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Visa and Other Formalities

Visum

You will need a visa for entry to the Federal Republic of Germany 

You are exempt from this rule if you are

  • a citizen of the European Union 
  • a citizen of an EEA (European Economic Area) member state (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)
  • a dependant of an EU/EEA citizen and are not an EU/EEA citizen yourself (you must have a valid residence permit in your home country, however) 
  • a citizen of Switzerland
  • a citizen of Australia, Japan, Israel, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, or the USA. 

Further information can be found on the web pages of the Federal Foreign Office: 

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information, we are happy to help you with visa formalities! 

There are different categories of visas: 

If you want to stay longer than three months in Germany you will need a 

"National Visa":

You can get the national visa from German embassies and consulates in your home country.
As it can take up to three months, please make sure you contact the respective embassy/consulate in time and in person. 

You will need:

  • application form and biometric passport photograph
  • a valid passport
  • confirmation of your intended work at JLU Giessen (i.e., grant, invitation letter of JLU)
  • proof of sufficient financial resources (e.g., employment contract, scholarship acceptance letter)
  • sufficient health insurance 
  • statement about your envisaged accommodation   
  • for family members: certificate of marriage, birth certificate

Please ask the respective embassy whether you will need to hand in further documents. 
The national visa is usually issued for three months. For longer periods of stay you will have to apply for a residence permit at the local immigration authority in Giessen. 


Another type of visa is the 

Schengen Visa:

If you plan to stay longer than three months in Giessen you should in no case enter Germany with a Schengen visa. This type of visa cannot be prolonged and you will have to leave Germany after three months. 

It might be an alternative for shorter visits (under three months), however. You can also visit other Schengen states (Belgium, Danmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary) with this type of visa. It is mainly intended for tourists and short business trips. 

"Researcher's Visa" (permit of stay according to §18d, German Residence Act):

Justus Liebig University Giessen is a research facility recognized by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. You can therefore enter Germany with a researcher's visa if you 

  • hold a letter of acceptance of JLU stating that you are invited to conduct research at JLU
  • hold a letter of JLU stating that official costs will be covered
  • have sufficient health insurance
  • can proof sufficient financial resources (around € 1800/month, net income)

Please remember that you will have to change your visa to a residence permit if your period of stay in Giessen is longer than your visa allows.