1. Visa interview Germany

When applying for a visa for Germany, the visa appointment is an integral part of the process. During this appointment, all relevant documents are reviewed, personal data is recorded, and biometric characteristics such as fingerprints and signature are captured. In certain cases, a visa interview may also take place, during which personal circumstances and the purpose of travel are discussed (so-called plausibility check). However, booking an appointment can be difficult, as visa appointments are often in high demand and long waiting times occur (see our VISAGUARD guide to speeding up processing times ). Anyone wishing to apply for a visa for Germany should therefore plan their visa appointment well in advance and inquire about the current booking procedures at the relevant consulate or embassy.

From a legal perspective, a visa appointment is not mandatory in every case. While German diplomatic missions abroad often insist on a personal appearance for an appointment, several court rulings show that visas can be issued without an appointment—for example, in the context of court proceedings or under special circumstances. Nevertheless, in practice, a visa appointment is almost always required and is considered standard procedure . For the majority of applicants, attending a visa appointment is therefore essential. Those wishing to invoke exceptions should seek legal advice.

2. How do I get a visa appointment for Germany?

2.1 RK visa and waiting list

Booking a visa appointment at a German embassy depends largely on your country of origin. In many countries, appointments are made through the official system of German diplomatic missions abroad, known as RK-Visa . Applicants can book an appointment directly online . In other countries, however, registration on a waiting list is required first—sometimes with waiting times of several years. You can find out whether your German embassy participates in the RK-Visa system directly on the official RK-Visa website. If your embassy is not listed, appointments are made through alternative procedures, usually through waiting lists.

3.2 Rejection of documents

A common mistake at some German diplomatic missions abroad is the rejection of visa applications due to incomplete documents . However, one thing is clear: the embassy may not reject your application simply because documents are missing (Section 24 (3) of the Administrative Procedure Act) . Every application must be received and registered - even if documents still have to be submitted. This is not only a legal requirement, but is also of great importance for the smooth running of the procedure. After all, once your documents are handed over, the visa application is officially considered to have been submitted , and the statutory processing period of three months begins from this point on (Section 75 of the Administrative Procedure Act). If the authority does not decide within this period, you have the right to file an action for failure to act. In our detailed guide to actions for failure to act, we explain how this works and which requirements must be met.

4. External service providers

In certain cases, booking and scheduling visa appointments are not done directly with the embassy, but through external service providers such as VFS Global. These companies handle visa applications and appointments on behalf of the embassies. As so-called administrative assistants, they are subject to the same legal requirements as the diplomatic missions themselves.

There are, among others, the following external service providers in visa procedures:

• VFS Global

• TLSContact

• VisaMetric

If your rights have been violated by one of the external service providers, you have the rights described above vis-à-vis the Embassy.