How to Book Germany Visa Appointment in Nigeria
Germany is one of the choicest countries in the world to visit and it is a haven to tourists from all over the world. This should not be surprising as the country is blessed with a rich history and one of the most prosperous economies in the world. Being the largest country in terms of land mass in the whole of Europe it is home to several great inventions and technological advancements.
Nigeria has an estimated population of over 198 million people, majority of whom are youth. On a daily basis Nigerians seek for better ways to survive and get a more prosperous life. To most people the idea of getting a better life is migrating to other countries. Nigerians can be found in almost every country on earth. On a lighter note someone said, any country where you cannot find Nigerians is probably not suitable for human survival. This is because Nigerians are very resilient people who can adapt to almost any clime.
Asides Africa the continent with the highest population of Nigerians is Europe. Nigerians are spread across every country in Europe searching for greener pastures. One of such countries is Germany, located in the Western part of Europe. On a yearly basis Nigerians are known to constantly seek visas to travel to Germany for one reason or the other.
Read: How to Apply for the Germany Visa in Nigeria
By way of definition, a visa is a stamp on an individual’s international passport showing that he/she has been granted approval to visit a foreign country by the country’s Consulate or Embassy. This simply means you cannot visit a foreign country without this approval else you will end up getting arrested and deported. As you know deportation seals an individual to the fate of never visiting a country again, save for some exceptional cases. There are however some countries which do not require you to possess a visa on arrival.
Germany is not one of such countries. Being a first world country, Germany is very strict regarding visa applications. There are specific processes that must be followed, regulations to be kept and fees to be paid. If any of these is flaunted there is a chance the visa application is declined or not even attended to at all.
For an individual to visit Germany it means he/she must have applied for one of the below stated classes of visas issued by the Consulate General’s office in Nigeria:
- Short term visa. This visa is issued to an individual when such has applied for stay for a period less than 90 days in 6 months. This period can also be calculated as 3 months at a stretch. This visa can be extended after this specified period. When it is being extended it is converted to a Schengen visa. A Schengen visa is one issued by countries who are members of the European Union and have signed the Schengen agreement. Some of the countries that have signed this agreement and issue the Schengen visa include Italy, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, etc. This visa gives the applicant up to 6 months further stay in Germany.
- Long term visa. This visa is issued to an individual who is planning to stay in Germany for a period longer than 6 months. They are not usually just issued to any individual, certain conditions and processes must have been satisfied first.
Now that you know the different kinds of visas that can be issued by the Consulate General’s office of the Republic of Germany, let us take a look at the reasons why people travel.
Reasons why people travel to Germany
When you try to consider reasons why people travel to other countries, especially Nigerians, it is because they feel they can get better than what is obtainable in their home lands. If you were to take a poll of people at the German High Commission asking them their reasons, you will discover that their reasons differ almost as much as the individuals themselves. However all of these reasons can be broadly grouped under the following reasons:
- Study purposes.
- Research, sabbaticals and conferences.
- Health care
- Family visits and reunions.
- Work
- AU Pair/Voluntary work
- Tourism
You should note at this point that each of these reasons have a type of visa attached, for example the visa issued for study purposes is known as student visa, and so on.
Booking a visa appointment
As stated earlier every individual planning to visit a foreign country is required to apply for a visa. This process will determine whether the applicant will be granted permission into the country or not. Germany requires that every individual that is planning to visit the country applies in person at the Consulate General’s office. The challenge however is that no individual is granted access into the premises if there is no prior appointment.
The appointment fixed for a visa interview is known as the visa appointment. This section of this article will give a simple guide on how you can book a visa appointment with the Office of the Consular General of Germany in Nigeria.
First thing to know is that presently everyone planning to visit Germany has to submit applications through the Consulate in Lagos. This was only changed recently as you could apply through the office in Abuja before if you were resident anywhere in Northern Nigeria. Only special cases can be treated at the Abuja office now. So when booking your visa appointment ensure you plan for a trip to Lagos alongside.
To book an appointment to submit a visa application at the Consulate’s office you must be sure that Germany is your main destination for the trip that is being planned.
