# Germany Consular Services Portal: Which Visas Indians Apply Online

> Which German national visas Indians must file in the Consular Services Portal, which still use a paper application at VFS, and how Schengen visas differ.

_Published: 2026-10-27 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1189_

## TL;DR

German Missions in India require the Consular Services Portal for every national visa type it offers: Opportunity Card, EU Blue Card, skilled work, vocational training, studies and family reunion. Researcher, ICT card, recognition, self-employment, au pair and a few other national visas are still paper applications booked through VFS. Schengen visas are not filed in the portal at all.

## Key takeaways

- If a national visa type is available in the Consular Services Portal, German Missions in India say it must be filed there.
- Paper (non-portal) national visas include researcher, ICT Card, recognition of professional qualification, self-employment, specialty cook, seafarer, au pair, voluntary service and intensive language courses.
- Every portal application ends with an on-site appointment; booking without a completed portal pre-check is not accepted.
- The national visa fee is 75 EUR / 8300 INR for adults, paid in rupees at the appointment-day exchange rate.
- Schengen visas are not filed in the portal: you fill the VIDEX form and lodge it at a VFS Global centre.

**According to German Missions in India, national (D) visas for the Opportunity Card, EU Blue Card, skilled work, vocational training, studies and family reunion must be filed online in the Consular Services Portal. Researcher, ICT Card, recognition-of-qualification, self-employment, au pair and some other D visas still use paper applications, and Schengen visas go through VFS Global.**

## Article

The Consular Services Portal (CSP) is Germany's online system for long-stay visas. It became available worldwide on 1 January 2025 for skilled workers, apprentices, students and family reunification, and German missions in India made it compulsory for every visa type offered there. The catch for Indian applicants is that 'online' does not mean 'fully digital', and not every category is in the portal. The lists below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For Schengen fees, documents and processing, see our Germany visa guide for Indians.

### Which German visas are filed in the Consular Services Portal?
GroupVisa typesHow you applyWorkOpportunity Card; EU Blue Card (university degree, tertiary qualification, IT specialist); employment as an academic; skilled worker with professional training; employment with work experience; qualification analysis; placement agreementConsular Services Portal, then on-site appointmentTraining and studyBasic or advanced vocational training and seeking a training place; study purposes and seeking a university placeConsular Services Portal, then on-site appointmentFamilyJoining a spouse; children joining parents; parents joining childrenConsular Services Portal, then on-site appointmentShort stay (Schengen C visa)Tourism, business, trade fair, visiting family, medical treatment and other short-stay purposesVIDEX form online, then lodged at a VFS Global centreGerman Missions in India state the rule plainly: if an application type is available in the Consular Services Portal, it must be filed there. At the end of the portal process you receive a link to book your on-site appointment. A booking made without a completed portal pre-check is not accepted.

### Which national visas still need a paper application?
These long-stay categories are not available in the portal. You book them on the VFS Global website for the location responsible for your place of residence and submit a paper file:

- Researcher / guest scientist
- Employment as seconded staff (ICT Card, 'Personalaustausch')
- Employment for recognition of professional qualifications, used for example by nurses and care workers
- Self-employment and freelancers
- Specialty cook visa
- Seafarer
- Au pair
- Voluntary service
- Intensive language course not connected to future studies or training
For the recognition route, for example, the paper file includes the VIDEX form printed twice and signed, two biometric photos and a declaration under Section 18 Residence Act. Use the Consulate General Mumbai's where-to-apply page to confirm the category before booking.

### Can you apply for a Schengen visa online?
No. There is no German eVisa for Indian passport holders. For a short stay of up to 90 days you fill in the VIDEX form online, but you lodge the application at a VFS Global centre and give biometrics in person, unless your fingerprints were collected in the last 59 months. All Schengen applications from India are forwarded to the German Consulate General in Mumbai for a decision, whichever VFS centre you use.

- Visa fee: 90 EUR / 9,900 INR for adults (subject to change).
- VFS service fee: INR 1933, pre-paid when you book.
- Processing: 15 working days from the day the file reaches the visa section.

