3. How to apply and ONLINE APPOINTMENT
Online Appointment System - please read carefully BEFORE scheduling an appointment
All persons wishing to apply for a visa to visit Germany MUST book an appointment in advance through the electronic booking system, which has been introduced on 15 June 2010.
Please note that appointments shall be made for each applicant - one appointment. Hence, please enter each name for each visa-applicant in order to verify your booking.
Please select your category of Visa accordingly.
Once you have booked an appointment successfully, you will receive a confirmation e-mail within the next 24 hours.
Please note that no additional appointments can be arranged. However, please check the system regularly as appointments might be canceled in the course of the upcoming days.
Groups or families who want to apply for the same purpose of travel together can contact the Embassy by E-mail at
CONTACT
to ask for a group appointment. It is obligatory to mention all names, passport numbers and birth dates of each group or family member. Please be informed that appointments for groups cannot be obtained on short notice.
Appointments are available automatically 5-8 weeks in advance.
If the booking system has been misused, these applicants will be blocked automatically. Any further bookings will not be possible. This measure is in the interest of the majority of honest applicants.
It is urgently advised not to book appointments through agencies or any other third party, who offer their services against a certain fee.
You will be held responsible for any misuse in your name.
Appointments can only be booked for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; on Wednesday the visa section is closed for the public.
Applicants must not attend the Embassy without first making an appointment, as admission at the gate will not be possible otherwise. Only those will be allowed in whose full names and passport numbers appear on the list of booked appointments of the day.
Please try to apply as early as possible, as soon as you get to know about your trip to Germany. If necessary, you can cancel your appointment in the system or - however, only in exceptional cases and giving a reason - via e-mail directed to the Embassy.
3.1 In General
As a rule visa applications together with all necessary documents have to be submitted personally by the applicant.
Applicants who do not present a complete application with all the necessary documents will be rejected already at the entrance of the Embassy. They will have to book a new appointment to present their completed application.
Please thoroughly study the relevant information leaflets which are available on the Embassy's homepage (see 4. Country-specific visa information and information leaflets). Just before coming to the Embassy, consult the homepage again and make sure that nothing with regard to visa requirements and procedures has changed in the meantime.
Applicants who live at the coast can only apply for their Schengen visa (Kat. C) with our Honorary Consul in Mombasa if they are
- Frequent Travellers (applicants who have had at least two Schengen visa within the last 24 months and who have used them or applicants who have had one-year or multiple year visa and have used this within the last 24 months).
Please contact them before under tel. +254-(0)41-222-8781 or e-mail hk-diplo%27%de,mombasa for the exact procedure.
All other applicants have to apply in Nairobi through our online booking system.
All applicants for Schengen visa are requested to present a complete application form together with all the required documents (including one copy of each original). Applicants for national visa are requested to present two complete application forms together with all the required documents (including two copies of each original).
Applicants who are late or who present incomplete applications will NOT be admitted to the visa section. Incomplete applications or applications with incomplete accompanying documents cannot be processed.
Neither can any applications/papers/documents (e.g. invitations, insurance policies, Verpflichtungserklärungen, etc), which are sent directly to the Embassy, via mail, fax or e-mail, be considered. Consequently, please send all documents directly to the applicant so that he/she can present them together with all the necessary documents when applying for a visa.
A flight booking is not required in order to apply for a visa.
Do not book a flight before your visa has been issued!
- In order to prevent any misuse of the appointment system, it is only possible to book one appointment for each person. After three months have expired, new appointments can be booked. In case of no-shows, the Embassy reserves the right to block the relevant applicant for a period of six months.
- Please cancel your appointment immediately in case you cannot make it. Only then you will be enabled to book another appointment (subject to availability).
- The online booking via the Embassy's homepage is free of charge.
The next step is to choose the adequate visa category for your travel purpose, as otherwise your appointment booking wil be cancelled and thus your visa application cannot be considered. You can choose between:
- Schengen visa (short-term trips) e. g. for visiting purposes, business trips or trade fairs.
- Long-term visa for residential purposes e. g. family reunion, studying or employment.
3.2 Applicants on official duty ("note verbal holders" only)
Diplomatic passport holders in Kenya may lodge their applications also by special appointments. The same applies to persons being included in a "note verbale". These applicants should contact the Embassy by email to arrange a special appointment.
3.3 Holders of UN Laissez-passer Travel Documents
Holder of UN Laissez-passer Travel Documents, regardless of their nationality, on official duty only, do not need a visa to travel to Germany for a short-term visit of up to 90 days. Please be prepared to provide proof of your official mission as wll as your nationality (national passport) upon entering Germany. You are also expected to provide proof of travel insurance upon entering Germany.
Holders of UN Laisse-passer Travel Documents intending to enter Germany for a private visit must apply for a visa with their national passport. You are kindly advised to follow the general rules and requirements provided by the German Embassy in Nairobi.
3.4 Frequent Travellers (applicants who have had at least two Schengen visa within the last 24 months and who have used them or applicants who have had one-year or multiple year visa and have used this within the last 24 months)
These applicants *do not have to apply in person*. In special cases the Embassy however can still request that the applicant has to appear in person.
Applicants in this category can apply every Monday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. without special appointment.
To avoid unnecessary waiting time and due to the limited number of cases which can be accepted on Mondays, it is however recommended to book a normal appointment online.
Please make sure you apply with the complete application form as well as all the necessary documents.
Only those applications which are complete can be accepted. *Please note that the processing of a Schengen visa takes up to 15 working days.*
