HOW TO APPLY FOR A TOURIST VISA FOR GERMANY

Are you planning to come to Germany for a short period to visit relatives, attend a meeting or seminar, or simply for holidays? If yes, you can apply for a Schengen Tourist Visa. A Schengen Visa entitles the holder to an accumulated stay of up to 90 days within a period of 6 months for 26 European Countries.
You are advised to submit your application for a Schengen Visa to the representative of the country which is your main destination – considering length and purpose of your intended stay. In this case it is Germany.

Required Documents
Application form
• One completed visa application form (which you can download from the website of Germany Embassy in your home country)

Passport
• Passport valid for at least 90 days after expiry of requested visa
• 2 copies of pages containing personal information
• Copies of pages with recent Schengen visa(s)
• One recent biometric passport picture

Document confirming employment
• Employees: Letter of employment
• Self-employed: Company registration/letter from accountant
• Students: Proof of school/university attendance, confirming that student is exempt from attending lectures during requested travel period

Documents reflecting the nature of the trip
• Signed letter of invitation from private person + passport copy, or
• Legalised letter of invitation or concert/sport event tickets, or
• Package Tour/Cruises/Individual Trips (proof of accommodation for every day) or

Documents confirming sufficient funds are available for the trip
• Current 3 months stamped bank statement of private bank account, or
• Current 3 months stamped bank statement of business account, or
• Legalized letter of obligation + written statement explaining the relationship between the inviting party and the applicant

Flight-ticket and hotel reservation
• Flight reservation and travel itinerary
• Hotel reservation with full address for the entire time of stay in Schengen State(s)
• Signed Invitation letter from a host/company in Germany with full address

Medical insurance
• Medical insurance valid for the duration of the requested Visa
• Minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 and repatriation

For accompanying minors (younger than 18 years of age)
• Unabridged birth certificate (displaying father’s and mother’s name )
• Guardian’s declaration of consent signed by both guardians/parents
• Copy of first page of the minor’s passport

Visa Fees
The fee for a Schengen Visa is 60.00 Euro.

Where and how to apply?
After completing the application form, you have to take it to the German Embassy in your home country.

You are advised to apply for a visa at least 3 weeks before your travel date to meet any processing delays.

Important for information for applicants
• Only complete applications can be accepted; Non-submission of necessary documentation may lead to a refusal

• False or falsified documents will lead to refusal of visa and/or further consequences

• The German missions reserve the right to ask for further supporting documents/information

• Visa extensions within Germany are generally not possible

• Applicants may not apply for permanent residence in Germany while on this Visa

• The German Mission may shorten the validity of the Visa without prior consultation

• Have you already had your fingerprints taken at an earlier application for a C-Schengen visa? If so, it may not be necessary for you to apply in person. The above article has been prepared using information provided by the German Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa

Source: http://www.afronews.de/