Schengen visa (short stay)
For citizens of some countries, a Schengen visa (Type C) issued by one of the member countries is required when staying in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days. Please follow the link for more information.
With a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen Area. A short-stay visa allows the traveller, assuming all other conditions are met, to enter the territories of any Schengen country for a single continuous visit or multiple visits, the total duration of which does not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
A short-stay (Schengen) visa can be issued for either single or multiple entries into the Schengen Area.

Single-entry visas allow the visa holder to enter and stay in the Schengen Area continuously for the duration of the visa, up to a maximum of 90 days (e.g. from July 1 to September 28);
Multiple-entry visas allow several entries and stays in the Schengen Area, the total duration of which cannot exceed 90 days in any 180-day period. The stay can be continuous or divided into several periods within the validity of your visa. A Schengen circulation visa is a special type of multiple-entry visa that is generally valid for 1 to 5 years, as determined by the Embassy or Consulate-General.

National visa (long stay)
If you wish to stay longer than 90 days, you will need a national long-stay visa or a residence permit. A national long-stay visa (Type D) is only valid for an establishment or a stay of more than 90 days in the country that issued the visa. The national visa allows, however, transit through other Schengen countries, and for some long-stay visitors, students, workers, etc., it also allows travelling freely throughout the Schengen Area.

PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to follow a specific application procedure if you wish to apply for one of the following visas:

Blue Card (EU) for professionals with a university degree
Blue Card (EU) for skilled workers with a tertiary education qualification
Blue Card (EU) for IT specialists
Opportunity Card
Visa to take up employment as an academic
Visa to take up work as a skilled worker with professional training
Visa to take up employment with work experience
Visa for taking up employment as part of a placement agreement
Visa for conducting a qualification analysis
Visa for study purposes and seeking a university place
Visa for basic and advanced vocational training and to seek a vocational training place

Airport transit visa
An airport transit visa is required depending on your nationality and whether you hold a residence permit or visa issued by certain countries. It allows travellers to transit through the Schengen Area without leaving the airport transit area.
An airport transit visa does not apply to Tunisian citizens. However, if the transit involves a change of airport, a regular transit visa is required.
If you are a national of another country and will be transiting through a German airport, please check the following website to determine whether you need an airport transit visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read the information below carefully to find answers to your questions.

Need to know more about German visas?

Use our "Contact us" page to send us your questions