Once you are certain of Germany as your destination you are required to download the visa application form from the website.
This form is to be filled carefully. Ensure that the correct particulars are submitted to avoid the application being rejected. You must be able to state in clear terms why exactly you want to visit Germany. Be as transparent as possible and ensure to get a print out of the form once you are done filling. Also ensure you append your signature after filling the form. Note that once the form is submitted no information on it can be changed.
- You are required to enter you name on the application form the same way it is on your international passport.
- There are certain documents that will be requested as you make your application online. Ensure they are all scanned and ready to be attached. Below is a list of the likely documents to be submitted:
- A copy of the data page of your international passport. This passport must have at least 6 months of validity left and unused visa pages.
- A minimum of two passport sized photographs. Check to ensure that the photographs are taken to suit the Embassy’s specifications.
- Submit a statement of travel health insurance cover from a reliable insurance country in Nigeria. The insurance cover must be a minimum of 30,000 euros.
- You must present proof of paid accommodation in Germany for the period of your stay. If you are traveling via invitation from family or a friend such a fellow must provide their international passports as well as identification card. They must also be able to stand surety that they will handle your feeding and accommodation needs within the country throughout the period of your stay.
- You are required to provide your travel documents showing payment for to and fro journeys, flight dates and tickets.
- You must also provide an original copy of your bank statement for the last three months preceding the visa application. This statement must carry the bank stamp and must be signed by a representative of the bank.
- As an employee of a company you must provide a letter of introduction from your employers. You should also provide a letter showing that you have been granted permission to go on leave and the duration of such leave. You are also required to present your payment slips for the three months preceding the application date.
- An under aged child traveling to Germany must present a letter of consent is signed by either parents or guardians. Either parents or guardians must also provide the data pages of their international passports.
- Visitation to a spouse or family member requires that you submit a letter of invitation by such an individual. You must also present a legal document to prove your relationship to the said individual. Usually this document could be a marriage or birth certificate.
- If a study visa is being applied for then the student must provide a letter showing that he/she has been offered provisional admission by the said institution in Germany. He/she must also show a scholarship letter or bank statements to show they are capable of handling the tuition fees and other costs that will be incurred during stay in Germany.
- If invited by an organization the individual must present a letter of invitation showing the organization will be responsible for the individual’s needs throughout stay in Germany.
- A tourist must present a document to prove that he/she is able to cater for his/her needs throughout stay in Germany.
- Ensure that you make photocopies of all the documents that you submit, you will need them during your interview at the Consulate’s office.
- Once you have checked your form and it is properly filled and you have attached all the necessary documents, you can submit.
- Upon submission you will be required to choose a day for your visa appointment.13A few tips in fixing your visa appointment
Some people might feel fixing the visa appointment is just choosing a date when you can visit the Consulate General’s office. It requires a lot of tact however, here are a few useful tips.
- Make sure you pick a date and time you know you can make it to the visa office on time. There is a specific number of people that can be attended to daily, if you miss your turn you might have to wait for a long time to get it back.
- Ensure the date picked for the interview is not too close to when you want to travel. The German Embassy will also not accept visa appointments which are more than 90 days before the stipulated travel date. You must find a balance.
- During the German Summer there is a peak of applications. This means so many applications are either declined or left unattended. I suggest you choose another period to travel or book ahead to avoid unnecessary delays.
- On the date of your visa interview ensure that you have all the photocopies and originals of the submitted documents as well as your visa fees or a receipt from the bank to show you have made payment.
- Be on time for your interview.
Waivers for visa interviews
Though everyone planning to travel to Germany is required to fix a visa appointment, not everyone has to go through a visa interview. Below is a list of individuals who have access to interview waiver by the German Embassy:
- People who have made a trip to any of the Schengen countries at least thrice in the 24 months preceding the visa application.
- People who have visited Germany with a one-year multiple visa granted by the Consular General.
- People who have submitted a visa application at least once since 14.03.2013 to the Consular General.
They do not need to visit the Embassy to tender their application in person. All they need to do is mandate a third party with a letter of authorization as their representative.
I believe this article has been helpful to you. Good luck!!!
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