You are planning a research stay in Germany and want to find out about visas and entering the country?

As a general rule, foreigners require a visa to enter the country and a residence permit ("Aufenthaltserlaubnis") for stays of a longer duration. The visa can usually be obtained from German missions abroad. Depending on the duration and purpose of the stay, you either need a Schengen-Visa (research stay lasting up to three months) or a national visa (research stay lasting more than three months).

For foreigners, who have to enter on a visa, any stay exceeding the period validated by the visa must be authorised. In order to do this you have to have a residence permit. This also applies to foreigners who are eligible to enter the country without a visa for stays of one to three months. The required procedure varies according to your country of origin.

If you want to enter the country for a longer stay, you must register with the Residents’ Registration Office after your arrival. Subsequently your visa, which is only valid for entering the country, will be replaced by a residence permit. Please refer to the information under Working for possible types of residence permit.

Citizens of the Union as well as the European Economic Area and Switzerland neither require an entry visa nor a permit for stays of a longer duration. If you are planning to spend a longer period of time in Germany (more than three months), the only thing you usually have to do is register at the Residents' Registration Office and collect a residence permit from there.

Identity papers and documents required:

• a valid passport
• several passport photographs for various identity documents
• birth certificate
• marriage certificate
• possibly copies of your doctoral certificate or diplomas for other final academic qualifications as well as copies of insurance documents, if possible translated into German and English
• a confirmation that your health insurance is valid, possibly a declaration with regard to particular previous illness
• your vaccination card

Questions and answers on visa and entry


If you would like to work in Germany, this is where you can find information.





Further Information:

Information on visas and entry regulations
Information on visas and regulations for entering Germany as well as the requisite application forms to download
Federal Foreign Office

The Immigration Act
Legal basis of August 2007
Federal Foreign Office