Germany welcomed a record breaking number of tourists in 2018, at 13.5 million, with 33 million overnight stays in the capital city of Berlin, according to an article by Deutsche Welle Made For Minds. This made Berlin the third most visited country in Europe and in Germany, and the most appealing holiday destination nine times in a row.
The main reason for this upsurge in tourist visits is quite likely to be the picturesque country that Germany is. With a variety of travel opportunities, beautiful towns, October Fest celebrations, Christmas markets, huge forests and mountain ranges, Germany figures as a top contender in most Europe travel itineraries.
To visit this unique nation, you first need to apply for a visa, depending on the purpose of your travel. The Uniform Schengen Visa allows tourists to visit any member country of the Schengen Area for up to 90 days across a period of 6 months. You are eligible to stay in Germany for 3 months under a Short Stay Visa. For a stay period longer than that, you will need to apply for a Long Stay Visa.
The Visa Application process begins with filling up the Schengen Visa Application Form and paying the non-refundable visa fee.
What’s the Cost of German Visa
To get your application processed, the visa fee is mandatory. The payment should be paid prior to you visa interview appointment, since you will need to fee receipt for the interview. The fee for the various short stay visas are:
| German Visa Category | Fee in EUR |
| Airport Transit Visa | 60 |
| Short Stay Visa (Adults) | 60 |
| Children between 6-12 years | 35 |
| Children younger than 6 years | Free |
| Nationals from Georgia, Kosovo, Russia and Ukraine | 35 |
Although the standard visa fee is €60, the fee could be reduced or exempted altogether in many cases. This depends on your nationality or status.
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Germany Visa Short Stay Exemptions
If you belong to the following category, your visa fee is exempted by the German government:
- Students traveling for the purposes of research, internships, studies and other educational activities.
- Members of non-profit organizations, traveling for the purposes of attending cultural events, sports events, seminars and so on. For this, your age has to be below 25 years.
- Researchers traveling to European countries for the sole purposes of conducting scientific research.
- Single children of German citizens, spouses and parents of minor German citizens.
- Traveling for the replacement of a valid visa in an old passport with a fresh one in your new passport.
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What’s the Fees for German Visa (Long Stay)
The standard long-term visa fee is €75. However, people belonging to specific categories are either charged a lower fee or no fee at all, due to bilateral agreements and facilities. These categories include:
- If you are an international citizen receiving external public funds
- If you are a part of a diplomatic mission, international organization and hold a consular post
- Nationals of any specific country, falling under multilateral agreements
Other than this, all applicants below the age of 18 need to pay only €35 for their visa. However, keep in mind that the visa fee is non-refundable under all circumstances.
Since you will need to pay the visa fee in your domestic currency, make sure you check the exchange rate just prior to making the payment.
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