A visitor visa to Germany is one of the types of permits that requires issuing an invitation and attaching it to the main package of documents. Having an offer to come visit and financial support makes it easier to get a stamp in your passport. At the same time, Consulate staff carefully check both the traveler and the inviting party. Below we will look at the types of German visitor visas, provide a list of documents, and talk about the processing time and cost. We will also touch on instructions for self-registration and talk about the reasons for refusal by the Consulate.
Types of guest visas to Germany
An invitation is a document explaining the purpose of visiting a country, containing information about the inviting entity and confirmation of its financial support (if necessary). Depending on the situation, a guest visa to Germany from Russia is classified according to several criteria.
By purpose of trip:
- Tourism. The invitation is issued by relatives or friends.
- Visiting relatives. Documentary proof of the relationship is required.
- Business activities. Issued for meeting with partners, listening to lectures at seminars and other tasks.
- Other purposes - for example, treatment.
By type of inviting party:
- comrades, acquaintances and distant relatives;
- close relatives of the traveler officially residing in the country;
- family members of European Union citizens.
There are two types of German visitor visa by invitation:
- Unofficial . A person living in Germany issues an invitation in free form. The letter is sent by a Consulate employee with information about the intention to accept a certain person, indicating passport details. Along with the letter, a copy of the identity card of the inviting party and information on the residence permit (in the absence of citizenship) are sent. The advantage of the unofficial option is quick registration. The downside is that the request is a formality, so no one obliges you to give an answer, much less a positive decision. Informal registration is not suitable if the guest does not have enough money for the trip, and the inviting party acts as a sponsor.
- Official . This is a more reliable way to issue an invitation for a visitor visa to Germany. It is used in a situation where the traveler does not have enough money for treatment, food, housing, etc. The inviting party acts as a sponsor. We will go into more detail about issuing an official invitation below.
The choice of the type of visitor visa to Germany determines what documents need to be prepared before applying for permission. If you have any difficulties, you can contact the country’s Consulate or Visa Center, which is responsible for issuing such permits.
Additional documents for obtaining a Russian visa by private invitation
The main requirement here is an invitation from a Russian citizen.
To apply for it, you must contact the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at your place of permanent residence and attach the following to your application:
- Certificate of salary (needed to confirm funds for the maintenance of a foreigner).
- Bank statement from a debit account for the same purpose.
- A paid receipt of the fee for issuing the invitation.
Question of price
When planning your expenses, it is important to consider how much a visitor visa to Germany costs. To travel, as a rule, you need a Schengen visa costing 35 € . If the applicant expects to receive the document expeditiously , he will have to spend 70 € , but in this case it takes less time to check the traveler. Relatives of German citizens (if they have documents), as well as persons under six years of age, are exempt from paying the fee.
Funds are transferred in rubles, taking into account the exchange rate at the time of payment. Money is transferred in cash or transferred by bank transfer, depending on the choice of the applicant. When applying through the Visa Application Center, costs increase by a service fee of approximately RUB 1,499 .
How to get a German visitor visa yourself
If you apply for Schengen on your own, you must contact the Visa Center, and to obtain a national (long-term) visa, you must contact the Consulate directly. Before applying for a visitor visa to Germany, contact the issuing party and make sure that the invitation is completed and submitted to the authorized authorities.
Further instructions for action:
- Decide on your visa type.
- Make an appointment at the CC.
- Gather the documents required for a visitor visa to Germany. It is recommended to clarify the requirements on this issue in advance.
- Arrive at the appointed time and day to hand over the documentation.
- Pay fees and submit fingerprints if required by deadlines.
- Monitor the readiness of the permit through the VC website.
On the appointed day, come for a German visitor visa. If difficulties arise, Consulate employees may request additional documentation and even require a personal interview with the applicant.
Additional documents for a business visa to Russia
Since a visit to Russia without a visa is prohibited, it is possible to issue an invitation from a business partner in several options:
- On paper form from the migration service or the Ministry of Internal Affairs - submitted to the consulate for visa processing.
- By fax via the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - there is no need for the partner to contact the migration service in person.
- Sending an electronic invitation to the consular department of the Russian Federation.
- Citizens of the USA, India and the European Union can obtain an invitation through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and it is only required in the original version.
- On the letterhead of the company inviting the foreigner.
Moreover, the initiator of the invitation can indicate for what purpose the trip is planned: for commercial purposes, for equipment maintenance, or the person is a family member, or he does not have the status of a citizen of any country.
Documents for a guest visa to Germany by invitation
The main difficulty for a traveler is solving the bureaucratic component. The success of registration largely depends on the actions of the party issuing the invitation for further processing of a German visitor visa.
Requirements:
- the inviting party is a German citizen or subject to a residence permit;
- availability of an apartment/house for living;
- work experience of 90 days or more, for entrepreneurs - income certificate;
- confirmation of financial solvency (minimum income - from 1120 to 3160 €, depending on the number of guests and family composition).
If financial security is not enough, you can combine income with a friend or relative.
