German visas are tied to a specific purpose of stay, and choosing the right category is the most important decision in the process. Applying under the wrong category is one of the most common reasons for delays and rejections. It can also limit your options later, because the residence title you enter on often determines what you can apply for once you are in Germany.

Your nationality also matters. Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States can enter Germany visa-free and, under Section 41 of the Residence Ordinance (Aufenthaltsverordnung, AufenthV), apply for most residence permits after arrival, within 90 days of entering Germany. Most other nationals must obtain a national visa before traveling.

International graduates of German universities have a separate option: a residence permit for seeking employment under Section 20 AufenthG, which allows up to 18 months to find a job. The rules can also differ by nationality, for example for Indian nationals applying for German residence permits. Remote workers employed outside Germany have separate options as digital nomads.

A Schengen visa allows a stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period in Germany and the other Schengen countries. It can be issued for tourism, visits to family and friends, business trips or short medical treatment, but it does not permit employment. Nationals of many countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, need no visa at all for short stays.

Citizens of countries with a working holiday agreement with Germany can also apply for a working holiday visa. It generally allows young adults to live and work in Germany for up to 12 months.

Any stay in Germany of more than 90 days requires a national visa (D visa), which is always issued for a specific purpose. These purposes include employment, self-employment, study, language learning, job search and joining family members. The national visa is applied for before entry, at the German embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, and is converted into a residence permit by the local immigration office after arrival.

We advise on all long-term routes, including the EU Blue Card, the ICT Card, skilled worker permits, the Opportunity Card and family reunification. We support individuals and employers with applications as well as disputes with the authorities.

Germany has special rules for certain professions. Under Section 22 of the Employment Ordinance (Beschäftigungsverordnung, BeschV), professional athletes and coaches, eSports professionals and fashion and photo models can obtain a residence permit without the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Athletes, coaches and eSports professionals must be at least 16 and have their professional status confirmed by the responsible German federation. Their gross salary must also reach at least 50 percent of the contribution assessment ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze) for the statutory pension insurance scheme. For professional footballers, the confirming federation is the German Football Association (DFB), and timing the procedure around the transfer window is often the main challenge.

Doctors and other healthcare professionals usually need their foreign qualifications recognized before they can practice in Germany. Our immigration lawyers support them with both the recognition procedure and the residence permit for doctors.

Every application follows the same basic sequence, although the details vary by visa type and mission.

1. Preparing the application. The first step is confirming the correct visa category and gathering the evidence. Depending on the route, this can include the recognition of foreign qualifications or the approval of the Federal Employment Agency, and both can take considerable time on their own.
2. Submitting the application. National visa applications are made at the German embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence. Many categories can now also be submitted online through the Federal Foreign Office’s Consular Services Portal (Auslandsportal). Schengen visas are usually applied for through the mission or its external service provider.
3. Consent from the immigration office. For many national visas, the mission needs the consent of the immigration office at your future place of residence. The fast-track procedure for skilled workers (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) under Section 81a AufenthG and advance consent (Vorabzustimmung) allow this step to be completed in Germany first. Both generally lead to a visa appointment within a few weeks rather than months.
4. Arriving in Germany. After entering on a national visa, you must register your address (Anmeldung) and apply for a residence permit at the local immigration office before your visa expires.

Processing times vary considerably between missions and authorities. If your application stalls, our immigration lawyers can respond to delayed processing by German immigration authorities, up to an action for failure to act (Untätigkeitsklage) where the authority does not decide within a reasonable time.

For companies, the visa is often the step that decides whether a new hire starts on time. At Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte, we advise employers and HR and Global Mobility teams on the full immigration side of international recruitment, from a single key hire to recurring hiring and posting programs, as part of our wider global mobility services. Our support includes:

• choosing the correct residence route for each employee, including borderline cases where the obvious route does not apply
• running the fast-track procedure for skilled workers on the employer’s behalf
• coordinating the recognition of foreign qualifications and the approval of the Federal Employment Agency
• applications for ICT Cards for intra-group transfers and Vander Elst visas for employees posted from other EU countries
• including employees’ spouses and children in the procedure from the start
• practical support beyond the visa through our relocation services

Getting the route wrong at the outset creates delay, and employing a third-country national without the correct authorization exposes the company to fines and, in serious cases, criminal liability. Companies can request a free discovery call through the contact form to discuss their hiring plans before committing to a route.

A rejection is not necessarily the end of your plans, but how you respond matters. Common grounds for rejection include:

• incomplete or inconsistent documents
• insufficient proof of financial means
• doubts about the applicant’s intention to leave the Schengen Area after a short stay
• qualifications that have not been recognized
• a refusal of approval by the Federal Employment Agency, a common obstacle in EU Blue Card applications and other work-based visas
• an application filed under the wrong visa category

The rejection notice states the reasons, and these determine the best next step.

