👵 🤜🏽 👇🏼 Guest visa to Germany by invitation 🍙 🤔 📴

Germany is one of the largest European countries with a high level of education, medicine, industry, infrastructure, rich and interesting history and culture, which attracts a large number of different tourists. Millions of travelers annually visit this wonderful country and remain completely delighted with what they saw. Here everyone will find a piece of themselves: historical information, modern buildings or quiet parks and streets that can impress even the most experienced tourists. In winter, Germany is famous for its popular ski resorts.

Schengen visa

A Schengen visa is a kind of pass to the territory of the states that are part of the Schengen Agreement. The consulate establishes the type of visa, it can be a single or multiple entry, as well as a stay in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days in half a year. As we have already said, Germany is far from the only representative of the Schengen agreement; in addition to it, another 25 countries are included. After filing all the documents in the required form, the consulate considers issuing a visa up to ten working days. This category belongs to the number of visas to Germany without an invitation.

National visa

This type of visa applies exclusively to the host country, which follows from the name of the category. It must be obtained if you plan to stay in Germany for more than ninety days. The visa is valid from three to six months, then it will be necessary to obtain an appropriate permit already in Germany. As an exception, a visa is issued for a year for trips under student or staff exchange programs, if the plan program does not exceed one year. The term for consideration of an application for a national visa is much longer: it is six to eight weeks from the date of submission of documents in the required form.

How and where to get a German visa yourself?

You can obtain a German visa yourself at the German consulates or at official visa centers. There are several German consulates in Russia : in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Kaliningrad. Each consulate is assigned its consular district. The official website of the German Embassy in Russia lists all the districts and all the regions related to them. To submit documents to the consulate, you must have permanent or temporary registration in the region in which you plan to apply.

In each consular district there are also visa centers, information on which is on the official website of the German embassy in Russia. The visa center must pay an additional service fee. In addition, the authority of the visa center is somewhat limited - in order to obtain a visa to carry out labor and business activities, study or family reunion, documents must be submitted directly to the consulate.

Obtaining a German visa through intermediaries

There are also companies that provide intermediary services in obtaining a visa, including such a service can be obtained at a travel agency in addition to a ticket. There are certain advantages to working with such companies:

The speed of obtaining a visa. As a rule, such companies have an established system of working with consulates, and a visa can be obtained much faster, in some cases even in one day.
Consultation. Employees of intermediary companies can give professional advice on paperwork, which significantly reduces the risk of visa denial.
Time saving. As a rule, there are queues at consulates and visa centers and it is necessary to come there several times, which may require considerable time if the consulate is located in another city.

It should be noted that for the benefits you will have to pay an additional amount, the amount of which depends on the intermediary company.

Visas to Germany by invitation

Separately, it is worth highlighting the receipt of a visa for those who have relatives, friends or working contacts with a legal entity in Germany and can receive an invitation from them in the format required by the consulate. Such visas are divided into 4 categories:

Visa to Germany at the invitation of relatives or friends (or guest visa). Such an invitation has the right to send both a German citizen and a citizen of another state, legally residing in Germany and having all the relevant documents.
Visa to Germany by invitation. This type of visa is different in that the inviting party is a legal entity. This may be a commercial company or, for example, a clinic. An invitation is sent from the company to an authorized person who signs all the necessary documents.
Visa to Germany by invitation for entrepreneurs. This visa is suitable for business owners with documents confirming economic activity. The receiving party can be either an individual (business partner) or a legal entity (partner company).
Obtaining a visa to Germany by invitation for specialists and company employees. In this case, the organization sends the invitation, but in contrast to the work visa, confirmation of the activities of the company and the employee is also required.

How to get an invitation?

The easiest way, of course, is to get a working invitation. As a rule, in international companies there are specialists who are involved in obtaining a visa, they know how to correctly and quickly complete all the documents, and they will always advise on all issues. In such cases, most often all expenses are borne by the company - receiving or sending.

This does not mean that the consulate will be limited to issuing a visa only for the period that the employee needs to resolve work issues, in some cases a visa may be open for several months or even more. Opening a visa in Germany at the invitation of relatives and friends is also quite simple, but in this case all the documents will have to be drawn up independently by both the guest and the receiving party.

Schengen visa to Germany by invitation. Documents

The list of documents required to apply for any type of guest visa:

Filled out visa application form. The questionnaire can be found on the official website of the German representative office in Russia, filled out, signed (3 signatures) and bring along with the package of documents.
Original passport valid for three or more months after the expected date of departure from the Schengen Agreement. The passport must also have at least two blank pages.
One photograph is 3.5 * 4.5 cm in size.
A photocopy of the main spread of the passport (where personal data and photos).
A photocopy of all completed pages of the passport of the Russian Federation for adult citizens of the Russian Federation. For minors, instead of a copy of the passport, it is necessary to provide a copy of the birth certificate, the consent of both parents (if the applicant is traveling without both parents) or the consent of the second parent (if the applicant is traveling with one of the parents) and a copy of the parents' valid Schengen visa.
Tickets or booking tickets for an airplane or other transport with the date of departure and return.
Reservation of accommodation: hotels, apartments, private place of residence, etc. Must be indicated dates of booking and names of applicants.
Obtained medical insurance / medical policy. This insurance should cover the entire trip period and be valid in all Schengen countries. The insurance should cover expenses that may arise if emergency medical care, emergency hospitalization or the death of the applicant are necessary. Thus, the minimum insurance amount is thirty thousand euros. If the medical insurance indicates that it is valid only after payment, then it is necessary to present documents confirming payment of the insurance. Medical insurance policy can be purchased at the departments of insurance companies in the visa center. It is also necessary to remember that for participants in sports events this insurance is not enough, it is necessary to take into account the risk of injuries, and insurance should cover the cost of expenses for such cases.
Consular fee receipt.
Financial guarantees. This can be a certificate of work indicating the amount of salary, a statement from a bank account or credit card, a certificate of ownership or documents from the sponsor of the trip.

Documents for invitation by a relative or friend:

Guest invitation, which indicates the place of residence and passport details of the receiving party, certified by a notary. If the host party incurs travel expenses, another statement will be required declaring the acceptance of these obligations.
A photocopy of a document confirming legal residence in Germany for the host country.

Documents for a visa to Germany by invitation

In this case, it is necessary to attach the original or a copy of the invitation from the host German organization to the listed package of documents. It must be signed by the responsible staff in a managerial position, have a seal and indicate the date and purpose of the trip. The invitation should also reflect who bears the costs of the trip. If this is a trip for the purpose of treatment, it is necessary to apply for a visa to Germany at the invitation of a medical clinic with the signature of the attending physician, both for the patient and for those accompanying him.

Invitation for business owners

In addition to the documents of the host country and the papers listed in the first list, to obtain a Schengen visa to Germany at the invitation of the entrepreneur, it is necessary to present documents proving his commercial activity. This can be a certificate of 2NDFL and 3NDFL, certificate of registration of a company or individual enterprise, bank statement, etc.

Invitation for specialists / employees

For this type of visa, the specialist must present documents proving their professional activities and financial viability, and an invitation from the host. It should be noted that you can apply for a visa to Germany at the invitation of a German company or a Russian company that is a subsidiary or official representative of a German company in Russia. To do this, the organization must have an employee authorized to issue invitations on behalf of a German company.

Guest visa to Germany by invitation

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