Family & Other
Schengen visa (C) vs national visa (D): the basics
Not sure which visa you need to enter? Learn the basic difference between short stays and long-term moves.
- 90 daysin any 180-day period with a Schengen (C) visaSource: 90 days in any 180-day period with a Schengen (C) visa (opens in new tab)
- €75fee for a national (D) visaSource: €75 fee for a national (D) visa (opens in new tab)
General information only. Check with your Ausländerbehörde.
Your local office: documents, fees, booking and waiting times are set by each Ausländerbehörde and differ from city to city. Pick your situation and city in the step finder to get a direct link to your own office, or see the local office guide for your state. You can also find your office with BAMF-NAvI or the federal service finder.
Who it's for
Anyone planning to come to Germany who needs to know which visa type applies.
Requirements
- Schengen visa (C): for transit or planned stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. (§ 6(1) AufenthG, checked 2026-11-04)
- A Schengen visa does not allow work unless it was issued for work. (§ 6(2a), checked 2026-11-04)
- National visa (D): required for longer stays; issued before entry, under the rules for the residence permit you're aiming for (e.g. Blue Card, family). (§ 6(3), checked 2026-11-04)
- Time on a D visa counts toward later permanent-residence time. (same source)
- Some nationalities need no visa for short stays (max 90 days in 180, no work). Some (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, UK, South Korea, Israel, New Zealand, Switzerland) can apply for a residence permit after entering without a visa. (Federal Foreign Office visa list, checked 2026-11-04)
Documents
Depend on purpose; check your German mission's website.
Documents, fees and steps at your local office
Each Ausländerbehörde publishes its own document checklist, fees and booking or online-application process, so this guide doesn't copy one city's list. Pick your situation and city in the step finder for a direct link to your office's page, or open the local office guide for your state. Fees for residence permits are set nationwide in § 45 AufenthV; your office tells you the exact amount.
Fees
- D visa: €75 (€37.50 for minors per AA visa fees, checked 2026-11-04); extending a D visa: €25; extending a Schengen visa beyond 90 days as a national visa: €60. (§ 46(2) AufenthV, checked 2026-11-04)
- C visa fees follow EU Regulation 810/2009 (generally €90; €45 for children aged 6–11; free under 6; reduced €35 for some nationalities under EU agreements) (AA visa fees, checked 2026-11-04). Spouses/partners and minor unmarried children of Germans, and parents of minor Germans, are exempt. (§ 46(1) AufenthV, checked 2026-11-04)
Processing notes
- Schengen visas can be extended up to 90 days total per 180 days; beyond that only in exceptional cases as a national visa. (§ 6(2), checked 2026-11-04)
- For embassy wait times, check your German mission's website. No outcome is guaranteed.