Travel to Germany

Visa, passport and other entry regulations

When you plan your holidays you don't want to spend too much time with formalities. Here on this page you will find a summary of the most important facts visitors from abroad might find useful.

a) Nationals of the European Union

Germany is a member of the European Union (EU), along with Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

All EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are also members of the European Economic Area (EEA).

So if you are a citizen of one of these countries, you can easily travel to Germany. A valid passport or your national Identity Card is sufficient, a visa is not necessary.

b) Nationals of countries outside the EU - Who needs a visa for Germany?

Visitors to Germany who are citizens of a non-EU country need a passport that is at least 90 days valid following the end of their scheduled journey. Children need their own passport, or must be included in a parent's passport.

Depending on your nationality, you might even need a visa to enter Germany. In this case, your passport must be valid for another four months after your arrival in Germany.

Citizens of certain countries don't need a visa to visit Germany. These countries include the United States of America, Canada, some countries in South America, Australia and New Zealand.
If you hold a passport of one of these countries, you are entitled for single or multiple visits of up to three months within a period of six months. No visa required.

Please note that you are not allowed to work in Germany if you hold a short term travel visa. All visitors are required to have travel health insurance.

For longer stays in Germany you need to apply for a long-term visa before you enter Germany. Exeptions apply for citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America. They may obtain any residence permit after entering Germany.

c) The Schengen Visa

Citizens of European countries that are active members of the Schengen area have no border controls between their countries. All citizens of these countries can travel within the Schengen area freely.

Citizens of non-Schengen countries have their passports checked when they enter the Schengen area. Depending on the country of origin, they might need a visa as well.

Now here are some good news. If you come from a country that requires a visa for Germany, and you want to travel to other European countires as well, you can apply for a Schengen Visa. That means you need only one visa, and you are eligible to travel to certain countries of the Schengen area.

Right now 26 European countries have implemented common border and visa provisions.

A Schengen visa is valid for these countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

If Germany is your main destination you apply for the Schengen visa at the German embassy or consulate of your home country. If any other Schengen country is your main destination, you get your Schengen visa from this country's embassy.


For more information and downloadable Schengen visa applications (at the bottom of the page), go to the Federal Foreign Office website.

Don't get confused by the fact that not all Schengen countries are members of the European Union, and not all EU members belong to the Schengen Visa zone.