General Information

Visa applications for Schengen for airport transit can be submitted at the earliest 6 months before and at the latest 15 calendar days before traveling.
To withdraw your application, please submit a signed withdrawal letter.

Please ensure that your application documents are complete! Incomplete applications can cause delays or may result in rejection of the visa application.

This checklist is regularly updated but makes no claim to be complete.
Further documentation can at all times be requested or provided by the applicant, in support of the application.

All kinds of student visa have to be applied for at German Visa Application Centre - VFS Global. For more information see below- “book an appointment”.

Transit Visa in certain cases

Transit privilege:

Most travellers – including those who would need a visa to enter the Schengen states- enjoy a so-called transit privilege. If you arrive from a Non-Schengen country,  your onward destination lies outside of the Schengen countries and you do not leave the international transit area of a German airport you are not required to have a transit visa.

Transit and entry:

If your transit requires entry into Germany (e.g. when changing terminal, if your route leads you through two consecutive airports within the Schengen area, if your destination lies within the Schengen area or you are transiting through an airport that is not among the below listed 6 airports with transit areas) you need to have a Schengen Visa. Please ask the airline or the travel agency for a detailed travel itenerary and check if there will be a terminal change.

Airport transit visa required:

For citizens of the following countries the transit privilege does not apply. They generally do need an airport transit visa when travelling through a German airport:

*specific exemptions apply

Exemptions:

Citizens of the above mentioned countries do not need an airport transit visa if they hold/are:

• a visa or residence permit of a Schengen member state
• a residence permit of Ireland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Canada, Japan or United States of America
• a visa of a country of the European Economic Council (all EU member states  and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) as well as Canada, Japan or United States of America
• family members of a privileged EU citizen (Spouses, children, grandchildren under 21 years, parents and grandparents only if generally sponsored by the privileged EU citizen)
• holders of diplomatic passports
• airline crew members

Only the six below mentioned airports have an international transit area allowing transit without formally entering the Schengen area:

• Frankfurt/Main
• Munich
• Hamburg (4.30 am until 11.30 pm)
• Düsseldorf (6 am until 9 pm)
• Köln-Bonn (4.30 am until 11 pm)
  
• Berlin

Prepare your application

• 1 original duly completed and signed visa application form

The following documents need to be presented in original and 1 copy:

• passport (at least 2 free pages, not older than 10 years)
  • you may provide copies of previous Schengen visa
• for non-Singaporeans: proof of legal residence in Singapore (e.g. EP;DP; Student Pass), incl. printout of your current Singaporean residence permit validity (no QR-Code)
• 1 recent passport photographs (not older than 3 months) according to biometric specifications (see sample photos below)

• Original letter from employer: confirming employment, duration of recruitment, status, income and upcoming confirmed leave or Business trip

  • self-employed, provide current printout of BiZ-File issued by ACRA.

  • student: University letter, signed with blue ink.

  • dependant spouse with no income: letter by your spouse's employer confirming the employment, beginning of employment and monthly salary and marriage certificate (original with one copy) as well as copy of your spouses passport (+ Singapore residence Permit)
    

• intended flight itinerary (NO booked ticket is needed)
  

• If applicable, copy of visa for the country of destination
  

• for minors (below 18 years):

  • birth certificate, school letter and marriage certificate of parents (originals with one copy) as well as passport copy of parents. Both parents have to sign the application form personally
    

• fee for the processing of the visa application is the equivalent of EURO 80.00 (for children EUR 40.00) to be paid in SGD. Additionally, VFS charges a service fee of EUR 34.13 in SGD as well.

Information on the visa process

Please do not send unrequested documents to the Visa Department, especially not before applying for the visa, as those cannot be kept. Please submit all documents when applying in person at VFS.
Foreign documents issued in other languages than English or German have to be submitted with an official Translation.
The processing of the visa application is usually 10 days, upon submission of complete documents, sometimes longer.
You will be contacted by VFS as soon as the Embassy as decided on your applicaion. Please note that questions regarding the status of your visa application cannot be answered.
It is recommended that at no time a flight ticket should be purchased until a visa has been granted.

Book your Appointment

To submit your application, please book an appointment and appear in person at the visa application center of the Embassy - VFS:

There your complete application documents including the visa fee will be accepted and biometric data registered.

The appointment needs to be booked through the website of VFS.