Visa application

Visa application regulations for the Federal Republic of Germany

EU Citizens:

EU citizens are no longer required to go to the Foreign Registration Office (‘Ausländerbehörde’) but may apply for a residence permit for EU Citizens known as a 'Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung' regulating their stay in Germany.

Non EU Citizens:

All people from abroad who intend to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days for working or studying usually have to apply for a visa in their home country.

Please note that you should not enter Germany with a tourist visa!

It is not permitted to work or study with a tourist visa! In addition, once you have entered Germany, it cannot be changed into a valid visa with a working permit! In such cases, you have to leave Germany for your home country to apply for a valid visa!

In order to be eligible for a residence permit (‘Aufenthaltsgenehmigung’), all non-EU citizens must apply for a D-Visa from the German consular representative in their home country. Please ask the respective embassy in your home country for the required documentation.

Exceptions to this rule are citizens from the following countries: Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea or the United States of America. These citizens can apply for a visa within one week after arrival. Therefore, it is necessary to register at the Local Residency Office (‘Einwohnermeldeamt’) and subsequently go to the Local Immigration Office, where the visa will be transferred into a residence permit. 

The department or institute of the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin at which you will be working will send you a 'letter of invitation', which will state the duration of your stay in Germany, a confirmation of your future salary, and will thus verify the coverage of your living expenses, accommodation and health insurance. 

Once you have submitted your ‘letter of invitation’ to the local German consular representative, you are going to receive a visa, which will be integrated into your passport. This visa will include your name, the expiration date and states its validity only for your work as a scientist at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (“Erwerbstätigkeit nicht gestattet ausgenommen Tätigkeit als Gastwissenschaftler an der Charité für ...").

<Please note: If you take up employment at the Charité, please be advised that your visa will contain: ''Erwerbstätigkeit gemäß §5 BeschV''.>

Required documents for an employment visa:

  • two fully completed application forms (pdf file) and required declaration in duplicate
  • two passport photographs (strict requirements, see details)
  • valid national passport and two copies of the data page (please note these important regulations concerning your travel document/passport)
    (a) its validity has to extend the duration of the visa you are applying for by at least 3 months
    (b) it has to contain at least two blank pages;
    (c) ) it must have been issued within the previous 10 years. If it has been issued before that, your passport can not be accepted. This even applies in cases where the validity has been extended by the authorities of your home country.
  • additional for non-US citizens: original of valid US alien registration card or valid US resident visa (type A, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, O, R) and two copies thereof
  • employment contract or letter of intent from your future employer in Germany and two copies thereof
  • US police certificate of good conduct (available at your local police precinct) and two copies thereof
  • your driver's license and/or utility bill in your name as proof of residence in the consular district where you plan to apply
  • Visa fee

Please note: In individual cases, you may be required to provide additional documents.

It is important to note that in case you have a single entry Schengen Visa, you are not permitted to travel to other European countries because it is not a residence permit according to the Schengen Agreement. However, once you receive a residence permit from the local Foreign Registration Office (‘Ausländerbehörde’) in Berlin, you are free to travel to other EU countries as well. Please also note that the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus are not part of the Schengen Agreement. You should check if you would require a separate visa for these countries. 

Your multiple entry visa (‘Aufenthaltserlaubnis’) is valid for a maximum of 3 months, but it can be extended at the local Foreign Registration Office, provided you have registered your German residential address at any of the local Citizen's Offices (‘Bürgerämter’) after your arrival here in Berlin.

For further information please visit the following websites:

There you can find details on the documents you have to submit. Correctly filled-out forms and complete documents will help to facilitate processing and to avoid unnecessary problems. Please read the instructions of the local German diplomatic mission carefully.

The fee you will have to pay for your visa is EUR 60.00, which will be translated into your national currency.

Please make sure that you apply for a visa for each of your accompanying family member. In case your spouse intends to work, he or she will also need – in addition to the visa – his/her own work permit. 

In some cases, it may take up to 8 weeks to process a visa application, varying from one embassy to another. Therefore, please apply for your visa in good time in advance. If you will be accompanied by one or more family members, this can take even longer.