Germany Visa from the UK: Appointments, Checklist & Fees

Do UK residents need a visa for Germany?

It depends on your passport, not where you live. British, Irish and EU/EEA citizens do not need a visa for short stays in Germany. Most other UK residents, for example Indian, Pakistani, Nigerian, Chinese or South African nationals living here on a work, study, family or settled status, do need a Schengen visa and apply from the UK.

The German missions accept applications from UK residents, including people with a UK residence permit or a UK short-term study visa. If you are here on a UK visitor visa, you will generally need to apply in your country of residence instead; exceptions are made only rarely, at a visa officer’s discretion.

ETIAS, the €20 travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers such as British citizens, still has no launch date, and it does not replace a visa for anyone who needs one. Everyone, visa holder or not, now registers face and fingerprints in the EU Entry/Exit System when entering; see EES and ETIAS for UK residents.

You prove your UK status with a UKVI eVisa share code, not a BRP. Our eVisa share code guide shows how. Apply to Germany only if it is your main destination (which country to apply to).

Germany visa appointments in the UK

TLScontact handles every German short-stay (C) and airport transit (A) visa application in the UK, at centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Your place of residence decides which you use, and since 1 June 2026 London and Manchester allocate appointments from waiting lists instead of letting you pick a date.

The boundary changed on 1 February 2025. Before then, Edinburgh also covered Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear. Residents of those counties now apply in London or Manchester, and older advice that says otherwise is out of date. TLScontact collects your documents, fingerprints and fees; the German mission makes the decision.

London

TLScontact London serves residents of the Embassy’s district, and the German Embassy in London decides. Demand for Schengen appointments has exceeded the visa section’s capacity, which is why the waiting list was introduced. Confirm the current address and opening hours on the TLScontact Germany UK site when you register.

Manchester

Manchester serves the same applicants as London, uses the same waiting list system and sends applications to the same deciding mission, the Embassy in London. It is often more practical for the North of England, the Midlands and North Wales, including the counties moved out of Edinburgh’s district in 2025. Check the address and opening hours on the TLScontact site.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is for residents of Scotland only, and the German Consulate General in Edinburgh decides. The Embassy’s waiting list notice names London and Manchester, not Edinburgh, so follow whatever the Edinburgh booking page on the TLScontact site shows when you register.

How booking works since 1 June 2026

The waiting lists cover tourism and planned medical treatment, business trips and short-term economic activities, family or friends visits, and organised school or student trips.

1. Complete your VIDEX form so your details are ready and match your passport.
2. Create a TLScontact account and register each applicant separately; a family of four needs four appointments.
3. Register on the correct waiting list, choosing London or Manchester and the right category. Applicants booked in the wrong category are turned away at the centre.
4. Watch for the allocation email, checking your inbox and spam folder daily. Appointments are allocated automatically, first come, first served.
5. Pay TLScontact’s service fee within 24 hours. If you do not, the appointment is cancelled and you have to re-join the waiting list.
6. Bring your confirmation and complete file on the day.

The German missions cannot give waiting times and do not answer emails about them. Register as soon as your purpose of travel and approximate dates are known, and make sure the details you register match your passport exactly: discrepancies lose you the appointment and send you back to the start.

Important: The appointment is always booked in your own name on the official TLScontact system. The German missions say the only fees are TLScontact’s service fee and the visa fee, with no separate booking fee, and that you do not need an agency. Schengen Visa Support does not book, hold or supply appointments, and nobody can buy you a place on the waiting list. We help you register and complete the booking correctly in your name and make sure your file is ready.

On the day

Arrive about ten minutes before your slot. Expect an airport-style security check, and leave large bags at home. Only applicants and essential companions are admitted: both parents attend for children, and a carer can accompany someone who needs assistance. Staff check your file, take fingerprints (not from children under 12, and usually not if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months) and keep your passport. The German missions’ FAQ says a self-service photo machine is available at the Embassy and at the TLScontact Visa Application Centre (£10 for a set of four), but do not rely on it: bring compliant photos.

Germany visa document checklist for UK residents

The officer decides largely on paper, so your documents must tell one consistent story: who you are, why you are going, who pays, and why you will come back to the UK. The interactive checklist below lists every item; this section explains what each must show.

