

Checklist for applying for your German tourist visa:

• Completed visa application for a Schengen Visa Germany Type C

• A valid passport that is less than ten years old, remains valid for at least three months after your trip ends, and has at least two blank pages for the visa

• Two biometric passport photos

• Your travel and flight itinerary

• Address of your accommodation in Germany (hotel room reservation or campsite booking, or an invitation letter if you are invited)

• Proof of financial means to cover your trip (e.g., bank statements from the last three months or other proof of assets)

• If a sponsor is covering the cost of your trip, a declaration of commitment is required

• A visa travel insurance that covers at least 30,000 euros for medical emergencies and is valid for the entire Schengen Area

Do I need an invitation for a tourist visa?

If you are staying at a hotel and not visiting friends, family, or business partners, you do not need an invitation letter for your visa application. In this case, a confirmation of your hotel reservation is sufficient. This means that if you are visiting someone in Germany during your trip, you will need an invitation letter from your hosts along with their address.

Can I extend a tourist visa for Germany?

If you wish to extend your 90-day visa for Germany, this is only possible with specific reasons, such as force majeure, humanitarian grounds, or serious personal reasons (e.g., illness) that prevent you from leaving Germany. Therefore, a German tourist visa can only be extended under very limited exceptions. The decision to extend a visa is solely at the discretion of the local immigration authority, not the Federal Foreign Office or German embassies.

Important: If you need to extend your tourist visa, be sure to do so before the 90-day period of your Schengen Visa C is exceeded.

Tips for tourist visas for major third countries

Most non-EU tourists come from the United States, but due to visa regulations, Americans do not need a tourist visa for Germany. In contrast, Turkish and Russian citizens do need a visa for tourism purposes. Turkey and Russia are significant markets for German tourism, so we offer the following tips on applying for a visa for Turkish and Russian tourists.

Tourist visa for Germany from Turkey

If you want to apply for a tourist visa from Turkey to Germany, you should contact the nearest German embassy in Turkey:

• the German Embassy in Ankara

• the German Consulate General in Istanbul

• the German Consulate General in Izmir

Alternatively, you can apply for your German tourist visa in Turkey through the external service provider iDATA to avoid long waiting times.

We have compiled all further information about the Germany visa from Turkey in a separate article. You can find the application for your German tourist visa on the website of the German embassies in Turkey.

Tourist visa for Russians to Germany

If you are a Russian citizen and wish to apply for a tourist visa to Germany, you can do so at:

• The German Embassy in Moscow

• The Consulate General in Yekaterinburg

• The Consulate General in Kaliningrad

• The Consulate General in Novosibirsk

• The Consulate General in St. Petersburg

Alternatively, you can work with Visametric, the German embassy's contracting partner. For more detailed information on the Germany visa for Russians, click on our other article.

Stay informed: At the end of 2022, the EU decided on the complete suspension of visa facilitation with Russia. Consequently, there are new requirements for a tourist visa for Russians traveling to Germany: higher application fees (from 35 € to 80 €), more documents, and longer processing times.

AXA bietet ausreichenden Krankenschutz für Touristenvisa Deutschland

AXA bietet Ihnen die passende Visum-Reiseversicherung für Ihr Touristenvisum Deutschland. Neben einer Low-Cost-Reiseversicherung mit ausreichendem Versicherungsschutz, können Sie auch zwischen der Europe Travel- oder Multi-Trip-Versicherung wählen.

Die Deckungssumme umfasst mindestens 30.000 Euro, sodass medizinische Notfälle, Unfälle sowie der Rücktransport im Todesfall abgedeckt sind. Wenn Sie zusätzlich Nicht-Schengen-Länder der EU, wie Irland, Rumänien, Bulgarien, Großbritannien oder Zypern besuchen wollen, dann ist die Europe Travel die richtige Versicherung für Sie.

Die AXA Incoming-Versicherung können Sie für bereits für 22 Euro pro Woche abschließen. Die Krankenversicherung wird darüber hinaus von allen Konsulaten und Botschaften im Schengen-Raum anerkannt.

Stellen Sie Ihren Visumantrag rechtzeitig!

Sie können Ihr Touristenvisum für Deutschland bereits 3 bis 6 Monate (abhängig von ihrem Heimatland) vor Antritt Ihrer Reise beantragen. Nutzen Sie diese Frist, um sich vor unangenehmen Überraschungen zu schützen. Mindestens 3 Wochen vor Ihrer Urlaubsreise sollten Sie Ihr Touristenvisum Deutschland beantragen - nur so stellen Sie sicher, dass Sie ein gültiges Visum vor Reiseantritt erhalten!

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Welches Visum für Deutschland als Tourist wählen?

Wenn Sie planen, Deutschland für einen Urlaub zu besuchen, benötigen Sie höchstwahrscheinlich ein Schengen-Visum Typ C. Dies ist das Standard-Touristenvisum, das seinen Inhabern Zugang zu allen Staaten des Schengen-Raums für bis zu 90 Tage innerhalb eines Zeitraums von 180 Tagen.

Wie viel kostet das Touristenvisum Deutschland?

Die Gebühr für das Touristenvisum Deutschland beträgt 80 Euro. Für einige Länder wird im Zuge eines Visumerleichterungsabkommen eine ermäßigte Gebühr von 35 Euro berechnet. Hinzukommen noch die Kosten für die obligatorische Visum-Reiseversicherung. Bei AXA erhalten Sie diese bereits ab 22 Euro pro Woche.

Kann ich mit einem Touristenvisum in Deutschland heiraten?

Ja, Sie können mit einem Touristenvisum in Deutschland reiten, doch werden Sie im Anschluss Schwierigkeiten haben, eine von der Ausländerbehörde ausgestellte Aufenthaltsgenehmigung zum Ehegattennachzug zu erhalten. Wenn Sie heiraten möchten, stellen Sie am besten von Beginn an ein Antrag auf ein Heiratsvisum.