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National Visas

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For long-term stays of more than 90 days

Please book an appointment through our booking system. New slots are activated regularly. Unfortunately it is not possible to make an appointment by e-mail or phone.

Please only send us an email with a request for an appointment if you have a pre-approval (“Vorabzustimmung”) from the immigration authorities according to the accelerated skilled worker procedure.

For long-term stays (more than 90 days, e.g. to attend University, work or join a Family member) in Germany, non-EU-nationals need a visa.

National visas are issued for long-term stays for a particular purpose. Usually issued for 90 days, such visas may be issued for up to a year in certain cases. After entering Germany, visa holders must apply for a residence permit as a general rule.

Foreigners who have entered the Schengen area with a vailid visa, can only extend their stay in Belgium with the city council responsible for their domicile, regardless of where the initial visa was issued. The embassy cannot renew a visa.

Preparing your application

You should start preparing your application as soon as you have plans to stay long term in Germany. The entire visa application process can take several months.
Please prepare your application as follows:

Important information 
Please do not send the Visa Section any documents unless requested to do so, particularly not before you have applied for a visa. We are not able to store such documents and will not know which application they belong to. Please always bring the complete documentation with you to your appointment.

Submitting your application

In order to submit your application, please attend your appointment at the German Embassy in Brussels in person. Please hand in your complete documentation and pay the fee. The Embassy will ask you questions about your planned trip and take your photograph and fingerprints. 

What happens during processing?

The Embassy will review your application and make a decision on whether or not to grant you a visa. To this end, it will check whether your application meets the legal requirements. Depending on the purpose of your trip, it can take up to three months to check your application. The Embassy will contact you as soon as it has made a decision on your application. We hope you will understand that we are not able to answer any questions on the status of your application during this processing period. After that, enquiries are only answered if they are made by the applicant, his/her legal representative or another person authorised in writing by the applicant.

Delivery of the visa

As soon as the Embassy has reached a decision on your application, you can collect your visa upon presentation of your passport.
If your visa application is rejected, you are welcome to submit a new application at any time with complete, informative and verifiable documentation.

Have a good trip! Information for visa holders

If all the information on your visa label is correct, you are free to travel. Please check the information on the label as soon as your passport is returned to you. You should let us know immediately if there are any mistakes so that we can issue you a new visa.

Your visa will state your full name and passport number and include your photo. It will also state the number of days you can stay and the period of validity, that is, the time by which you must have received your residence permit for Germany.

Therefore, please do not forget to register at the residents registration office shortly after you arrive in Germany and to make an appointment with the foreigners authority. Your entry visa will allow you to travel within the Schengen area.

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