Germany Consulate General in Atlanta-Visa Guide for US Residents

Introduction

The possession of the legal Tourism passport exempts the citizen of the United States from the dreadful visa process. However, the exemption is valid only if the itinerant intends to stay for up to 90 days in Germany. The itinerant will apply for Germany Residence Permit in German Consulate General Atlanta if he/she wants to stay over a period of 90 days in the Western European state.

Germany at a glance

Economists call Germany “Engine of the Europe” owing to its mammoth economic power. Besides, Germany has the biggest population in not only in the Schengen Area but also in the whole of Europe. The economic power lands German passport on the third spot in the category of the most powerful passports in the world.

Its capital Berlin dates back to 13th century and is known for its art scene and modern landmarks like the gold-colored, swoop-roofed Berliner Philharmonie, built in 1963.

Schengen Area

A European region comprising 26 countries where free movement is ensured through a uniform border. All members of the Schengen Area have mutually abolished external borders at cost of a single uniform border.

The number of members is expected to rise in the future as many European states are eyeing full membership in the months to come.

What is Schengen Visa?

Schengen Visa permits its owner to travel in 26 members states of the Schengen Area without any legal restriction. The owner of the visa wouldn’t be subjected to any border checks within the domain of the internal borders.

Who can apply for a Germany Visa from within the US?

All individuals without a permanent nationality of the United States are bound to apply for a visa in the Germany Consulate General Atlanta. The valid residence status—of the individual applying for German Visa—should remain legal for at least 3 months after summing up the tour to the Schengen Area.

The itinerant has to renew a passport in case of expiry.

When to apply for a German Schengen Visa?

The itinerant will apply for Germany Visa in the following cases:

• The itinerant aims to enter Germany only
• The itinerant aims to spend most part of his stay in Germany (main destination)
• The itinerant wants to enter Germany first

When to apply for Germany Residency Permit?

The itinerant—whether he/she is a permanent citizen of the United States or not—will seek Germany Residency Permit if the aim is to stay for a duration exceeding 90-day period.

Jurisdiction of Germany Consulate General Atlanta

The Germany Consulate General Atlanta covers the following states:

Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Step One: Make an Online Appointment

In the outset, the itinerant will secure an appointment with the officials of the Germany Consulate General Atlanta. A formal request in this regard will be made by forwarding an electronic mail. The mail should contain the following information:

• Your name and surname,
• Name of the country which issued your passport,
• Passport number and expiry date,
• Type of visa/permit you are applying for (long-term visa, residence permit, employee card, etc.),
• Purpose of your stay (study, scientific research, employment, business, family reunification, etc.),
• Intended date of arrival to Germany,
• Preferred date for the appointment at the Embassy.

Step Two: Prepare Documents

Once the itinerant secures the appointment date, he/she should immediately start preparing the main and supporting documents for the visa application.

Application form: This piece of paper can be downloaded without any cost from the official website of Germany. Fill the form with full precision.

Germany Consulate General Atlanta has also extended the facility of filling the form online through electronic means. However, the itinerant will download it and will attach a hard copy of it.

The itinerant will also attach two passport size photos with the application form.

The validity of passport: The current passport of the itinerant should have a validity of at least 90 days beyond the legitimacy of the requested visa’s date.

The current passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and it must have a minimum of 2 blank visa pages in order to affix the visa.

Roundtrip Flight Itinerary for visa application: The document illustrating the intended flight path of the applicant is called Flight Itinerary for visa or Flight Reservation for a visa. The document contains itinerant’s intended departure and arrival dates, unique PNR and IATA codes.

Travel Visa Health Insurance: Visa officers want to make it certain that the itinerant is financially covered by an insurance company. They do so to make sure that itinerant’s financial expenditures will be covered by the company in case of any medical complication. The minimum limit of the insurance is 30,000 EUR or 50,000 USD.

Hotel Booking Reservation/Proof of accommodation: A proof of accommodation or hotel booking ensures that the visa applicant has taken advance measures to sort out his accommodation in the host nation.

It includes:

• A hotel/hostel booking; and
• A rental agreement; and
• A letter of invitation from a host at whose house you will be staying.

Bank statement/Proof of financially means: This document states that the itinerant possesses passable means to bear expenditures in Germany.

Cover Letter: Cover Letter is a document that condenses the applicant’s aim of making a tour to the host nation.

The itinerant details the following points in his Cover Letter:

The purpose of visiting the Schengen Area.

• Proof of civil status (marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, ration card if applicable).
• Explaining relation with a sponsor (if any) and the reasons for sponsorship. An overview of the applicant’s flight itinerary.
• In case the applicant fails to produce a document, then he tells the reasons and explains the alternative documents (that he/she might have submitted).

