Depending on your nationality, you may need a visa to enter and stay in Germany. An important step when planning your stay in Siegen is therefore to check whether you need a visa and to apply for it.
Important things to bear in mind:
" Your visa has a direct influence on the type of residence permit you can apply for.
" Depending on which country you are in, the visa application process can be quite lengthy and involve long waiting times.
" Make sure you have all your documents together in good time.
" Do not travel with a Schengen visa if you intend to stay longer than 90 days or have an employment contract in Germany!
" Make sure you check which health insurance cover
you will need.
Please note: The information provided here is by no means complete or legally binding.
The requirements may change depending on your home country and your personal situation. Please check the website of the responsible German diplomatic mission abroad
in your country to find out what is required.
" If you are a citizen of an EU member state or come from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, you do not need a visa or residence permit.
" If you come from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland or the USA, you do not need a visa, but must apply for a residence permit.
" If you are not from one of the above-mentioned countries, you will need a visa and a residence permit.
You can read the regulations for your country here (please note the footnotes).
As already mentioned, the Schengen visa is rather restrictive and not suitable for many researchers, as this type of visa is intended for tourist purposes, visits and business trips and cannot be converted or extended into a national visa.
The national visa is suitable if you either want to take up gainful employment in Germany, are coming for more than 90 days or are not here for tourist purposes. Once you have arrived and completed the initial administrative steps, you can apply for a residence permit with a national visa. Since the type of National Visa is directly linked to the type of residence permit that you will receive, please make sure that you apply for the most appropriate type of visa. Contact the Welcome Center for an initial assessment of which visa might be the most suitable.
If you already have a residence permit for the purpose of research in another EU member state and only want to come to Siegen for a maximum stay of 180 days, you can enter Germany visa-free via the REST procedure. Further information on the REST application can be found at the bottom of the page.
As a rule, you will need the following documents, among others:
" Valid passport
" Proof of the planned activity (e.g. letter of invitation, letter of support, confirmation or employment contract, grant notification)
" Proof of sufficient financial resources, if not covered by one of the above documents
" Proof of sufficient health insurance cover
" Information on accommodation in Germany
" Valid application form
Please make sure that you submit the visa application(s) for your family member(s) early enough, if possible together with your own application.
In order for certain documents to be accepted and recognized in Germany, you may need a certified translation into German and, depending on the country in which you live, a so-called apostille or legalization. We recommend that you get all your documents in order before you leave your home country. You can find more information here.
You can enter Germany visa-free via the REST procedure for short-term mobility (usually 180 days within 360 days, but max. 360 days), provided you have a valid residence permit for the purpose of research in another EU member state. To do so, you must submit an application to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) via the Welcome Center before entering Germany. (BAMF), which will be processed within a maximum of 30 days. The BAMF issues a certificate that allows visa-free residence for research mobility. In addition to the residence permit and passport, the application also requires a hosting agreement, proof of funding and proof of health insurance (usually the EHIC). Partners can also travel with you as part of this procedure. For further information, please contact the Welcome Center.
