Please note!

To ensure the processing of applications, please note the following:

• telephone inquiries on application procedure cannot be answered
• all required documents are mentioned in the information sheet for the respective purpose of the stay
• requests for special appointments cannot be processed
• visa applicants with reference to § 26 BeschV must apply in their country of origin (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro & Serbia)
• As of 1 March 2020 the Skilled Immigration Act introduced an expedited visa procedure for qualified professionals. Special visa appointments are offered for applicants with pre-approval („Vorabzustimmung“). Please find more Information here

Preparing the application

A national visa is the entry visa for a long-term stay for a specific purpose. It is usually issued for 90 days, in certain cases up to one year. Once you have entered the country, you will usually need to apply for a domestic residence permit.

You should start preparing your application as soon as you have plans for your long-term stay in Germany - however, it is possible to submit an application a maximum of 3 months before planned entry. In most cases, the duration of the visa procedure depends on whether authorities still need to be involved (e.g. alien’s authority or Federal Employment Agency). The visa office can therefore unfortunately not give any binding information regarding processing time.

Please compile the application documents in their entirety. Missing documents or evidence will result in rejection of your application.

Finally please fill out the application form. This can be done online at https://videx-national.diplo.de.

Depending on the purpose of your trip, we have put together a checklist with further information for you:

Booking an appointment

Please book your visa appointment here if you plan to enter Germany within the next 3 months. Applications earlier than 3 months of your planned entry cannot be accepted. Requests for special dates cannot be answered.

The appointment booking is free of charge.

Due to technical and organizational precautions a booked appointment (name and passport number are required) cannot be transferred to other persons.

The booking of an appointment can only lead to a personal appointment if the data entered during the booking process (surname, first name, date of birth, passport number) match the applicant's data during his or her personal appointment. Otherwise the applicant will not be admitted. A booking for a visa date is also only possible in the visa category. When booking an appointment, the applicant will be informed repeatedly and asked to check all details carefully.

You may entrust third parties with the booking. In this context, however, please note that dubious visa offices or agencies advertise to provide you with a visa appointment at short notice. You are herewith expressly warned to use the service of such offices. The Embassy does not cooperate with agencies, other persons or service providers who charge fees for booking appointments or offering other services.

You may book cancelled appointments that have been released by the Embassy of Budapest, meaning appointments can also be available at short notice. New and free appointments are automatically displayed by the system. If you have already booked an appointment, but an earlier date is available, you must first cancel your booked appointment before booking the new appointment for the earlier date.

File the application

To file your application, please appear in person at the Embassy's visa office (entrance at the Lant utca crossroad) on the date of your booked appointment. Applications can only be filed at the Embassy in Budapest and not at the Honorary Consul in Pécs.

For security reasons, it is essential that you appear 15 minutes before your booked appointment with your completely filled out application and all the documents mentioned in our instructions. If you arrive later than 15 minutes after your booked appointment or without a filled out application or incomplete documents, you cannot file your application and you will have to book a new appointment.

The visa office will review your complete application, charges the fees to be paid in cash and records your fingerprints.

Applications for minors under 18 can only be filed by their legal representative. In case of a child being born in wedlock, these are generally both parents together (joint custody). If only one parent is present, a written and notarized declaration of consent from the other parent with a copy of the passport must be presented. If only one parent is the child's legal representative, you are required to provide proof of sole custody (e.g. a court order or in case of a child born out of wedlock the child’s birth certificate).

Without proof of the consent of the legal representative the visa application for a minor child cannot be processed. A separate application must be filed for each child, even if it is registered in the passport of a parent.

Processing your application

The visa office examines and decides on your application. It checks whether your application meets the legal requirements. As soon as a decision has been made on your application, the visa office will contact you. Please understand that questions about the processing status will not be answered during the processing time. Afterwards, the following applies: Only inquiries from the applicant himself, his legal representative or a person authorized in writing will be answered.

Pick up your visa

As soon as the visa office has decided on your application, you will be informed about the pick-up of your visa. Your passport is required to obtain the visa.

You can only pick up your visa yourself.

Please check if all the information on your visa label is correct as soon as you hold your passport in your hands. If all is correct you are clear to start your journey. Otherwise please inform us immediately of any errors so that we can issue a new visa for you.

As a precaution we would like to point out that the border authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany are entitled, in special circumstances, to refuse entry into the Federal Republic of Germany to foreigners even on presentation of a valid. This applies in particular when it is suspected that the visa was obtained by giving fraudulent or misleading information or when sufficient funds for your stay in Germany are not proven. This includes also a health insurance that covers your medical treatment in Germany in case of illness.

After entry into Germany

Your visa will show your full name, passport number and photo. It indicates the number of days of stay and the period of validity of the visa, i.e. the time you have until you receive your domestic residence permit.

Therefore, please do not forget to register your residence at competent community’s authority („Einwohnermeldeamt“) immediately after entering Germany and to make an appointment at the alien’s authority.