### What happens after you submit in the portal?
The portal is a pre-check, not the end of the process. Every applicant then attends an on-site appointment, either at a VFS centre or at the mission itself, depending on the category, and always within the jurisdiction of your place of residence. The rules at that appointment are strict:

- One appointment per applicant. Minors, including babies, must attend.
- Originals or copies certified by a German authority are needed. Indian notarised copies are not accepted, but attestation or apostille is not required.
- The national visa fee is 75 EUR / 8300 INR for applicants over 18 and 37,50 EUR / 4200 INR for under-18s, paid in rupees at the exchange rate on the day. It is not reimbursed if the visa is refused.
- If the appointment is at VFS, add the VFS service fee of INR 1024 and the D-visa logistic fee of INR 1420.

### Which German mission covers your state?
MissionStates and union territoriesGerman Embassy New DelhiHaryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, LakshadweepConsulate General MumbaiMaharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar HaveliConsulate General BengaluruKarnataka, KeralaConsulate General ChennaiTamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, PuducherryConsulate General KolkataWest Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, TripuraFor national applications under the Consulate General Mumbai, appointments are only at VFS Mumbai (Mahalaxmi) or the Consulate.

### How long does a portal application take, and can you track it?
German Missions in India publish no fixed processing time for national visas and say they may take several months depending on the category. There is no online tracking, and status inquiries are not answered within the first three months. You are notified automatically and then submit your passport for visa stamping when the Consulate emails you. With an employer's fast-track pre-approval under Section 81a Residence Act, the mission offers an appointment within three weeks and, as a rule, decides within three weeks of a complete application.

### Before you start a portal application
- Choose residence, not citizenship: an Indian living in Dubai selects the United Arab Emirates as country of residence.
- Match the category: students at institutions awarding non-German degrees apply at the Embassy or Consulate, not VFS; the booked category must match.
- Do not rely on agents: German Missions say an agent is not necessary, the forms are free, and misconduct by an agent is the applicant's responsibility.
- Keep originals ready: student and employment applicants bring the original degree certificate, returned after verification.
Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). Reach us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or via our contact page.

### Frequently asked questions

#### What can I do if my German national visa is refused?
German Missions in India list two options: reapply at any time, or file a lawsuit at the Administrative Court in Berlin within one month of receiving the refusal (court fee currently EUR 483). The free remonstration procedure was abolished in India from 1 January 2024.

#### Do I need to attest or apostille Indian documents for a German national visa?
No. Attestation or apostille is not required, but you must bring originals or copies certified by a German authority; Indian notarised copies are not accepted. Documents may be verified for genuineness where the checklist says so.

#### How long is a German national visa valid after it is issued?
National visas are usually issued for 90 days up to one year. After entering Germany you register with the residents' registration office and apply to the foreigners' authority for a residence permit.

#### Does the Opportunity Card need a job offer?
No. The Opportunity Card is for job searching before you have an offer. You apply in the Consular Services Portal and must show at least EUR 1,091 per month for living expenses, for example through a blocked account.

## FAQ

### What can I do if my German national visa is refused?

German Missions in India list two options: reapply at any time, or file a lawsuit at the Administrative Court in Berlin within one month of receiving the refusal (court fee currently EUR 483). The free remonstration procedure was abolished in India from 1 January 2024.

### Do I need to attest or apostille Indian documents for a German national visa?

No. Attestation or apostille is not required, but you must bring originals or copies certified by a German authority; Indian notarised copies are not accepted. Documents may be verified for genuineness where the checklist says so.

### How long is a German national visa valid after it is issued?

National visas are usually issued for 90 days up to one year. After entering Germany you register with the residents' registration office and apply to the foreigners' authority for a residence permit.

### Does the Opportunity Card need a job offer?

No. The Opportunity Card is for job searching before you have an offer. You apply in the Consular Services Portal and must show at least EUR 1,091 per month for living expenses, for example through a blocked account.

## Sources

1. [German Missions in India - National Visa](https://india.diplo.de/in-en/service/2755482-2755482) — German Missions in India
2. [German Missions in India - Abolition of the Remonstration Procedure (CSP worldwide since 1 January 2025)](https://india.diplo.de/in-en/abolition-of-remonstration-procedure-2727202) — German Missions in India
3. [German Consulate General Mumbai - National visa: where to apply by category (July 2025)](https://india.diplo.de/in-en/service/2503990-2503990) — German Consulate General Mumbai
4. [German Missions in India - National Visa FAQs (processing, tracking, students)](https://india.diplo.de/in-en/service/2546328-2546328) — German Missions in India