National visas are issued for long-term stays for a particular purpose. They are usually issued for 90 days. After entering Germany, visa holders must apply for a residence permit as a general rule. Longterm visas also allow people to stay in the Schengen area for visit or tourist purpose for up to 90 days every six-month period.

The visa section of the Consulate General in Hongkong is responsible for your application if your habitual residence is in Hongkong or Macao.
Applicants from other places (e.g. Shenzhen) need to apply at their competent visa section https://china.diplo.de/cn-zh.
They cannot apply in Hongkong.

If you are unsure, which visa you need to apply for, the Visa Navigator may be helpful for you.

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Korea (Republic) and the United States of America may apply for their residence permits with the local immigration office („Ausländerbehörde“) after arrival in Germany and without having obtained a visa prior to travelling to Germany. Citizens of Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino may apply for their residence permit after arrival in Germany, provided that they do not intend to take up employment. Otherwise a visa is needed.

Please choose the purpose of your long-term stay below to read all about the application procedure.

Please submit the documents listed below in according order in original and one copy each.

Originals will be returned after examination.

Copies can not be made by Consulate General staff. Please do not staple the documents.

(Überschriften müssen ggf. noch angepasst werden)

• Please make an appointment to submit your application.
  
  Online appointment booking System
• Important Information for visa applicants on data protection. (es fehlt noch: Data Protection als extra-Akkordeon, verlinken)

Important information

Please do not send the Visa Section any documents unless requested to do so, particularly not before you have applied for a visa. We are not able to store such documents and will not know to which application they belong. Please always bring the complete documentation with you to your appointment.

Submitting your application

In order to submit your application, please attend your appointment at the Consulate General in person. Please hand in your complete documentation and pay the fee. The Consulate General will ask you questions about your planned trip and take your photograph and fingerprints.

What happens during processing?

The Consulate General will review your application and make a decision on whether or not to grant you a visa. To this end, it will check whether your application meets the legal requirements. Depending on the purpose of your trip, German authorities need to be contacted and it can sometimes take up to three months till the Consulate can decide about your application. The Consulate General will contact you as soon as the decision on your application could be made. We hope you will understand that we are not able to answer any questions on the status of your application during this processing period. After that, enquiries are only answered if they are made by the applicant, his/her legal representative or another person authorised in writing by the applicant.

Return of your passport

As soon as the Consulate General has decided on your application, you will be informed to collect your passport on Mondays and Fridays between 8.30 AM and 9.00 AM and on Wednesdays between 3.30 PM and 4.00 PM. You can collect your passport in person or authorize another person with a written letter of authorization.

Sometimes a visa application may be rejected. The reasons will be stated in the letter notifying you that your application has been rejected. These reasons are explained in the FAQ. (FAQ global, neu verlinken)
You are welcome to submit a new application at any time with complete, informative and verifiable documentation.

Have a good trip! Information for visa holders

If all the information on your visa label is correct, you are free to travel. Please check the information on the label as soon as your passport is returned to you. You should let us know immediately if there are any mistakes so that we can issue you a new visa.
Your visa will state your full name and passport number and include your photo. It will also state the number of days you can stay and the period of validity, that is, the time by which you must have received your residence permit for Germany.
Therefore, please do not forget to register at the residents registration office shortly after you arrive in Germany and to make an appointment with the foreigners authority. Your entry visa will allow you to travel within the Schengen area.