Application Process

How long does it take to validate a visa application?

In the case of Schengen visas: Approximately 15 working days

How long do I have to wait after applying for a visa?

For Schengen visas, due to the technical procedural requirements of the Schengen countries, the processing time of applications can take up to two days/weeks. The Embassy informs you that for this reason it cannot influence the processing time.

Therefore, the Embassy recommends that you plan your trip to the Schengen area in advance and apply for a visa in advance, at least (minimum) two weeks (15 days) before the start of your trip. Unfortunately, urgent visa applications cannot be taken into account. An application for a Schengen visa can be submitted no earlier than six months before the start of the planned trip. Applications for a national visa are processed at least 6-8 weeks."

What does the embassy check before issuing a Schengen visa?

The Embassy is required to check the following criteria:

purpose of travel (e.g. guest trip, business trip)

readiness to return

trip financing (by inviting party or traveler)

provision of medical insurance

other information (records in AZR, SIS, for example, for criminal offenses or other offenses/misdemeanors)

What is AZR, what is SIS?

AZR is an abbreviation for "Auslдnderzentralregister (Central Register of foreigners). It is maintained by the Federal Administrative Office in Cologne. Each applicant is checked by the AZR. Under certain circumstances, the office already has information that a person was in Germany during a previous visit, for example, has committed offenses. Such travelers cannot enter Germany.

SIS stands for "Schengen Information System (Schengen Information System)". This is approximately the same as the AZR, only at the level of the Schengen countries. The embassy may also refuse to issue a visa to a person who has committed an offense in another Schengen state."

Where are the documents that I sent a few weeks ago to the VisaMetric branch / embassy?

Applicants must provide the requested documents themselves. Please forward all documents directly to the guest and not to the VisaMetric office/embassy.

Will my documents be accepted if they are not complete?

If you contact the VisaMetric branch with incomplete documents, our staff will point this out to you. Then you will  have the following options:

- The documents are returned to you and you reserve a new date through our website

- You are applying with incomplete documents. However, missing documents may result in visa refusal. A warning to this effect must be signed at the time of application."

In my application is missing a specific document. Should I apply this way, or will my application be rejected?

Always send your documents in full. It is not possible to foresee in advance whether your application, despite the missing documents, will be considered favorably for a decision.

My minor child until recently was registered in my passport, which also had his visa. Now he has his own passport. What happens to the visa?

You can transfer the visa from your passport to your child's new passport. Please contact the Visa Information Office with your old and new passport. The transfer is free of charge.