To issue an invitation for a guest visa to Germany, you need to go through the following steps:
- Checking the opening hours of the migration office at your place of residence.
- Make an appointment.
- Preparation of documents on financial solvency (information for a period of three months to six months).
- Graying of management on a set date with a passport, proof of solvency, letter of invitation and agreement to rent or purchase real estate. If you invite close people, confirmation of family ties is required.
- Filling out a form with information about the invited persons - full name, nationality, birthday, information from the international passport, registration details, etc.
- Payment of a fee for each invitee.
At the last stage, you need to send a ready challenge to the traveler. In this case, the person who goes on a trip attaches an invitation to other documents to obtain a visitor visa in Germany. The document is valid for six months from the date of issue.
Documents for the applicant
After receiving the invitation, you must collect and submit a package of documents to the VC. It includes:
- Foreign passport and internal passport.
- Photo 3.5x4.5 (two).
- Health insurance policy with coverage starting from €30,000.
- Application form in the amount of four pages.
- Invitation (original).
- A certificate from work indicating the position and salary.
- Guarantee of return on the territory of the Russian Federation - data on property, birth certificates of children or, for example, the presence of your own enterprise.
- Consent to the processing of personal data.
- Confirmation of family ties (if any).
- Financial guarantees. As a rule, a bank statement is sufficient. Account amount from 720 €.
- Confirmation of service and visa fees.
Additionally, for persons under 18 years of age, a birth certificate, a certificate from an educational institution and a letter from a sponsor may be required. If a child is traveling without one or two parents, permission to cross the border will be required. Pensioners may need a pension document (original and copy), as well as a letter from the sponsor.
Obtaining a Private Visitor Visa
Obtaining a private visitor visa
Foreign citizens who want to visit relatives living in Russia, meet friends or make an educational trip without the help of travel agencies should apply for a visitor visa. Such a permit is a state-issued sticker that is placed in the passport. A visa is issued at the consulates of the Russian Federation located on the territory of a foreign state; to obtain it, you must have an invitation from an individual (citizen of the Russian Federation) or an organization (legal entity accredited by the Federal Migration Service). You can obtain a visa either yourself or with the help of an authorized representative, provided that the power of attorney meets the requirements.
A guest (private) invitation is issued only on a standard form, which is filled out by employees of the regional offices of the Federal Migration Service. Guest invitations are valid for one or three months.
Attention
To enter Russia with a guest visa, you must have a valid foreign passport, and previously received visas must be invalid.
From 01/01/15, the visa-free regime does not apply to residents of Ukraine. Now only residents of countries that are members of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space (Kazakhstan and Belarus) can enter our country using an internal passport. Those who have the right to visa-free entry are allowed to stay in Russia for no more than three months in every six months.
The rules for entering the Russian Federation and leaving the country are established in Federal Law No. 114, which came into force on August 15, 1996.
German visa processing time
When obtaining a visitor visa to Germany by invitation, you need to focus on the deadlines. In normal mode, the permit is prepared within ten days . To receive the service in a shorter period of time, you need to apply for an express visa, which takes up to three working days.
It is important to take into account that in the summer-autumn period the German Consulates are overloaded, so the processing time may extend. Therefore, if you want to visit relatives on vacation or holidays, it is recommended to apply for a German visitor visa in advance. This requirement also applies to invitations.
Additional documents for a business visa to Russia
To organize an invitation for a business partner, you can issue it:
- On a unified form of the migration service.
- On the letterhead of the inviting company.
- By telex to the website of the Russian Consular Service.
Attention, the FMS will be able to issue the form only after passing the check:
- Identity of a foreign citizen.
- Presence/absence of claims from law enforcement agencies.
- No tax debts.
- Unpaid fines.
Reasons for refusal
Due to bureaucratic difficulties and strict requirements from the German Consulate, some applicants are denied permission. The main reasons for a negative response include:
- An error when filling out the documentation or the absence of any certificate.
- Identification of erroneous or deliberately false data.
- Incorrect information in the application form.
- Having doubts about the purpose of the trip.
- Lack of sufficient financial support.
- Incorrect invitation format.
- There is a suspicion that after receiving a visit visa to Germany the person does not plan to return to Russia.
- A person has previously violated the rules for visiting EU countries or is a threat to the national security of the country.
In most cases, the Consulate does not explain the refusal to issue a visa, so if the answer is negative, you have to appeal. If you ignore the request, you can go to court, but in this case, be prepared for large expenses.
Additional documents for a study visa to Russia for foreigners
Important! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the consular department of the department have developed an electronic version of the application form for a study visa for foreign citizens - the form is available on the official page of the department. Before filling out the questionnaire, you should familiarize yourself with the rules for filling out all its points. After all lines have been filled in, you should check the data by clicking on the banner - check.
And if the system does not detect any errors, download the completed form and send it to the consulate to obtain a study visa. You should definitely undergo an HIV test and obtain a certificate from a medical institution confirming your absence.
