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Applying for a visa to Germany: Where?
Visa applications must be submitted in person at the German embassy or consulate at your place of residence.
If you plan to visit other Schengen member states before or after the AGM in Germany, you must apply for the visa at the consulate of the country where you will spend the most time; if time is equal, apply to the country where you will first enter the Schengen area.
Applying for a visa to Germany: When?
Look into making an appointment for your visa application as soon as possible! Waiting times for application appointments may vary between weeks and several months. You may apply for a Schengen visa from between six months and generally no later than 15 days before your planned trip.
If you rely on travel and accommodation support by the GYA to attend the meeting, please make sure your visa appointment will not take place before 1 April 2026. This will enable the GYA Office to process your application for travel co-funding and, if successful, provide you with the confirmation of funded accommodation needed for your visa application. Furthermore, with this timeline you won’t have to book a flight before being granted travel co-funding. A flight booking is necessary for the visa application.
Please check back here mid to end of February, when we open registration,
to find a link to the co-funding application form. Please apply for travel co-funding early, if you need a visa.
Processing of your visa application will take between 15 and 45 working days. If you are an Ethiopian or Gambian national, the processing time of your application will be 45 working days, so please apply early!
Applying for a visa to Germany: What do I need? And how to apply?
Consult the website of the mission, which is responsible for your application, well in advance of the application appointment date to find out about the visa procedure and about the documentation which has to be submitted. Bring all necessary documents to your appointment to avoid delays in processing your application or even rejection.
You can fill out the application form for a Schengen visa online.
Please then bring the print-out of the form with you to your appointment. Alternatively, you may obtain a paper application form from your responsible mission or download the form from their website.
In the application form, enter the dates of your entry in and departure from the Schengen area, not the period of the GYA event. Please be aware that Schengen C visas usually have individual expiration dates and do not grant a general 90-day maximum stay period.
You may need to submit an invitation letter from the organizers of the AGM and International Conference. Please look out for the link to request the invitation in our internal communication with GYA members (AGM ticker, internal newsletter) and allow 10 days for processing your request.
Applying for a visa to Germany: Costs?
The processing fee for a Schengen visa is normally 90 EUR, but your visa fee may be waived based on Article 3 (2) of EU Directive 2016/801: Visa fees are waived by all Schengen states for researchers of all nationalities during travel to participate in a scientific seminar or conference. Please refer to this article in your visa application or at your appointment.
Further information on the visa for Germany can be found on the website of your responsible German mission or of the German Federal Foreign Office:
Do I need a visa?
Check here if you need a visa to enter into Germany: Table of countries whose citizens require/do not require visas to enter Germany
EU nationals from outside the Schengen area are generally exempt from the visa requirement for short stays of up to 90 days.
What is the right visa type?
Generally, for stays of up to 90 days, you apply for a Schengen visa, Type C.