Germany tourist visa (Schengen type C)

Use the tourist category when the main purpose of the trip is a holiday and Germany is either the only Schengen country you visit or the one where you spend the most nights. If nights are equal across countries, apply to the country you enter first.

If you will stay with relatives or friends, the visit category fits better; for trade fairs or meetings, choose the business category. A file whose documents show a different main purpose may be rejected.

Besides the core file (form, passport, photo, civil status documents, insurance, money and job documents), tourists need a travel plan: a flight or bus reservation and hotel bookings or other proof of accommodation for the whole stay. If you also visit other Schengen countries, show those bookings too.

If you are not a national of the country where you apply, add your residence permit there, valid at least three months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen area.

Germany does not publish a fixed daily amount for visa applicants; the mission looks at your income, savings and the length and type of trip. Where your circumstances cannot be shown otherwise, the official reference is EUR 45 per day of stay, and the return journey must be secured.

Recent bank statements and payslips, usually for the last three months, are the standard proof. A host in Germany can instead sign a formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) at their local foreigners authority.

You may apply at the earliest six months and at the latest 15 calendar days before travelling; Germany counts the 15 days from the moment the file reaches the visa section, not from the day you hand it in at a service provider. Because appointment waiting lists can be long, book as soon as your travel dates are clear.

Once the file is with the mission, a decision usually follows within 15 days and may take up to 45 days if further checks are needed.

A refusal letter states the reasons and explains how to file a remonstration with the mission within the deadline given, usually one month. Documents that were missing at the time of the decision are not considered later as part of the original file, so a new application with a complete file is often the faster route.