Affidavit of Support: The itinerant generates affidavit of support if he does not hold a bank account to his name or lacks financial means to bear the cost of his stay in the Schengen Area. In the aforesaid context, the friend or relative of the itinerant pens down affidavit of support for latter illustrating his willingness to bear the financial cost of itinerant’s stay in the host nation.

Means of subsistence: Subsistence is the action or fact of maintaining or supporting oneself, especially at a minimal level. In the visa application process, a means of subsistence is a supporting document which illustrates that the itinerant possesses adequate sources to sponsor himself during the entire course of stay in Germany.

Proof of paid visa fee: €60 for adults and €35 for children from 6 to 12 years old. These fees are not reimbursable in case visa application gets rejected.

If employed:

Employment contract; and

Current bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Leave permission from the employer; and

Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary.

If self-employed:

A copy of your business license; and

Company bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Income Tax Return (ITR).

For foreign students on F1 visas:

Valid I-20

Reference letter from the educational institution (school/college/university) stating that you are in good standing, your major and the expected date of graduation.

No-objection certificate from school or university.

If retired:

Pension statement of the latest 6 months.

If applicable:

Regular income generated by property proof of the latest 6 months.

*Note: The signed application form must be accompanied the rest of the above-mentioned mandatory documents and handed personally at the appropriate embassy/consulate or its representative in your home country.

Apart from the general documentation required, accompanying should be other additional documents depending on the nature of your visa application.

Recent nationwide criminal history check.

US work permit

Confirmation of participation in any type of event or activity

Self-addressed, pre-paid US express mail envelope (if applicable)

Documents proving the legal status in the US – original Alien Registration Card (Green Card), a Green card Stamp in your passport, an Advance Parole, or a valid US Visa must be provided along with a valid I-94 departure record. Students should also submit the original validated I-20, DS-2019 or IAP-66.

The US residence permit or visa should be valid at least 3 months beyond the intended departure from the Schengen member state territory.

Letter of continued employment including income statement. If you are self-employed a business license and tax return forms are required.

Step Three: Submit File

After efficaciously summing up the first two aforesaid steps, the itinerant is supposed to arrive at German Consulate General Atlanta for submitting the visa application file. Follow these simple points for submitting a visa application:

• Try to reach the Germany Consulate General Atlanta at the earliest possible official hours.
• Dress appropriately.
• Answer all the interview questions with confidence, calm and ease. If the interviewer wants to confirm any of the documents or details, he/she might field some extra questions before you.

Usually, the German Consulate General Atlanta would consume as many as 15 days to make a verdict on itinerant’s visa application. But the said period is not a fundamental law. If the visa officer finds ambiguity or feels something dubious in itinerant’s document, he may take some additional days to process the visa application.

German Consulate General Atlanta has made it mandatory for all aspirants to appear in person for the provision of compulsory biometric data—a digital picture and ten fingerprints—could be garnered. Itinerant’s biometric data remains intact for a duration of 59 months and could be extracted (if need be). This means that future applications during that period of time may be filed through correspondence, provided your data are of good quality and can be retrieved from the VIS.

Exemptions for the fingerprinting requirements are granted to:

• Children under the age of twelve;
• Persons for whom the collection of fingerprints is physically impossible;
• Heads of State and members of National Governments and their accompanying spouses, as well as the members of their official delegation when invited by Member States’ governments or by international organizations for an official purpose.

Step Four: Appear for Interview

If the staffers of Germany Consulate General Atlanta are content with the information provided by the itinerant, they will not call him/her for a formal interview. However, the itinerant has to appear for a formal interview if the staffers of the Germany Consulate General Atlanta are not satisfied. In that case, they will notify the itinerant via email.

Step Five: Receive Your Visa

The onus of completing the first four step is on the itinerant whereas the onus of processing itinerant’s visa application is on the staff of the Germany Consulate General Atlanta. As we’ve stated above, the Germany Consulate General Atlanta will usually take a maximum of 15 days to process the visa application. The applicant has the option to collect his passport and visa (in case the application is approved) via UPS or USPS in the envelope that the applicant has provided.

Possible Reasons for Visa Rejections

We at Flight Itinerary For Visa wish you all the best for your visa application but there are certain reasons upon which your visa application may get rejected by the Germany Consulate General Atlanta:

These reasons include (but are not limited to):

• The applicant forget to sign the application
• Invalid passport
• Damaged passport
• Invitation Letter is missing
• Sponsorship Letter is missing
• NOC is missing
• Germany Consulate General Atlanta fails in establishing a clear reason for your travel

Address

Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany

Marquis Two Tower – Suite 901,

285 Peachtree Center Avenue, N.E.,

Atlanta, GA 30303-1221, USA.

Phone: +1 404 659 47 60

Fax: +1 404 659 12 80