Germany Consulate General in Miami – Absolute Visa Guide

Introduction

Millions of people throng Germany every year to explore its rich cultural history, alluring natural sites or to find a job or business in its highly advanced tech-oriented economy. Like residents of many others, considerable numbers of US residents also visit Germany for the aforesaid reasons. Germany and the USA enjoy very close ties and therefore, former has extended visa-free entry for permanent citizens of the latter for a stay of up to 90 days. However, if you are in possession of legal alien US registration card and you want to spend over 90 days in Germany, then you have to apply for Germany Residence Permit at Germany Consulate General Miami.

Likewise, if you reside in the mighty USA but are not a permanent citizen, then you will apply for the visa at Germany Consulate General Miami as it does not make difference whether you want to stay for up to 90 days or more.

Germany at a glance

Blessed with immense cultural history, captivating natural scenery full of mountains and forests, highly-advanced metropolitan areas with artistic buildings, Germany has successfully retained the title of one of the top tourist destination not only in Europe but also in the world.

Germany has been enjoying the highest trade surplus in Europe—second only to China in the world—due to its highly-skilled labor; a product of state-of-the-art educational set up.

In 2018 only, 35.6 million people entered Germany for a myriad number of reasons.

What is the Schengen Agreement?

Germany is the pioneer of the Schengen Agreement, an accord under which as many as 26 states of Europe have abolished their borders at the expense of a single border thus allowing their citizens to travel visa-free in those countries which are signatories to the Schengen Agreement.

The signatories of the Schengen Agreement are:

The Czech Republic, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, France, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Norway, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Sweden.

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

Joie de vivre as being ownership of a valid US alien registration card allows you to enter Germany without taking the headache of the chaotic and lengthy visa process. But this exemption holds validity only in case you want to stay in the Western European country for up to 90 days.

As discussed in the introductory lines, you will apply for the visa at Germany Consulate General Miami in the following contexts:

• You’re a permanent citizen but want to stay over a period of 90 days
• You reside in the USA but does not have a valid alien US registration card

When to apply for a German Schengen Visa?

You will apply for Germany Schengen Visa in the below-mentioned contexts:

• Your host country of Schengen Area is only Germany
• You will spend the major portion of your stay in the Schengen Area in Germany
• You will arrive in Germany in the first phase of your tour to the Schengen Area

When to apply for a Germany Residency Permit

The answer to this question has been explained in the above paragraphs time and again but we will rewrite it once again so that any ambiguity in your mind must perish once and for all.

The only scenario in which you apply for Germany Residence Permit at German Consulate General Miami is that you want to stay over a period of three months or 90 days in a country; whatever the purpose may be.

Jurisdiction of Germany Consulate General Miami

The Germany Consulate General Miami covers the following states:

Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Process of Securing Germany Visa from Germany Consulate General Miami

We have abridged the Germany visa application process for you in the following paragraphs. All that is required from you is to read the informatory article carefully and then follow it in its true letter and spirit.

Step One: Visit Germany Consulate General Miami Website

In the outset of your visa application process for Germany, you will visit the official website of Germany Consulate General Miami to acquire the necessary information. Once this has been done, you will move to the next step of filling the online application form.

Step Two: Complete Online Application Form

Germany Consulate General Miami has extended the facility for visa applicants to fill the application form online. Make sure that you complete this process in one sitting as a server will remove all the information automatically if there is no relevant activity on your system for ten minutes. After filling it, you will print a hard copy of the visa application form and will send it to the Germany Consulate General Miami.

Step Three: Make an Appointment Online

After you’re done with the two aforesaid steps, book an appointment with the staffers of the Germany Consulate General Miami. It is pertinent here to mention that all Germany Missions require that the itinerant has to schedule an appointment via the official website of Germany Consulate General Miami.

You will click on “Schedule an appointment” for proceeding to the next step.

A new window will be opened. You will click on “Miami” icon as your state falls under German Consulate General Miami.

