Germany tourist visa
To visit Germany, an Indian passport holder needs a Schengen short-stay visa — the Type C, or uniform, visa. It buys you up to 90 days within any 180-day period, and it isn't limited to Germany: the same sticker opens the entire Schengen area. You apply through a German mission when Germany is where you'll spend the most days. If your trip splits evenly across several Schengen countries, you apply through your first point of entry.
Here's the part that trips people up. You submit at a VFS Global centre in India — any centre, in any city — because Germany routes every Schengen application in the country to one place: the Consulate General Mumbai, which takes the decision. You complete the form online through the VIDEX portal, give your biometrics at the centre, and Mumbai does the rest. We read your profile, build the file to the official checklist, and handle the submission.
Who this visa is for
- ✓Indian passport holders travelling to Germany for tourism, sightseeing, a holiday or visiting friends for up to 90 days.
- ✓Germany must be your main destination (the country where you spend the most days); if time is split equally across Schengen states, you apply through your first country of entry.
- ✓Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen area, with at least two blank pages.
- ✓Proof of sufficient funds for the trip, confirmed accommodation and return travel, and travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000.
- ✓Genuine intention to return before the visa expires; ties to India such as employment, business or family help demonstrate this.
Visa options for Germany
Schengen short-stay visa (Type C)
Single- or multiple-entry visa for tourism and visits, allowing up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
Multiple-entry visa (Schengen cascade)
Frequent travellers who have lawfully used earlier Schengen visas can be issued longer validity, up to two years, under the visa cascade.
National (D) long-stay visa
For stays over 90 days, such as study or family reunion — not a tourist visa, handled separately by the German missions.
Documents typically required
- ✓Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after your planned return, with at least two blank pages, plus a copy of the biometric data page.
- ✓Schengen application form completed online via VIDEX, printed with all barcode pages and signed, together with the signed declarations of true information and valid insurance.
- ✓One recent biometric photograph (35x45mm, white background, not older than six months).
- ✓Personal cover letter stating your itinerary, mode of transport and purpose of visit.
- ✓Flight tickets and a day-by-day travel itinerary.
- ✓Proof of accommodation for the whole stay (hotel bookings, or a host's invitation with the host's ID and residence proof).
- ✓Travel medical insurance covering all Schengen states for the entire trip, with minimum cover of EUR 30,000, from an insurer approved by the German missions in India.
- ✓Proof of funds: personal bank statements for the last three months (bank-stamped), plus income proof by category — salaried: three months' payslips, employment contract, leave letter and ITR/Form 16; self-employed: company registration with GST and ITR for the last two years; retired: pension statements; students: enrolment and no-objection certificate.
- ✓Visa fee: EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to under 12; free for children under 6 — paid in rupees at the mission's exchange rate and non-refundable even if the visa is refused.
- ✓All documents in German or English, with certified translations where required.
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
Book and submit at any VFS Global centre in India, wherever you live — every German Schengen decision for India is taken at the Consulate General Mumbai. Fingerprints given for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months can usually be reused. Apply no earlier than six months, and at least 15 calendar days, before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
I'm visiting other Schengen countries too — where do I apply?
Through Germany's mission when Germany is your main destination, meaning where you'll spend the most days. If the days split equally across several Schengen states, apply through the one you enter first. Either way, the German visa lets you travel the whole Schengen area.
How long does the Germany Schengen visa take?
About 15 days once your file reaches the Consulate General Mumbai, which decides every German Schengen application from India. Getting it from the VFS centre to the consulate can add up to six days, and in some cases Mumbai extends processing to 45 days. So apply early — the window opens six months before travel.
How long can I stay, and where can I go?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The visa works across all 29 Schengen countries, so you're free to roam beyond Germany within that limit. The exact validity and number of entries are always the consulate's call.
Do you guarantee the visa?
No — the decision rests solely with the German Consulate General Mumbai, and the official checklist states that submitting the documents does not guarantee a visa. What we do is give you a frank read on your profile and make your application as strong and complete as possible. Over the last 2-3 years, our applications have had a 97% success rate.