The VIDEX form is the German online Schengen application form on the Federal Foreign Office site. You print it including the barcodes and sign it, and every applicant, including each child, needs a separate form. Your passport must have been issued in the last 10 years, be valid at least 3 months after your trip ends and have 2 blank pages; bring one copy of the data page. Your eVisa share code printout must show UK permission valid for at least one month after your trip ends; a share code lasts 90 days, so generate it close to the appointment. Add proof of your UK address, such as a council tax bill or utility bill.

Insurance must cover at least €30,000 in every Schengen state for every day of the trip; the missions state that an EHIC or GHIC card is not sufficient. Make sure your insurance, bookings and VIDEX dates match exactly. The photo must be 35 x 45 mm, taken against a white or light background, no older than three months and not digitally altered. Documents that are not in German, English, Spanish or French need a translation into German or English. The missions may ask for more documents at their discretion.

Employed

A confirmation letter from your employer, and your last 3 months’ payslips, which should match the salary credits on your bank statements. A letter on headed paper that gives your job title, start date and approved leave for the trip makes the file clearer.

Self-employed

A recent letter on headed paper from your accountant, banker or solicitor confirming your self-employment or business ownership in the UK and the income you draw from it each year, with the signatory’s name, position, contact details and registration number. Add your self-assessment tax return; see our self-employed guide.

Students

A letter confirming your student status, plus your own funds or a parent’s support with their statements. Check that your student permission runs at least one month beyond your return (students guide).

Retired

A pension confirmation, with bank statements showing the pension credits and any savings you are relying on.

Sponsored

If a host in Germany is paying, the formal evidence is a Verpflichtungserklärung, a formal obligation letter. Your host obtains it from their local Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) in Germany, which checks their circumstances and usually charges a fee, and then sends you the original to submit. If you pay your own way, an informal invitation letter from your host with a copy of their passport data page (and German residence permit, if they have one) covers accommodation. If your spouse supports you because you do not work, add your marriage certificate, their last 3 months’ bank statements and their signed confirmation of support.

Children

A separate VIDEX form signed by both parents or all guardians, the child’s original birth certificate and a copy, both parents’ original passports with copies of the data pages, evidence of sole custody if it applies, and a UK school certificate where relevant. Both parents normally attend; if one cannot, the missions require a notarised declaration of consent (children’s guide).

How much money do you need for a Germany visa?

The German missions in the UK do not publish a fixed daily amount or minimum balance. The officer judges whether you can pay for your travel and living costs from your own funds or income, on top of your normal UK outgoings such as rent.

The missions ask for UK bank statements in your name covering at least the last 3 months, showing movements, salary payments and your current balance. Credit card statements can help if they show your name, address and the monthly limit. A regular salary or pension arriving, a balance that does not drop to zero before payday and spending that matches your income all help. A large deposit shortly before applying raises questions unless you explain and evidence it.

If someone else pays, their evidence replaces or supplements yours: a Verpflichtungserklärung from a host in Germany, or your spouse’s statements and signed confirmation of support. Our bank statements guide explains what consulates look for.

Germany visa fees from the UK

The visa fee is the standard Schengen €90 for adults, paid when you submit your application. The German missions accept Mastercard or Visa credit or debit cards only, the named cardholder must be present, and Apple Pay or Google Pay are not accepted. TLScontact charges its own service fee on top, and the German missions say these are the only two fees in the process.

The visa fee is not refunded if the visa is refused or you withdraw the application, and any optional services do not change the decision or how long the mission takes. See our Schengen visa fee guide for the wider picture.

How long does a Germany visa take from the UK?

The German missions say Schengen applications are usually processed within about 15 working days from the date the Embassy or Consulate General receives them, plus 2-3 working days to return your passport. In practice the bigger variable is the waiting list in London and Manchester, which you cannot shorten.

The clock only starts once you have filed the application, given biometrics and paid the visa fee. Incomplete files take longer, and trips involving economic activity can take longer still because other German authorities may need to approve them. EU rules allow up to 45 days in individual cases, and the missions currently say applications from Russian, Gambian, Somali and Guinean nationals take 45 days instead of 15 and lead to single-entry visas only. The missions offer no status tracking and will contact you by the email address or mobile number on your form if they need more, so allow emails from auswaertiges-amt.de through your spam filter.

