Germany Visa Status Check for Indian Applicants

Every Schengen file lodged at a VFS centre anywhere in India is forwarded to the German Consulate General in Mumbai for a decision, so the tracker mainly tells you where your passport sits in that chain. The details below are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For fees, checklists and centres, start with our Germany visa guide for Indian passport holders.

Where do you check a Germany Schengen visa status?

You check it on the VFS Global Germany site for India, visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/deu, through its application tracking. Keep the paperwork VFS hands you at submission until your passport is back with you.

It does not matter which centre you used. You may lodge a Schengen application at any VFS centre in India regardless of where you live: New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Goa, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Thimphu in Bhutan. All of them send the file to Mumbai.

VFS also sells optional add-ons at the appointment. The SMS service costs INR 147, courier return INR 686 and courier assurance INR 1033. These are on top of the VFS service fee of INR 1933, which you pre-pay when booking.

What happens to your file after the VFS appointment?

The status changes as the file moves between VFS and the Consulate. This is the timeline German Missions in India publish:

The practical point: the 15-day clock starts when your file reaches the visa section in Mumbai, not on the day you gave biometrics in Kochi or Kolkata.

Why has the status not changed for two weeks?

A quiet tracker is not by itself a bad sign. The embassy guidance says processing can take up to two weeks, and even longer in individual cases. The usual reasons are:

• Transit time. A file from a centre outside Mumbai needs extra days before the 15-day count begins.
• Extra checks. The visa section may request additional documents or call you for an interview in individual cases.
• Extension. The Visa Code allows the decision period to stretch up to 45 days in individual cases.
• Late filing. If your travel date falls within 15 calendar days of the file reaching the visa section, the passport may be returned unprocessed with the fee refunded.

An urgent appointment does not change this. The 'Urgent business' and 'Urgent trade fair' categories give you an earlier slot, not fast-track processing; the average is still up to 15 days. Apply at least three weeks before travel, and not earlier than six months before it.

When can you email the German Consulate General in Mumbai?

Only after the 15-day regular processing period. Earlier written inquiries are not answered. The Consulate's visa email is visa@mumb.diplo.de and its telephone number is +91 22 6940 1444.

When you write, give your full name as printed in the passport, your passport number, the VFS centre and the date you submitted. One clear email is better than several follow-ups.

Be careful with paid status services. German Missions say you do not need an agent to apply, and the Consulate warns that any misconduct by an agent you use is your own responsibility.

How do you collect the passport and check the visa?

The passport comes back through VFS only, either at the centre or by courier. Before you leave the counter or sign for the courier, check the visa sticker:

1. Name and passport number match your passport exactly.
2. The validity dates cover your whole trip.
3. The number of entries and the number of days match what you need. Every Schengen visa holder may stay a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.
4. If you asked for a longer visa, note what you received. Indians living in India who have lawfully used 2 Schengen visas within the past 3 years get a two-year multiple-entry visa (C2), but there is no entitlement, and a passport not valid 3 months beyond the visa's expiry gets the next lower duration.

Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System is fully operational, so at the border you are registered with fingerprints and a facial image instead of a passport stamp.

How do you track a German national (D) visa?

You cannot track it online. German Missions in India state that national visas have no online tracking and that status inquiries are not answered within the first three months after filing. No fixed processing time is published; national visas may take several months depending on the category.

You are notified automatically. When the Consulate emails you, you submit the passport for visa stamping, for example at VFS. VFS lists a D-visa logistic fee of INR 1420 alongside its INR 1024 service fee for national applications. Students cannot get an appointment moved forward because a course is starting; only extreme medical or humanitarian cases qualify.

For skilled workers, an employer fast-track pre-approval under Section 81a of the Residence Act changes the timeline: the mission offers an appointment within three weeks and, as a rule, decides within three weeks of the complete application.

What should you do if the status shows a refusal?

The reason is stated in the refusal letter, and the visa section gives no further explanation. German Missions say most rejections come from incomplete or unverifiable documentation. You have two options:

• Reapply at any time. There is no cooling or locking period.
• File a lawsuit at the Administrative Court in Berlin within one month of receiving the refusal. The court fee is currently EUR 483, paid by the plaintiff whatever the outcome.

The free remonstration procedure was abolished in India from 1 January 2024, so there is no appeal letter to the Consulate. The visa fee is not refunded. For context, the European Commission's refusal rate for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at German consulates in India was 10.5% in 2025 (16,126 visas not issued; 153,179 applications lodged). The Missions explain the options on their page My visa application got rejected. What can I do?

If you reapply, fix the specific reason in the letter rather than resubmitting the same file. 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). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Mumbai Consulate decide Schengen visas for applicants from Delhi or Bengaluru too?

Yes. German Missions in India say Schengen applications can be submitted at any VFS centre in India regardless of residence, and all of them are forwarded to the German Consulate General in Mumbai for a decision. National (D) visas are different: they go to the mission responsible for your place of residence.

Is the Germany visa fee refunded if my visa is refused?

No. The Schengen fee of 90 EUR / 9,900 INR is not refundable even if the visa is rejected. The one exception in the Consulate's FAQ is a file whose travel date falls within 15 calendar days of reaching the visa section: the passport may then be returned unprocessed with the fee refunded.

Can I book an urgent appointment to get a faster decision?

No. The 'Urgent business' and 'Urgent trade fair' categories only give an earlier appointment for trips starting within four weeks of it. Processing still averages up to 15 days, the same as a normal file.

How long is a German national visa valid once it is stamped?

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