Application Process

How long does it take to process an application?

For Schengen visas: Average 10 days

How long do I need to wait after submitting my application?

The Embassy would like to inform all the applicants that, due to the existing technical procedural agreements between Schengen countries, the processing time of a Schengen visa can take up to two days / weeks, and this cannot be influenced by the Embassy.
It is therefore recommended to plan your trip in advance and to apply for a visa at least two weeks before your planned departure date. Unfortunately, visa applications submitted not enough in advance cannot be processed. You can apply for a Schengen visa no earlier than three months before the start of your trip. National visa applications require at least six to eight weeks to be processed.

What does the embassy check before issuing a Schengen visa?

The Embassy is required to check:
the purpose of the trip (for example, business or visiting)
the willingness to return
how the trip will be paid for (by the inviter or by the applicant)
the health insurance
other information (such as records in AZR, SIS, criminal activities or other/minor offenses)

What is AZR and what is SIS?

AZR is the abbreviation for “Ausländerzentralregister (Central Register of Foreign Nationals), which is managed by the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne. The AZR of every applicant is checked, and if the applicant has a record of criminal offences committed during previous visits to Germany, he/she will not be allowed to travel to Germany.
SIS means “Schengen Information System”. It is approximately the same as AZR, but includes all the countries who are member of the Schengen area. The Embassy will not issue visas to applicants who have committed crimes in other Schengen countries.

I was wrongly informed by somebody at the VisaMetric application center, or I let a third person, who promised me I could obtain a visa, fill my application form. My application was refused, what should I do now?

You are personally responsible for the information provided in your application form. If you were persuaded by a persons who does not work at VisaMetric to use their services, you should settle the matter directly with this person.
Please provide only information which and to the best of your knowledge. Do not let anyone persuade you that a 'professionally-filled' application can  guarantee you a visa - nobody can promise you that your visa will be approved! Anybody can answer the questions in the application form autonomously. If you have problems filling in the application form, you are welcome to ask the Embassy employees to help you.

Where are the documents I sent a few weeks ago to the VisaMetric application center/Embassy?

The applicant must provide the requested documents autonomously. Please send all the required documents directly to your guest, not to the VisaMetric application center/Embassy.

Will my application be accepted, if it is not complete?

If you submit an incomplete application, our employees will inform you and present you with the following options:
- The documents can be returned to you and you can book a new appointment on our website
- You can decide to submit an incomplete application. However, the missing documents might be cause for refusal of your application and in this case you should sign a statement when submitting your application.

A document is missing in in my application. Should I still submit my application as it is or would it be refused?

Always submit a complete application with all your documents. It is impossible to predict if your application will result in an approval in spite of the missing documents.

My minor child was registered in my passport up until recently. His visa was in that passport as well. Now he has his own passport. What will happen to the visa?

You can transfer the child's visa from your passport to the child’s new passport. Please come to the visa office during consultation hours and bring both the old and the new passport. The transfer procedure is free.