Germany is a country that so many people desire to visit. The country adorns many people's dreams with its welcoming, social environment. It stands to reasons why Germany is a dream country for so many. First of all, it is a highly developed country. Nationals and residents of Germany enjoy the benefits of living in a country with social marketing economy. The social market economy is the base of open and democratic German society. If you think the strong economy is the only reason people favour Germany, then you are so mistaken. Although last years there has been rising right-wing groups threatening the minorities, in general, Germany is a multiculturalist country. People with diverse cultural, national, and religious backgrounds live together peacefully in Germany. Germany is among the countries that put so much effort into education, research, and innovations. These investments have strengthened the backbone of the economy. Innovations are on the way, and authorities try hard to make the transition as smooth as possible. Innovations in business are not an exception in this regard. For businessmen, Germany is a safe country with a promising feature. Many businessmen especially are interested in education in Germany. We see businessmen or just ordinary workers visit the country to participate in business training, meetings, conferences, etc. We thought since so many people think of visiting country for business activities, why not help them. Therefore, we decided on a "business visa to Germany" as of today's topic. In this article, we will give you the basics and essentials of Germany business visa application, checklist for Germany business visa, and we will try to answer the question of how to get business visa for Germany. But before looking at those, we will look at Germany's visa policy.
Visa Policy of Germany
As you know, Germany is a member country of the Schengen area. So it complies with Schengen visa requirements. However, it does not mean that Germany does not regulate its visa requirements. If a person plans to work, study, or anything that requires a stay of more than 90 days, they will need to apply for national visas, which are regulated by laws set by Germany. According to the laws, apart from the members of the Schengen countries and European countries, nationals of the following countries do not need a visa or other words, is Germany visa-free countries: Australia, Antiga and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Taiwan, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Uruguay, Vanuatu. What about visa types in Germany? How many visa types are there in Germany? Visa types in Germany are categorized as short-term visas (Schengen visas), long-term visas, and airport-transit visas. As you might guess, short-term visas are designed for short-length travels up to 90 days. What we are interested in is in this group. Without further ado, let's have a look at a business visa to Germany.
What is Business Visa to Germany?
This visa type is designed for people who plan to travel to Germany and engage in business activities for a maximum of 90 days. These business activities include business matters, meetings, negotiations, training, conferences, exhibitions, scientific and research events, etc. One might confuse the business visa with the work visa. Let's set the differences apart before looking at business visas. The main difference between these two is that a work visa allows you to work in Germany while a business visa only gives you the right to execute your business operations and engage in business activities. Furthermore, Germany business visa requirements, documents required for Germany business visa are different from the work visa.
Business Visa Requirements, Fees
One might wonder about Germany business visa requirements. Here are the documents required for Germany business visa: • Germany business visa application form - completed, signed and dated by the applicant. • A passport that remains valid at least for three months after you depart from Germany. The passport should not be older than 10 years and should have at least 2 blank pages. Photos should be affixed correctly. It should bear the signature of the applicant. • Two photos that taken recently. 70 or 80 (32x26 mm) per cent of the photo should be comprised of a frontal view of the face. A uniform and white background is advised. • A national ID card copy - the document should remain valid for three months after you leave Germany. • If the applicant's citizenship and the country of origin are different, then a copy of the residence permit with the validity of 3 months after departing from Germany. • Copy of the main page of the passport alongside copies of all processed pages and previous visas. • Travel itinerary. Flight reservations and accommodation booking with detailed information dates, addresses, etc. • Medical insurance. The insurance should be valid in all Schengen countries. It should remain valid for the entire travel. A minimum coverage of insurance should not be less than 30 000 euros. In an insurance document or separate confirmation document, conditions should be indicated clearly. • Proof of occupation. In the letter name, postal address, and phone number of the sponsor or company should be given. Detailed information about the workplace, work position, starting date of the employment, and salary of the applicant should be included. If a person is a student, then a letter from the university is needed. If a person owns the company, then a copy of the valid trade license and documents proving ownership of the company. • Proof of financial means. One of the following can be presented: a personal bank statement indicating your financial activities for the last 3 months, cash, credit card, payslips, evidence of employment, personal property, assets, etc. • Documents showing the purpose and nature of the travel. In these documents, duration should be given as well. One document in the checklist for Germany business visa is an invitation letter. In this invitation letter provided by a company, organization, or authority in Germany, the full address, the purpose, and duration of the business trip should be indicated. If it is an event/ congress/trade fair, then detailed information contact details, addresses, duration of the event, and reason to participate should be indicated. Furthermore, information on the relationship between parties should be shown as well. How long is Germany business visa processing time? You might ask. The average Germany business visa processing time is around 15 days. However, it can change depending on your visa application country. Note that you should start your application not early than 6 months. If you do not know how to get business visa for Germany, follow the instructions below. First, locate the local embassy or consulate of Germany. Then make an appointment. When it is time, attend the embassy and present the required documents and pay the fees. By the way, if there is none in your country, find the nearest embassy to your country. Germany business visa fees can vary depending on some factors. The nominal fee for the visa is equal to 80 euros. However, it is not all. You may be asked to pay for the administrative fees (application centre fee, courier fee, etc). Fee amounts for some countries are reduced to 35 euros. These countries are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine. Germany business visa fees are waived for some people like children who are below 6. If you want to find out about those groups, check our website. Go to the "visa policy" section and click on Germany, you will find more information about other visa types for Germany as well. How long is the Germany business visa duration? Germany business visa duration is 90 days within 6 months. It can only be extended in exceptional cases. However, it is not guaranteed. The German authorities will issue a visa for the period they think is necessary for you to stay in Germany.
