Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, and one of the most dynamic and exciting metropolises in Europe. The city offers visitors a unique experience with both its rich historical heritage and modern culture. Berlin played a significant role in world history during the Second World War and the Cold War, and with the fall of the Berlin Wall, it became a symbol of unification and freedom. Today, Berlin is a place where diverse cultures, creative ideas and innovations meet.
The city offers something for everyone: historical monuments, world-famous museums, vibrant nightlife, beautiful parks and natural spaces. Walking through the streets of Berlin, you can feel both the traces of the past and the breath of the future. This city is an ideal destination for both history buffs and those looking for a modern lifestyle.
The Brandenburg Gate, located in the center of the city, is one of the most famous symbols of the city. This gate represents both the unification of Germany and the ideas of freedom. Other famous monuments of the city include the remains of the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag building and historical sites such as Checkpoint Charlie. Berlin is also home to world-famous museums. Museum Island (Museumsinsel) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is an indispensable place for lovers of art, archaeology and history.
Berlin is a unique city that combines both historical and modern experiences. This city tells its own story to every visitor and leaves a mark on everyone's memory. Exploring Berlin is both an opportunity to understand the past and to look to the future. The first step to living this experience is to get a German visa.
Germany Visa Types
Since Germany is a Schengen country, you can apply for a Germany Schengen visa for temporary travel. The reasons for applying for this type of visa include tourism, visiting family or friends, business travel, purchasing a car, medical examination or treatment, hospitalization, short-term education, exchange programs, and other similar non-permanent situations. If you want to study in Germany for a long time (such as bachelor's, master's, doctoral, etc.) for more than 90 days or work there permanently, you can apply for a Germany national visa with official invitations or acceptance letters from the relevant educational and work institutions. In this article, we provide extensive information about the Germany Schengen visa.
Germany Tourist Visa
Germany Tourist Visa is issued in both single-entry and multiple-entry types. In addition, it is possible to apply for long-term visas covering a period of three months, six months, one year, two years or five years. After obtaining a visa, you can freely enter any Schengen country. However, we recommend that you make your first entry into the Schengen area through the country where you received the visa, namely Germany. If you do not mention this when applying and try to enter another Schengen country with a German visa, sometimes the border service of that country may turn you away and deny you entry into the country. Such cases have already been observed in some scenarios, and therefore we advise you to avoid this risk.
If you are applying for a German Tourist Visa, you must indicate the country you will stay in the longest during your trip, i.e. the number of days. Sometimes, applicants planning to travel to Germany also add France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Austria and other European countries to their travel plans. Such situations are nuances that will not cause any problems in your visa application; simply indicating the country you will stay in the longest during the total trip as Germany will be enough to apply to the German embassy for a visa.
Documents Required for Germany Schengen Visa Application
The documents you need to submit when applying for a Germany Tourist Visa are:
- Original and copy of the first page of your foreign passport
- Copies of your previous visas and entry-exit stamps, if applicable
- Copy of your ID card
- Certificate from your place of work* and, if applicable, an extract from your salary card (certificate from an educational institution for those studying) Certificate from your place of work from the e-government portal
- Certificate* and extract from your bank account in your name (Detailed information on the amount is listed below)
- Copy of property extracts* and your car registration certificate in your name, if applicable
- Proof of your civil status* (If married, a copy of your marriage certificate, if you have children under 18, a copy of their birth certificates or, if your marriage has been dissolved, a copy of the document on the dissolution of the marriage)
- 2 biometric photos of you, 3.5x4.5 in size, with a white background
- Airline tickets you have booked for your trip
- Hotel reservations you have made for your trip
- Full coverage of your trip Schengen travel insurance
- Application form filled out in English
- Printed version of the document issued by the system confirming the appointment
- If the visa is applied for for a business trip, not a tourist one, then an official invitation letter for that work, event or meeting
Documents marked with an “*” must be submitted to the embassy in English. If the original language of the documents is not English, i.e. you obtained them in Azerbaijani, then it is important to submit each of these documents with a translation into English. The translation does not need to be notarized; the mere presence of the translation is sufficient for the embassy.
Once your documents are approved, the embassy may call you during the visa process and ask you to provide additional documents. Sometimes, although rarely, the embassy has asked applicants to provide documents confirming their hotel reservations.