As you will click on “Miami” icon, the server will redirect you to the online appointment system of German Consulate General Miami. Please make sure to book your appointment in the correct category. Bookings in the wrong category will automatically be deleted.

The itinerant will select the category that he/she belongs to. Then the online booking system will generate a code that you are required to type in the box.

As soon as you will type the code, the server will open a new window illustrating the available appointment dates. Pick up the date of your convenience and proceed to the next step of preparing the supporting documents.

Step Four: Prepare Documents

After securing the appointment, you must initiate the process of preparing all the supporting document with immediate effect.

Valid Passport: Please note the following important regulations concerning travel documents/passports:

• Its validity has to extend the duration on the visa you are applying for by at least 3 months
• It has to contain at least two blank pages
• It must have been issued within the previous 10 years. If it has been issued before that, your passport cannot be accepted. That even applies in cases where the validity has been extended by the authorities of your home country.

If your passport does not meet all of these requirements, you will need to get a new passport before applying for a visa. It is also pertinent here to mention that the applicant’s 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.

Flight Itinerary for visa application: If you are applying for Germany Schengen Visa at Germany Consulate General Miami, then we would recommend you to buy a roundtrip flight itinerary (also known as roundtrip flight reservation) as it will illustrate dates of your arrival in a departure from the country. Furthermore, a roundtrip flight itinerary or roundtrip flight reservation gives satisfaction to the visa officer that the itinerant has no intention whatsoever to stay in Germany illegally and will leave for the home destination as soon as his aim of visiting Germany is achieved.

However, if you are applying for Germany Residence Permit, we recommend you to buy a one-way flight itinerary and attach it with your visa application.

Travel Health Insurance: Avail a travel health insurance that should offer a minimum coverage of $50,000 or 30,000 EUR. Attach it with your visa application. The insurance document includes:

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

Hotel Booking or Proof of Accommodation: Buy a hotel booking or proof of accommodation that explains that you’ve made arrangements in advance for accommodation in Germany. Attach it with your visa application as it is a mandatory document.

Bank statement/Proof of financially means: Visa officers want itinerant to not become a financial liability on their country and for doing so, they ask the applicant to submit a bank statement of past six months.

Cover Letter: The itinerant sums up his aim of applying for a German Visa in the cover letter.

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: As we said earlier, visa officers ensure that the itinerant does not become a liability for their country. So, if the applicant fails in producing the bank statement for any reason whatsoever, you will ask your friend or relative—who is a permanent citizen of Germany—to submit an affidavit of support on your behalf stating that he/she is ready to bear expenditures of your trip.

Means of subsistence: Almost all of the Schengen states have set a minimum financial amount that the applicant should possess during a stay in the host nation.

As per rules set by the European Commission, the candidate is required to attest to the German Embassy or Consulate that s/he possesses daily liquid money equivalent to 45 EUR.

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.

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 Five: Submit File

After preparing the visa application file, submit it at the Germany Consulate General Miami. Make sure that you’ve attached all the mandatory documents otherwise visa officer will reject your application without any second thought.

Step Six: Appear for Interview

The visa officer of the Germany Consulate General Miami will notify the date to you for appearing for the interview (if required).

Make sure that you reach the Germany Consulate General Miami at the same time that the visa officer has notified in the email. Dress properly and remain confident throughout the duration of the interview. There is no need to panic if some additional questions are hurled.

Step Seven: Receive Your Visa

Once you are done with above mentioned six steps, receive your visa. Germany Consulate General Miami will take a maximum of up to 15 days to process the visa application (the time limit may prolong in exceptional cases).

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 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 Embassy in Washington DC:

These reasons include (but are not limited to):

• Invalid or missing signature
• Damaged or unauthentic passport
• Any supporting document in your visa application is missing
• Germany Consulate General Miami fails in establishing a clear reason for your travel

Address

Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, 100 N. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 2200, Miami, FL, 33132-2381, USA.

Phone: +1 305 358 02 90

Fax: +1 305 358 03 07

E-Mail: info@miami.diplo.de