Germany Schengen Visa From USA

If you need a Schengen visa to come to Germany from the US, you will need to pull together the required documentation. The main required documents to be aware of are the following:

• A valid passport from a nation requiring a Schengen visa that has been issued in the last ten years, is valid three months or more after you leave Germany and has two blank pages.
• A completed application form.
• Proof of means to return home or that you have already bought a return ticket.
• Two passport-style photos that are recent and fit German requirements.
• Proof you have paid the application fee.

• Travel insurance valid throughout your stay with a minimum value of 30,000 euros. It must cover medical treatment and repatriation expenses.
• Documentation for your trip, showing you have booked accommodation.
• Evidence you won’t require state assistance to support your trip financially.

You have two options to show that you have enough money to support your travel among the Schengen member states. Firstly, you can show bank statements that are less than three months old and show that the money is already available to you. Alternatively, you can provide a letter from a sponsor and their bank statements, showing that they are willing and able to support your travels in Germany.

If you realize you need a Schengen visa for Germany, you will need to start the application process. Your application must be made in person to one of the German embassies. This includes the German Embassy in Washington and eight further Consulates General, which include the following:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Chicago
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York
• San Francisco

You will begin the application process by booking and attending a visa interview at the embassy or consulate general. Here, you will submit the application form and your required documents. You will also be asked for further information about your application by a consular officer during an interview lasting around 10 minutes.

The standard waiting time once you have submitted your documents is 15 days. However, please note that this will vary greatly depending on the size of the backlog that the German mission you apply to is experiencing. Furthermore, if your application is incomplete and the mission has to ask for further documentation, you may have to wait up to 60 more days.

Application Fee

For your application to be processed, you must pay the application fee in full. As of early 2025, the fee is 90 euros for applicants over 12 years old. Meanwhile, the fee is 45 euros for children ages 6-12, and those under six years old do not have to pay an application fee.

There are also some exemptions that do not need to pay an application fee to get a Schengen visa for Germany, including the following:

• People with family who are citizens of an EEA or EU nation
• Scientific researchers traveling to help with research in the Schengen area
• Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports
• Students and teachers from the USA traveling to Germany for a school trip

Having got your Germany Schengen visa, there are further complications, which mean you can’t simply enter Germany. You must show your visa and passport to the border officers. Make sure you acquire a stamp, as an unstamped passport could lead to a fine or detention if you are caught.

The first restriction to be aware of is the 90-day limit to the amount of time you can be inside the Schengen member states, hence the stamp. You must use these 90 days within a 180-day limit. After the 180 days have elapsed, you require another German visa to enter the country legally.

Moreover, four subcategories exist which change the way you can enter Germany from the USA. This will be shown clearly on your German Schengen visa. If you break this German Schengen visa entry restriction, you will usually be denied entry. The subcategories are as follows:

• Single entry: you can enter Germany once, and your Germany visa will be invalid after.
• Double entry: You have two legal entries into Germany.
• Multiple entry visa: you can enter as many times as you like, but the 90-day limit within 180 days will still apply.
• Limited Territorial Validity Visa (LTV): travel is only permitted inside of Germany. You cannot use this visa to go to other Schengen countries.

Germany is a strict nation, with 10% of short-term visas being rejected. The common reasons for your German visa to be rejected include the following:

• You have used false documents in the visa process. Consular officers will notice any discrepancies between documents.
• Your itinerary is unclear. For example, you haven’t pre-booked accommodation.
• You are traveling on an invalid passport.
• Your travel insurance policy is invalid or insufficient.
• You haven’t paid the visa fee.

The listed reasons for refusal are issues with your application for the German visa. You should find it easy to address these issues by simply re-applying to the German Consular Services.

However, below, we have listed issues with you as an applicant, which pose a much more substantial issue. If any of the following applies, you may have to find a different German visa which will allow you to enter the country:

• You are currently or have previously been involved in serious criminal activity, making you dangerous to people in Germany. This applies in cases of terrorism, serious crime, and drug abuse.
• You are not financially able to support your trip, and you don’t have a financial sponsor.
• You have previously overstayed or been deported from the Schengen area.

Can I Appeal a Schengen Visa Rejection?

You can appeal if German Consular Services rejects your visa application. This is under Article (32)3 of the Schengen Visa Code and applies to your nationality as a US resident.

This appeal will be made to Germany directly, and you should use the notice of refusal to work out what issues the consular services found with your application. If you feel that any of these issues are unjustified, then make an appeal.

Making an appeal is simple, requiring you to simply write an appeal letter. The appeal process requires you to include the following information:

• Your name
• Your date of birth
• A refusal reference number
• Your signature
• An explanation of why your refusal should be overturned
• Additional documentation that supports your case
• A signed letter giving permission to file an appeal to a legal representative to file an appeal on your behalf if you decide to get legal assistance.

Please note that the appeals process will take up to 12 weeks, and there is no guarantee of success. It may be quicker to file a new application, but you will have to pay the visa fee again.

Alternatively, you may need to apply for a different type of German visa if you realize your Schengen visa applications are repeatedly refused.