The amount in your bank account is determined by factors such as the travel dates you have indicated, i.e. the duration of your stay in Schengen, and the cost of the flight tickets and hotels you have booked. In general, it is recommended that you indicate a minimum amount of 3,000-5,000 AZN (also the equivalent in euros or US dollars) in your bank account for a one-week trip. This amount should fully cover your travel plan. When calculating the amount, it is advisable to add an average daily cost of 70-80 euros for each day you will stay in the Schengen area, in addition to the cost of your tickets and hotel reservations, and consider a slightly higher figure than you get.
If you are an entrepreneur, you can submit a copy of your TIN, a certificate of turnover from the Ministry of Taxes, and an extract from the company register as documents that will replace the certificate from your place of work. If you are unemployed, studying, or if you are sponsoring another person to cover the costs of your trip, in this case, a copy of the sponsor's ID card, a certificate from your place of work (if the sponsor is an entrepreneur, the above-mentioned documents), a certificate and extract from your bank account (the account can be in both your and your sponsor's name), a document confirming your family ties (for example, if it is your parent, your birth certificate; if you have a brother or sister, both birth certificates, etc.) and a document on sponsorship must be submitted. Also, if the applicant is under 18 years of age, a copy of the exit permit document of both parents if traveling alone, or of the other parent if traveling with one parent, must be submitted during the visa application.
Please note that each of the documents you submit, such as your TIN, a certificate of turnover from the Ministry of Taxes, your company's extract from the register, or a sponsorship document, must be translated into English.
Germany Visa Procedure
Applications for a German Schengen visa are accepted at the Visametric visa application center of the German Embassy. The decision on the visa is made by the consul at the consular department of the German Embassy in Baku. If the presentation of documents is carried out only between 8:30–12:00, an appointment is not required in advance and the applicant can submit his documents while waiting in line. However, for applications after 12:00, a visa appointment must be scheduled in advance through the online system. The visa application can be submitted no earlier than 6 months before the date of travel. All applicants, except those exempt from fingerprinting, must be present in person when submitting their documents. Applicants exempt from fingerprinting must provide a power of attorney to another person to submit the documents; this power of attorney form is available on the Visametric website.
Persons exempt from fingerprinting are divided into the following groups:
- Persons who have received a Schengen visa in the last 5 years and have their fingerprints in the system
- Children under 12 years of age
- Persons who are physically unable to provide fingerprints;
- Persons who hold a diplomatic or special passport and are accredited to a diplomatic or consular post in Belgium
- Diplomatic or consular personnel who will be assigned to an international organization with a headquarters or representation in Germany and their family members (spouses and dependent children)
The Germany Schengen visa procedure usually takes 10-15 business days from the date of application (excluding official non-working days due to holidays). A visa fee of 35 euros and a visa center service fee of 25 euros (45 AZN) are paid upon submission of documents. This payment can be made in cash only in manat or by card; the manat equivalent of the visa fee is adjusted by the embassy according to the daily exchange rate.
Probability of Getting a Germany Tourist Visa
As with any visa application for any country, your chances of getting a visa in Germany depend on the status of your personal profile. Your job and position are stable, your monthly income is at or above the standard salary level (in practice, cases of visas being issued to applicants earning 500–600 AZN per month have been observed), your bank account has the amount that will fully cover your trip, the presence of factors that tie you to the country (for example, property registered in your name, family and children), and your positive travel history are some of the factors that increase your chances of getting a German Schengen visa. Although there are people who have received their first Schengen visa from the German embassy, in most cases we recommend that applicants not submit their first Schengen visa applications to the German embassy if your profile indicators are not at a high level (each of the above-mentioned nuances is in order and not above the standards). This is considered risky for those with a standard or below-standard profile; having previously received one or more Schengen visas significantly increases your chances of getting a visa.
Visa Support to Germany
As Vizam.az, we are ready to provide you with full support during your Germany Schengen visa application. Our services include making an appointment on your behalf at the visa center, filling out your application form, professionally preparing your documents, booking flight tickets to cover your trip, booking hotels or purchasing them in the form you desire, arranging travel insurance that will fully cover your trip, consulting and monitoring your visa procedure. Please note that the travel insurance fee is calculated in addition to our service fee and is usually in the range of 16–18 AZN per week; you can also obtain this insurance yourself. In addition, we also help you with the translation of your documents into English; an additional 5 AZN fee is applied for each document translated into English. In total, the fee for the Germany Schengen visa support service in our company is 115 AZN per person.
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