Entry for the purpose of tourism
You are very welcome in Germany. In principle, you do not need a visa to enter the country if you have a national passport that is valid for at least 6 months. However, you may not stay in Germany for longer than 90 out of 180 days without a visa.
If you are planning a longer stay, you must enter the country with a national visa.
Exceptions
Exceptions apply to you as a citizen of
- Andorra
- Australia
- Brazil
- the Cook Islands
- El Salvador
- Guam
- Honduras
- Israel
- Japan
- Canada
- the Cocos Islands
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Niue
- the Norfolk Islands
- Puerto Rico
- the Republic of Korea
- San Marino
- Tokelau
- the Christmas Islands
- the United States of America, the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
You can also enter Germany without a visa as long as you have a travel document that is valid for at least 6 months. If you wish to stay longer than 90 out of 180 days for tourist purposes, apply for your residence permit immediately after entering the country.
Entry under other conditions
Whether you can enter the country under other conditions depends on the type of residence permit you have in the EU or EEA country in which you are currently staying.
- If you are a family member of an EU or EEA citizen, but are neither an EU, EEA nor Swiss citizen yourself, the regulations for entering Germany are based on your nationality. You will then receive a residence card from the immigration authorities in Germany.
- If you have a right of residence that entitles you to EU-wide mobility, you do not need a visa to visit Germany. If you intend to stay longer than 90 out of 180 days per year, you should check whether an appropriate visa is required and can be issued in the country where you are currently staying. You must then apply for a residence permit in Germany after entering the country.
- However, if you have a permanent right of residence in another EU member state, you can generally enter Germany without a visa and apply for a residence permit from the local immigration authority.