Each country has different fees when it comes to visa applications. For those that are part of Schengen, a visa is not necessary when entering Germany. Yet, nationals who are outside of the Schengen zone are required to have an appropriate visa that suits the purpose of travel. Therefore, the fee depends on the purpose of the visit and other factors such as nationality or age. Here are all visa types along with fees that need to be paid according to the purpose of the visit.
German Visa Fees in Accordance to Purpose of Travel
As mentioned before, the fees for a German visa depend on the purpose of travel. Below, there is a detailed table showing fees in accordance with the particular purpose of visit. Note, different types of supporting documents may be required for a different type of visa. For instance for work visas, qualifications and employment letters are essential, this may not be the case for tourist or study visas.
| Visa in Accordance to Purpose of travel (category) | Visa Fee |
| Schengen Visa or Airport Transits | €80 ($98) |
| Minors (age of 6-12) applying for German Schengen Visa | €40 ($49) |
| Minors below the age of 6 who are applying for a German Schengen Visa | FREE |
| Nationals from Kosovo, Georgia, Russia, or Ukraine who are applying for a German Schengen visa | €40 ($49) |
| Long Stay German Visas | €75 ($92) |
| Long Stay German Visas (for applicants who are under the age of 18) | €37,5 ($46) |
* Figures in brackets present the equivalent of fee in US dollars (to the next whole figure)
Exemption from Visa Payment – Short Term Stay
Although fees apply to most visas, there are few exemptions to fee payment. This takes into consideration German Short term visas issued to the following categories:
- Minors who are under the age of six
- Husband/wife.spouse/children of a German citizen
- School pupils, postgraduates and undergraduates and any staff members who are travelling to Germany for purpose of educational training or study
- Individuals who are representing non-profit organizations (must be aged 25 or below) who are visiting Germany for purpose of attending seminars, conferences, or other events organized by NPO
- Individuals who travel for purpose of research – such as scientific researches etc
- Those that are visiting Germany for replacement of old visa
Exemption from Visa Payment – Long Term Stay
An exemption to fee also applies for long term visas. This exemption only exists if the following statements are true:
- a foreign individual received a scholarship from public funds (family of a foreign individual may also come if the stay is covered by the funding)
- individuals who are spouses, same-sex partners, or minor single children of German citizens
- individuals are parents of minor German citizens and/or family members of EU/EEA nationals
- individuals are members of a diplomatic mission
- or those that are nationals of another country that Germany has undertaken bilateral or multilateral agreements.
Furthermore, fee cut or a fee waiver is possible to be done by the German Consulate if the candidate is seeking to visit Germany in order to promote the following: cultural interests, interests in the field of foreign policy, humanitarian reasons or development policy.
German Visa Photo Guidelines
Along with the application itself, visa fees and other required supporting documents, an essential thing that needs to be provided by the applicant is a visa photo.
Visa size needs to be 35x45mm, be in colour, and have a plain white background. The German visa photo must be printed on high-quality paper and be attached to the document file. When taking a photo a person must remember that they need to be at least 40 cm away from the camera, face forward, have their hair neatly tied back, keep a neutral face (no smiling or frowning), have their eyes open and mouth closed. Uniforms, headwear and tinted/sunglasses are not allowed unless an exemption applies. It is advised to wear daily clothes for a visa photo.
