Which Germany Visa Should Indians Apply For?

The right visa depends on two questions: how long you will stay, and what you will do in Germany. Everything below is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For the full application walkthrough, see our Germany visa guide for Indian passport holders.

Short trip or long stay: which German visa category fits you?

Germany splits its visas into two families. A Schengen (C) visa covers stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A national (D) visa covers stays of more than 90 days. German Missions in India state that Indian citizens need a visa for Germany. There is no visa on arrival and no eVisa for an Indian passport.

Children pay less. A Schengen visa costs EUR 45 (INR 5,000) at ages 6 to 12 and nothing under 6. A national visa costs EUR 37,50 (INR 4,200) for applicants under 18. None of these fees is refunded if the visa is refused.

Which Schengen visa type should you pick for a short visit?

Pick the category that matches the main purpose of the trip. Each one adds its own documents on top of the common checklist.

• Tourism: a travel agency certificate confirming an organised trip, or a detailed travel itinerary.
• Visit Family & Friends: an original signed invitation from your host in Germany with their address, proof of their legal residence, your passport number, the purpose and the itinerary.
• Business: a covering letter from your Indian company on letterhead, its Certificate of Incorporation and GST registration, and an invitation from the German business partner.
• Trade Fair: an exhibitor or visitor pass. Exhibitors are fee-exempt only if the individual exhibitor pass goes in with the application.
• Health: a doctor's certificate, confirmation from the German hospital and proof of advance payment.
• Internship + Training: internships generally count as work and need Federal Employment Agency (pre-)approval, which the German host obtains.

Every Schengen category also needs travel medical insurance with cover of at least EUR 30,000 from an approved Indian insurer, a flight reservation, proof of accommodation and proof of economic status. For salaried applicants that means three months' pay slips, a leave sanction letter, three months' bank statements stamped by the bank, and ITR acknowledgements for two assessment years or Form 16.

Which national visa fits a job in Germany?

There are three main work routes. The choice comes down to your qualification and whether you already hold an offer.

• EU Blue Card: for a recognised university degree and a German job paying at least EUR 50,700 a year from 1 January 2026, or EUR 45,934.20 a year in MINT and other shortage professions such as engineering and IT. The degree needs an anabin rating of "entspricht" or "gleichwertig" with an "H+" university, or a ZAB Statement of Comparability.
• Skilled worker visa: for vocational training recognised in Germany, or the work-experience route, which asks for at least two years of matching experience within the last five years and an offer of at least EUR 45,630 a year. Work experience alone, without formal training, is not enough.
• Opportunity Card: for skilled people who want to look for work before they have an offer. You must show at least EUR 1,091 per month for living expenses, for example through a blocked account, plus a recognised qualification or the minimum points score.

On the Blue Card and skilled worker routes, applicants aged 45 or older earning below EUR 55,770 a year must also prove adequate pension provision.

Which visa do students and spouses need?

Students apply for the national visa for study purposes and seeking a university place. Almost all applicants with Indian school-leaving certificates or degrees need an APS certificate. Proof of funds is a blocked account of EUR 11,904 for the first year with withdrawals capped at EUR 992 a month, a formal obligation letter from a sponsor in Germany, or a German or EU scholarship. German Missions do not accept Duolingo, Pearson PTE or TOEFL home edition results for applications in India.

Spouses joining a partner in Germany use the family reunion visa. Both partners must be at least 18. German at level A1 is mandatory for almost everyone marrying a German citizen and for most spouses of residents without a highly skilled visa or permit; spouses of EU nationals are exempt. Au pairs, who must be aged 18 to 27, use a separate paper application.

Who can skip the German visa altogether?

Three groups do not need a German visa for the situations described:

• Transit passengers: since 3 June 2026, Indian nationals need no airport transit visa for a layover at a German airport when flying on to another country. Leaving the airport means entering Germany, which needs a visa.
• Residents of other Schengen states: Indians holding a long-stay visa or residence permit issued by another Schengen state need no separate visa for short stays in Germany of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Diplomatic passport holders: exempt under a bilateral agreement. Ordinary passport holders are not.

Where do you apply, and how long does each visa take?

Schengen applications can go to any of the 11 VFS centres: New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Goa, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Thimphu (Bhutan), regardless of where you live. All of them are decided by the German Consulate General in Mumbai. The VFS service fee of INR 1933 is pre-paid when you book. The visa section takes 15 working days from the day the file arrives, and transfer from VFS can take up to six working days. Apply no earlier than six months and no later than 15 working days before travel.

National visas work differently. You submit at the mission responsible for your place of residence: residents of Karnataka and Kerala go to the Consulate General in Bengaluru, while Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh fall under Mumbai. No fixed processing time is published. German Missions say national visas may take several months, and status enquiries are not answered within the first three months.

Which mistakes send Indian applicants down the wrong route?

• Booking a national-visa appointment without finishing the Consular Services Portal pre-check. Bookings without it are not accepted.
• Taking a paid internship or training on a tourist visa. Internships generally need Federal Employment Agency approval through the host.
• Submitting Indian notarised copies for a national visa. German Missions want originals or copies certified by a German authority.
• Assuming a family visit can go under Tourism. If a relative invites you, the Visit Family & Friends checklist and its invitation letter apply.
• Paying an agent to grab appointments. German Missions say an agent is not necessary, and any misconduct by the agent is your responsibility.

For context, the European Commission reports a refusal rate of 10.5% for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at German consulates in India in 2025, with 16,126 visas not issued and 153,179 applications lodged. German Missions say most rejections come from incomplete or unverifiable documentation, so the category you choose and the checklist you follow matter. The embassy's own visa services page lists every category.

If you are applying for a Schengen visa, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram can prepare the flight reservation, hotel booking, day-by-day itinerary and cover letter for your file. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter together. Reach us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for a German tourist visa at any VFS centre in India?

Yes. German Missions in India say Schengen applications can be submitted at any VFS centre in India regardless of where you live. All of them are forwarded to the German Consulate General in Mumbai for a decision.

Is the German visa fee refunded if my application is refused?

No. The EUR 90 Schengen fee is not refundable even if the visa is rejected, and the EUR 75 national visa fee is a processing fee that is not reimbursed after a refusal.

Can Indians get a multiple-entry Schengen visa from Germany?

Yes, under the visa cascade. Indian nationals living in India who have lawfully used two Schengen visas within the past three years are issued a two-year multiple-entry visa (C2), after which they can qualify for a five-year visa (C5). There is no entitlement, and passport validity can shorten the visa.

Is there a waiting period before reapplying after a German visa refusal?

No. German Missions say you can reapply at any time with no cooling period. The alternative is a lawsuit at the Administrative Court in Berlin within one month of receiving the refusal, with a court fee of EUR 483.