Since July 2025, German missions abroad no longer offer a remonstration, which was an informal request asking the mission to review its own decision. Two options remain. The first is a lawsuit before the Administrative Court of Berlin (Verwaltungsgericht Berlin), which hears all cases against visa decisions by German missions abroad. It must generally be filed within one month of receiving the rejection, provided the notice contained correct instructions on legal remedies (Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung). If these instructions were missing or incorrect, the deadline extends to one year.

The second option is a new application that addresses the reasons for the refusal. A lawsuit can establish that the rejection was unlawful, but court proceedings take time, so where the problem was missing evidence, a well-prepared new application is often faster. Our German visa lawyers assess each rejection of a German visa application and advise on which route offers the better prospects.

Extending your stay. If you hold a national visa or residence permit and apply to the immigration office for an extension or a new permit before it expires, your stay is generally treated as lawful until the authority decides. This is known as the fiction effect (Fiktionswirkung) under Section 81(4) AufenthG. It does not apply to Schengen visas, which can only be extended in exceptional circumstances such as illness or force majeure.

Changing your status in Germany. Holders of a national visa or residence permit can usually apply for a different residence title without leaving Germany, for example when moving from studies to employment. Schengen visa holders and visa-free visitors can only convert their stay into a residence permit under Section 39 AufenthV where a legal entitlement to a residence permit arose after entry. This can apply, for example, when you marry a German citizen or receive a job offer that entitles you to an EU Blue Card. Entitlements to student and internship permits are excluded, and the application must be made while your stay is still lawful.

Overstays. Remaining in Germany after your permitted stay ends can lead to fines, deportation and an entry ban covering the entire Schengen Area. It can also count against future visa applications. If you have already overstayed, or are about to, seek legal advice immediately.

Visa consultants and agencies can help with forms, appointments and logistics. However, the German Legal Services Act (Rechtsdienstleistungsgesetz, RDG) generally reserves legal advice on an individual case to licensed lawyers and a small number of other authorized professions. A consultant can tell you which documents a mission usually asks for. A lawyer can assess whether you meet the legal requirements, which route gives you the best prospects and how to respond to a rejection, and a commercial visa consultant cannot represent you before the Administrative Court of Berlin.

For a straightforward application, careful preparation may be all you need. As soon as there is legal uncertainty, such as a previous rejection, an overstay, a planned change of status or doubts about whether your qualifications will be recognized, legal advice from the start usually saves time and money.

Visa and residence matters make up a large share of the cases our immigration team takes on every month, for private clients and employers alike.

At Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte, our visa practice works entirely remotely, because most people who need a German visa are still abroad when they first look for legal advice. Our English-speaking lawyers hold consultations online or by phone, in English or German. Private clients do not need to visit our offices in Cologne, Düsseldorf or Aachen, and companies can also meet our team in person on request.

Because visa procedures run through German embassies and consulates worldwide and immigration offices across the country, where you will live in Germany makes no difference to how we work. We represent clients heading to Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and every other German city, as well as companies hiring international staff for locations throughout Germany. If a visa is rejected and the case goes to court, it is heard by the Administrative Court of Berlin, whatever your destination in Germany.

The cost of legal support with a German visa depends on the scope of the work. A one-off assessment of whether you qualify for a particular visa costs considerably less than managing a complete application, and a lawsuit against a rejection involves further steps again. Other factors include:

• the type of visa
• the complexity of your situation
• the number of people involved, for example family members or several employees
• whether a deadline is already running

In Germany, lawyers charge either under the statutory fee schedule in the Lawyers’ Remuneration Act (Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz, RVG) or under an individual fee agreement (Vergütungsvereinbarung). If a case goes to court, court fees are added, which depend on the value of the matter as set by the court.

For individuals and families, every engagement begins with a paid first consultation, because the first appointment is a genuine legal assessment of your case. You can choose between two formats:

• Short first consultation (25 minutes, €109): suited to a clearly defined question, such as which visa fits your situation or whether a planned application is likely to succeed.
• Comprehensive first consultation (up to 60 minutes, €226.10): suited to more complex matters, such as a rejected application or a family moving together.

Both take place online or by phone, and the prices include VAT.

Companies hiring or relocating international staff can start with a free discovery call of up to 20 minutes. In it, we discuss your plans and how we can support you, from a single key hire to a recurring recruitment program. For legal advice on a specific matter, we offer a legal consultation of up to 60 minutes for €190 plus VAT. Consultations for companies take place online, by phone or in person on request.

For private and business clients alike, we explain the expected costs of any further work before it begins.

All consultations are confidential: lawyers in Germany are bound by professional secrecy under Section 43a of the Federal Lawyers’ Act (Bundesrechtsanwaltsordnung, BRAO).

Private clients and companies can request a first consultation or discovery call through the contact form on this page.