If you must book before the decision, the missions say a fully refundable ticket is advisable. More detail is in our processing time guide.

Germany visa types for UK residents

Most UK applicants need a short-stay Schengen C visa, valid for up to 90 days in any 180, with supporting evidence tailored to the purpose. Every C visa application goes through TLScontact, and you must register in the right category.

• Tourist: holidays, city breaks and the Christmas markets. Confirmed hotel bookings for your whole stay, or a tour operator’s confirmation, are needed. Visiting a trade fair or a church event as a visitor is also booked as tourism, not business.
• Visiting family or friends: an informal invitation letter from your host with a copy of their passport data page and, if they have one, their German residence permit. A Verpflichtungserklärung can replace your own funds evidence if they are paying.
• Business: an original, signed formal invitation from your German business partner, and an original, signed letter from your UK employer. Trips within the same company still need a letter from each office. Frequent travellers can read our multiple-entry guide.
• Short-term economic activity: paid work such as services or secondments needs extra employer forms and may need approval from the Federal Employment Agency, so allow more time.
• Medical treatment: registered on the tourism and planned medical treatment waiting list. A letter from the medical institution or doctor confirming the treatment and its length, and proof you can pay for it or have prepaid.
• Organised school or university trips: a confirmation letter from the school or university. Since 1 August 2026 pupils listed on a school-certified List of Travellers may not need a visa, under conditions the Embassy sets out.
• Airport transit (A visa): only for listed nationalities (such as Nigerian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Turkish citizens) that need one to change planes at a German airport; Indian nationals have been exempt since 3 June 2026. A UK eVisa, share code or UK visa does not exempt you, but a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen state, or a visa from Cyprus, Ireland, the US, Canada or Japan, can, as long as you stay in the international transit area. Only Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf have international transit areas, and you need a C visa if you collect baggage, re-check in or transit two Schengen airports.

Students on a UK student visa apply as tourists for holiday trips, with their student status letter. Stays longer than 90 days, such as work, study or family reunion, need a national D visa. Only EU Blue Card visas, employment visas pre-approved by the Federal Employment Agency for a named employer, and internship visas go through TLScontact. Every other D visa is applied for directly with the Embassy in London (through its booking system) or, for Scotland, by contacting the Consulate General in Edinburgh.

Germany-specific tips

A few points trip UK residents up with the German missions specifically.

• Register first, prepare in parallel. With the waiting list, the date is no longer in your control. Register as soon as your plans are firm and build your file while you wait, so a short-notice allocation never catches you out.
• Treat the 24-hour payment window as fixed. Missing it cancels the appointment, and mismatched registration details or the wrong category cost you the slot too.
• Get the Verpflichtungserklärung moving early. Your host may need an appointment at their Ausländerbehörde, and the original then has to reach you before your appointment.
• Check your UK permission dates. It must run at least one month past the end of your trip, and your passport three months.
• Do not book non-refundable travel. The missions advise against financial commitments until the visa is approved.

Why Germany visas are refused (and how to avoid it)

Most refusals come down to documents that do not support the trip as described, rather than anything missing.

• Unexplained funds: a large deposit just before applying, or a balance that looks too low for the trip.
• Doubts about your return: a thin employer letter, or UK permission ending soon after the trip.
• Inconsistent dates: insurance, bookings and the VIDEX form that disagree.
• Wrong country: Germany is not your main destination.
• Weak sponsor evidence: a copy of the Verpflichtungserklärung instead of the original, or a host letter without ID.
• Insurance below the rule: less than €30,000 cover, or not valid across all Schengen states.

Germany abolished the informal remonstration procedure worldwide on 1 July 2025, and the Embassy no longer replies to remonstration letters. You can submit a new application at any time that addresses the reasons for the refusal, or take legal action at the Administrative Court in Berlin (Verwaltungsgericht Berlin), in German and with court costs, within the deadline given in your refusal decision. Court cases can take a long time, so for many people a stronger new application is quicker. Our refused Schengen visa guide explains how to rebuild a file, and we offer refusal reviews as part of our admin support.