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The Schengen area member states

A Schengen visa generally allows short stays across participating Schengen countries for tourism, family visits or business travel, subject to the visa conditions and the travel plan you submit.

For most short-stay cases, the permitted stay is up to 90 days within a 180-day period. A visitor visa does not allow employment unless a separate legal basis exists.

Accurate labelled map of the Schengen Area in Europe
Accurate Schengen Area map. Source: Wikimedia Commons / ZElsb.
European Union flag representing European travel and regional mobility
European travel visual. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Hakan Dahlstrom.

Going to Germany to look for work?

A Germany job-search route is not the same as a standard Schengen short-stay visa. If your objective is to enter Germany to search for qualified work, use the dedicated Germany pathway rather than a tourist or business Schengen framing.

Current route note: for many applicants, the main current route is the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), while some profiles may still use the skilled-workers-seeking-employment route depending on recognition and mission guidance.

View Germany Job Search Pathway

Documentation

Tourist Visa (visiting Friends or Relatives)

  • Bank statement (preferably for the last 6 months)
  • In case one doesn't have a bank account, relatives need to sign an "official affidavit of support" at the corresponding office in his/her place of residence. Should you carry the original document when applying for the visa.
  • The applicant's description of their trip, the purpose of traveling, the time frame, and all the personal dates written down in a letter
  • Income tax returns for the last three years
  • Appointment letter
  • Proof of legal entity of the company
  • A reference letter from the employer
  • In case the applicant is the owner of the company he/she is working for, the business registration, tax returns, and the latest bank statement are to be attached
  • The plane ticket reservation (One shall buy the ticket after getting the visa, as recommended).
  • Other documents, specified by the visa subtype

Visiting Relatives/Friends

  • If the Schengen visa applicant declares that he/she will be covering all the travel expenses, proof of one's financial status is requested otherwise if the relative/friend is to cover the applicant's expenses, a formal document issued by the competent authorities to a resident of a Schengen country (the friend/relative in this case) is to be submitted.
  • The formal invitation by the relative/friend residing in a Schengen visa countries.
  • If the applicant will be covering the expenses on his/her own, the relatives/friend's name, addresses, and a copyof their passport will suffice. In case that the friend/relative is not a citizen of this Schengen country, schengen visa requirement would be the copy of the residency permit.

Tourist Travel (No visit to any relatives/friends)

  • The applicant's bank statement (preferably for the last 6 months)
  • The detailed itinerary of the traveling days in the Schengen Zone, hotel reservations, or a formal invitation letter by a resident of a Schengen country.

Depending on the embassy/consulate that you will be applying to, they might require additional documents to assure the request and the information are genuine, as for example, some embassies/consulates require a certificate that proves you have no legal issues pending or a criminal record. As, you must personally hand the documentation at the previously made appointment (as usually it is required), the person in charge at the embassy/consulate will notify you if there is any additional documentation needed and the nature of that documentation.

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