Every year, Germany’s biggest and most popular cities attract millions of visitors from all over the world. Everyone from business travellers and cultural aficionados to shopaholics and party animals will find exactly what they’re looking for.
SPOKEN LANGUAGE
The main language is German, of course. However, you should be aware that there are many different regional accents and dialects, although High German is understood everywhere.
Many Germans also speak good English, so there should not be any language barriers for foreign visitors.
Visa REQUIREMENTS
EU citizens do not require a visa. Citizens of all other countries will generally need a visa, with the exception of some countries for which the European Community has abolished the visa requirement. Nationals of those countries do not require a visa for visits to Germany lasting no longer than three months in a six-month period.
Entry requirements
To enter Germany you need a passport that is valid for at least fourth months from your date of arrival. For citizens of EU countries a valid identity card is sufficient.
Here’s a list of countries that requires entry visas and those that do not:
| Country/ territorial community | Entry visa required no/yes (1) |
| Afghanistan | yes |
| Albania (5) | no |
| Algeria | yes |
| Andorra (4) | no |
| Angola | yes |
| Antigua and Barbuda | no |
| Argentina | no |
| Armenia | yes |
| Austria (2) | no |
| Australia (including the Cocos Islands, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island) (3) | no |
| Azerbaijan | yes |
| Bahamas | no |
| Bahrain | yes |
| Bangladesh | yes |
| Barbados | no |
| Belarus | yes |
| Belgium (2) | no |
| Belize | yes |
| Benin | yes |
| Bhutan | yes |
| Bolivia | yes |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina (5) | no |
| Botswana | yes |
| Brazil (4) | no |
| Brunei Darussalam | no |
| Bulgaria (2) | no |
| Burkina Faso | yes |
| Burundi | yes |
| Cambodia | yes |
| Cameroon | yes |
| Canada (3) | no |
| Cape Verde | yes |
| Central African Republic | yes |
| Chad | yes |
| Chile | no |
| China (People’s Republic) (6) | yes |
| Colombia | no |
| Comoros | yes |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) | yes |
| Congo (Republic of the Congo) | yes |
| Costa Rica | no |
| Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | yes |
| Croatia | no |
| Cuba | yes |
| Cyprus (2) | no |
| Czech Republic (2) | no |
| Denmark (2) | no |
| Djibouti | yes |
| Dominica | no |
| Dominican Republic | yes |
| Ecuador | yes |
| Egypt | yes |
| El Salvador (4) | no |
| Equatorial Guinea | yes |
| Eritrea | yes |
| Estonia (2) | no |
| Ethiopia | yes |
| Fiji | yes |
| Finland (2) | no |
| France (2)(including French Guyane, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, Réunion, St Pierre and Miquelon) | no |
| Gabon | yes |
| Gambia | yes |
| Georgia (5) | no |
| Ghana | yes |
| Greece (2) | no |
| Grenada | no |
| Guatemala | no |
| Guinea | yes |
| Guinea-Bissau | yes |
| Guyana | yes |
| Haiti | yes |
| Honduras (4) | no |
| Hong Kong (6) | see China (People’s Republic) |
| Hungary (2) | no |
| Iceland (3) | no |
| India | yes |
| Indonesia | yes |
| Iran | yes |
| Iraq | yes |
| Ireland (2) | no |
| Israel (3) | no |
| Italy (2) | no |
| Jamaica | yes |
| Japan (3) | no |
| Jordan | yes |
| Kazakhstan | yes |
| Kenya | yes |
| Kiribati | no |
| Korea (Republic of Korea, South Korea) (3) | no |
| Korea (Democratic People’s Republic, North Korea) | yes |
| Kosovo | yes |
| Kuwait | yes |
| Kyrgyzstan | yes |
| Laos | yes |
| Latvia (2) | no |
| Lebanon | yes |
| Lesotho | yes |
| Liberia | yes |
| Libya | yes |
| Liechtenstein (2) | no |
| Lithuania (2) | no |
| Luxembourg (2) | no |
| Macao (6) | no |
| Macedonia (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) (5) | no |
| Madagascar | yes |
| Malawi | yes |
| Malaysia | no |
| Maldives | yes |
| Mali | yes |
| Malta (2) | no |
| Marshall Islands | no |
| Mauritania | yes |
| Mauritius | no |
| Mexico | no |
| Micronesia | no |
| Moldova (5) | no |
| Monaco (4) | no |
| Mongolia | yes |
| Montenegro (5) | no |
| Morocco | yes |
| Mozambique | yes |
| Myanmar (Burma) | yes |
| Namibia | yes |
| Nauru | yes |
| Nepal | yes |
| Netherlands (2) | no |
| New Zealand (including the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau) (3) | no |
| Nicaragua | no |
| Niger | yes |
| Nigeria | yes |
| Norway (2) | no |
| Oman | yes |
| Pakistan | yes |
| Palau | no |
| Palestinian territories | yes |
| Panama | no |
| Papua New Guinea | yes |
| Paraguay | no |
| Peru | no |
| Philippines | yes |
| Poland (2) | no |
| Portugal (2) | no |
| Qatar | yes |
| Romania (2) | no |
| Russian Federation | yes |
| Rwanda | yes |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | no |
| Saint Lucia | no |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | no |
| Samoa | no |
| San Marino (4) | no |
| São Tomé and Principe | yes |
| Saudi Arabia | yes |
| Senegal | yes |
| Serbia (8) | no |
| Seychelles | no |
| Sierra Leone | yes |
| Singapore | no |
| Slovak Republic (2) | no |
| Slovenia (2) | no |
| Solomon Islands | no |
| Somalia | yes |
| South Africa | yes |
| South Sudan | yes |
| Spain (2) (including Spanish territories in North Africa with Ceuta and Melilla) | no |
| Sri Lanka | yes |
| Sudan | yes |
| Suriname | yes |
| Swaziland | yes |
| Sweden (2) | no |
| Switzerland (3) | no |
| Syria | yes |
| Taiwan (9) | no |
| Tajikistan | yes |
| Tanzania | yes |
| Thailand | yes |
| Timor-Leste (East Timor) | no |
| Togo | yes |
| Tonga | no |
| Trinidad and Tobago | no |
| Tunisia | yes |
| Turkey | yes |
| Turkmenistan | yes |
| Tuvalu | no |
| Uganda | yes |
| Ukraine (5) | no |
| United Arab Emirates | no |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2), (7) | no |
| United States of America (including Virgin Islands of the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico) (3) | no |
| Uruguay | no |
| Uzbekistan | yes |
| Vanuatu | no |
| Vatican City | no |
| Venezuela | no |
| Viet Nam | yes |
| Yemen | yes |
| Zambia | yes |
| Zimbabwe | yes |
| 1) Persons who do not require a visa to enter Germany (holders of passports from the countries marked “no” on the list) may not remain on German territory for more than 90 days in any six month period. Nor may they take up gainful employment whilst here. | |
| 2) Nationals of these states are not subject to the restrictions specified in footnote 1. | |
| 3) Residence permits (also for stays of more than 3 months) may be applied for after entering Germany without a visa. | |
| 4) Footnote 3 also applies provided gainful employment is not taken up. | |
| 5) The visa waiver applies only to holders of biometric passports. | |
| 6) The visa waiver applies to holders of SAR passports (Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region passports). | |
| 7) The visa waiver also applies to British Nationals (Overseas). | |
| 8) The visa waiver applies only to holders of biometric passports (excluding holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (in Serbian: Koordinaciona uprava) | |
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9) The exemption from the visa requirement applies only to holders of passports issued by Taiwan which include an identity card number. |
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