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Coming to Vechta
Studies, research, short-term stay: We support you on your way to the University of Vechta and during your stay or studies.

Visa and entry in Germany

When do I need a visa?

Generally speaking, to be able to travel to Germany you will need to hold a valid visa. However, there are several exceptions:

  • If you are a citizen of a EU or EEA country, you don't need a visa nor a residence permit. You are also allowed to work without a visa or a residence permit. Your only obligation is to register your new address at the town hall in Vechta (Burgstraße 6) after your arrival. 
  • Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the USA (including the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico) do not need a visa either. However, for stays longer than 3 months they need to apply for a residence permit within three months after arrival and in any case before taking up employment in Germany. 
  • If you come from Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco or San Marino, you are also allowed into Germany without a visa, but you are not allowed to work. If you plan to work in Germany, you should therefore apply for a visa before travelling to Germany. Also, if you plan to stay longer than three months (even without working), you need to apply for a residence permit after your arrival in Germany.  
  • Finally, if you are a citizen of Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Kiribati, Colombia, Macau, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Salomon Islands, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ucraine, United Arabs Emirates, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, you don't need a visa for stays shorter than three months. However, if you travel to Germany without a visa, you will not be able to apply for a residence permit upon arrival. Hence, you are obliged to leave after 90 days. Moreover, if you want to work in Germany, you have to apply for the right visa before travelling to Germany. The citizens of the Western Balkan countries need to hold a biometric passport in order to be able to travel to Germany without a visa. 

If you are not a citizen of one of the countries listed above, you will need to apply for a visa before travelling to Germany. You can do so at one of the official delegations (embassies, consulates) of the Federal Republic of Germany in your country. 

→ Please be aware that visa regulations are frequently modified! You can find updated information at the German delegations in your country or on the official website of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Which visa should I apply for?

You should apply for this visa, if:

- you plan to remain in Germany for more than three months (or if you think you might extend your stay for more than three months)

- and/or you would like to take up employment in Germany, or to do a PhD (the Schengen visa does not allow you to do your PhD in Germany!)

- and/or you wish to convert the visa into a longer term residence permit.

In all of these cases, you should choose to apply for a national visa (D-visa). This visa comes with a longer processing time, which depending on the purpose of your stay may extend to several months. Please be aware that this kind of visa does not automatically enable your stay in another Schengen country. 

This visa allows you to stay in Germany for maximum three months (90 days). If you already know that you won't stay longer than three months and that you won't need to work in Germany, you should apply for this visa, as its processing time is shorter than the D-Visa. However, you should keep in mind the following restrictions that come with this kind of visa:

- The Schengen visa cannot be extended. Should you decide to extend your stay in Germany after your arrival, you will have to go back to your country on your own expenses and apply for a new visa

- With this kind of visa it is not possible to change the purpose of your stay (e.g. from study to work)

- This visa does not allow you to work or do your PhD in Germany

- However, this visa allows you to travel to all Schengen states without need of a further visa

- You should indicate "research" ("Forschung") as your purpose of stay in Germany (Aufenthaltszweck)

After the recent introduction of paragraph §20 of the law on residence (Aufenthaltsgesetz), it is now possible to apply for a visa for research purposes. The goal of this amendment is to speed up the visa application and processing times as well as to enable a higher degree of mobility for researchers within the EU. PhD students are usually excluded from this group, if they work at their dissertation exclusively for the purposes of obtaining a PhD degree. However, if their dissertation work is part of a job contract, they may apply for a researcher visa.

Important information about the researcher visa:

- In order to obtain a researcher visa, the researcher has to conclude a hosting agreement (Aufnahmevereinbarung) with an acknowledged research institution in Germany (the Univerisity of Vechta is recognized as a research institution due to its status as public university)

- The hosting agreement also suffices to apply for a residence permit. Hence you don't need to submit additional documents (e.g. contract or official invitation)

- This visa has some advantages, like a faster processing time, more mobility within the EU, no preliminary employment checks, etc.

General information and tips

  • Which nationalities need a visa to enter Germany? Here you can check the conditions of entry for each country: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/-/231148
  • You need to apply for a visa before your departure at the relevant German delegation (embassies or general consulates). You can find a comprehensive list of the German delegations worldwide here: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/deutsche-auslandsvertretungen
  • A visa enables your entry in Germany and a stay of up to 90 days only. To stay for a longer period of time you will need to apply for a residence permit.
  • The visa processing fees usually amount to 60 (Schengen visa) or 75 (national visa) Euros. In some special cases, it is possible to request a fee waiver: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/blob/231160/e877774faf4de7c2c552bd8d4439362d/gebuehrenmerkblatt-data.pdf
  • The normal visa processing times for a short-term stay (Schengen Visa) may amount to up to 14 days. However, there might be considerable delays in the application procedure during the main travelling seasons. You can submit an application for a Schengen visa starting three months prior to your travel dates.
  • The visa processing time for a longer stay (national visa) may in some cases amount to several months.
  • In both cases you should get hold of the necessary documents well in advance. It is advisable to submit your visa application as early as possible at the relevant German delegation.
  • You can find general information on the visa application procedure on the website of the German ministry of foreign affairs (available in several languages): https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/uebersicht-navi