Documents

1. Where can I find detailed information about the document requirements for applying for a visa?

You can find detailed information on our website in the Required Documents section.

2. What are the requirements for a travel document (passport)?

From the 01.01.2026 on, Russian citizens will on principle require a biometric Russian external passport to enter Germany. Non-biometric external passport cannot be used anymore unless they contain a German visa which remains valid.

The passport must be issued no more than 10 years ago, have no damage, and also contain the signature of the person to whom it belongs.

Schengen visas can only be issued to applicants whose passport is valid for at least 90 days after the end of the trip and has at least two blank pages without markings (for a visa sticker).

Additional requirements for a foreign passport when applying for a national visa can be found on our website in the Required documents section in accordance with the purpose of the planned stay.

3. What should be the requirements for my health insurance?

When applying for a Schengen visa, medical insurance must meet the following criteria:

    • must be issued in the EU (medical insurance issued in Russia is not accepted);

    • the surname and first name of the insured person are indicated;

    • the insurance period is specified (the minimum period is the period of the planned trip);

    • the number of insured days during the trip (the minimum number is the number of days of the planned trip);

    • insurance territory - the whole world or the countries of the Schengen Agreement;

    • the minimum amount of medical expenses and repatriation expenses, including the risk of death, is 30,000 euros;

    • if you exercise during your trip, your health insurance should also cover such cases.

When applying for a national visa, the requirements for medical insurance may vary depending on the purpose of the intended stay. Detailed information can be found by following the link.

4. What additional documents are required for minor applicants?

Minor applicants must provide all the documents listed in the list for the requested purpose of the trip. Also, all minor applicants under the age of 18, regardless of the purpose of the trip, must provide additional documents, which you can find on our website in the section Minors.

5. In what language should I fill out the application form?

The application form can only be filled in with Latin characters. To fill out the application form for a Schengen visa, you need to transliterate Russian letters into Latin. The application form for a national visa must be completed in German or English.

6. How can I fill out the visa application form?

You can fill out the visa application form online. After filling out this application form, it must be printed and signed. You can find more detailed information about filling out the application form on our website in the Online application form section.

7. I have two valid foreign passports, as well as previous foreign passports with previously issued visas. Do I have to provide all passports in the original when applying?

Yes. If you have two valid foreign passports, as well as if you have the originals of previous passports, when applying for a Schengen visa, you must provide all passports in the original. If for some good reason you cannot submit a second valid passport for consideration, you must provide copies of all pages, including blank pages, of this passport, and also attach a document to the application confirming the reason why this passport cannot be provided by you.

Please note that the German Embass of has the right to request additional or missing documents, which may increase the time for consideration.

8. What is the official declaration of obligations (Verpflichtungserklärung)?

This document acts as a declaration of commitment under §§ 66-68 of the Law on Residence, Employment and Integration of Foreign Citizens in Germany and is issued at the Office for Foreigners (Ausländerbehörde) at the place of residence in Germany of the inviting person. During the execution of the guarantee of acceptance of obligations, the solvency of the inviting person is checked and his signature is certified.

The original of this document is submitted for consideration to the Diplomatic Mission and will be returned upon receipt of the passport. If the receiving party is not a German citizen, it is necessary to provide copies of the pages with personal data of his passport and residence permit.

9. What is an informal invitation letter and what does it look like?

When applying for a Schengen visa to visit your family or friends, in addition to the Verpflichtungserklärung, an informal invitation letter must be provided as proof of the purpose of the trip. Such an invitation is drawn up by the inviting person in free form in English or German and must contain the following information: the current address and contact details of the inviting person, an indication of the purpose and duration of the applicant's stay (with a list of all places of stay within the trip, if more than one is planned), data on the relationship that connects the inviting person and the applicant, the date of the invitation, the personal signature of the invitee.

It is also necessary to provide a copy of the inviting person's document confirming legal residence in Germany. If the inviting person is not a German citizen, a copy of the inviting person's residence permit and a copy of the personal data page of the foreign passport are required.

10. What documents are required to confirm kinship with my grandmother, inviting me to Germany?

To confirm the relationship with your grandmother, you must provide documents issued by the Registry Office or other state bodies registering acts of civil status. At the same time, the relationship must be fully traced, that is, your birth certificate, your parent's birth certificate and, if applicable, documents confirming the change of surname / name (for example, certificates of marriage/ dissolution, name change) must be provided.  Documents issued in a foreign language must be provided with a notarized translation.

11. I am planning to apply for a national visa in order to study at a higher education institution in Germany. I have accounts in Russia and Germany. Can I provide my account statements and thus confirm my financing?

The applicant himself can confirm the financing only by providing a certificate of the availability of the necessary funds in a blocked account in a German bank issued in his name.

12. I am planning to apply for a national visa in order to study at a higher education institution in Germany. At the moment I am studying at the university. What educational documents do I need to attach to the kit?

If you are still studying in Russia, you should provide an up-to-date certificate from the place of study, as well as documents on previous education (certificate, diploma, if available). All documents must be translated into German and notarized. If the university is ready to issue a certificate in German, then this is permissible.

13. I am planning to apply for a national visa in order to study at a higher education institution in Germany. Do I need to put an apostille on my education documents?

Only documents issued by the registry Office or the court (for example, a birth certificate, a certificate of name/surname change, a marriage certificate, a court decision on the deprivation of parental rights) need to be apostilled when applying for a national visa. Education documents must be provided with a notarized translation into German.

14. To apply for a national visa, I need to affix an apostille on my birth certificate. Should the apostille be on the original or on a copy of the certificate?

The apostille must be affixed to the original document, not to the copy. Then it is necessary to translate both the original and the apostille into German and notarize the translation.

The list of agencies authorized to affix an apostille on Russian documents can be found following the the link.

15. My spouse has applied for a national visa for the purpose of employment. Can I apply for a national visa at the visa application center for the purpose of family reunification?

Yes.

16. After submitting the documents, I was asked to provide additional documents, why?

The German Embassy always makes decisions in accordance with each specific situation. The main list of documents may include only general information covering most, but not all, possible cases. Therefore, you may be required to provide a document that is not included in the general list.