Germany Tourist Visa for Indians 2026: Documents, Fees, Appointments and Processing Time

Do Indians Need a Tourist Visa for Germany? (2026 Quick Answer)

Yes. The German missions in India state that anyone who wishes to stay in Germany for up to 90 days should apply for a Schengen visa, whether for a holiday or a family visit.

Key points as of September 2026:

• Visa type: Schengen short-stay visa, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Where to apply: any VFS Global centre in India, regardless of where you live; the German Consulate General in Mumbai decides.
• Fee: EUR 90 for adults, charged as INR 10,100 as of September 2026 (we recommend confirming with the embassy), plus a separate VFS service charge.
• Decision: within 15 calendar days of lodging as a rule, extendable to 45 in individual cases.
• When to apply: up to six months ahead, ideally at least three weeks before travel.

In June 2026 the German missions acknowledged long waiting times for Schengen appointments, so we recommend booking as early as the six-month window allows.

The Germany Schengen Tourist Visa Explained

For Indian passport holders, the German tourist visa is a Schengen short-stay visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Visits to relatives or friends use the same visa, with extra documents from the host.

When Germany is the right country to apply to

The Schengen country responsible for the application is the sole destination of the trip or, on a multi-country trip, the main destination in terms of length or purpose of stay. Indian travellers apply to Germany when it is that sole or main destination or, if no main destination can be determined, when they intend to enter the Schengen area first through Germany.

Example: nine nights in Germany and five in Austria make Germany the main destination by length of stay; with the nights reversed, the application goes to Austria.

Two-year visas for repeat travellers

German missions in India issue a two-year Schengen visa, category C2, to Indian nationals who have lawfully used two Schengen visas within the past three years.

Documents Checklist for Indian Tourists

The German missions in India publish a checklist for tourism applications. Its core items as of September 2026:

• Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least three months after your scheduled return.
• Personal covering letter, with proof of your intended means of transport and itinerary.
• Overseas travel medical insurance valid for all Schengen countries for the entire trip, with minimum medical cover of EUR 30,000.
• Your own bank statements for the last three months, stamped by the bank.
• Indian income tax return (ITR) acknowledgments for the last two assessment years, or Form 16.

For the application form and photo specifications, we recommend following the current official checklist.

Travel medical insurance

German missions accept Indian travel medical insurance only from approved Indian travel insurance companies. We recommend confirming your insurer's approval on the German missions' website before paying, and matching the policy dates to the trip in your application.

How much money to show

We did not find a fixed minimum amount per day on the German missions' pages. The checklist relies on evidence instead: three months of stamped statements plus ITR or Form 16. We recommend statements that cover the full period and match the income in your tax documents.

Covering letter

We recommend a short letter stating the purpose, dates, cities, who pays and your plans to return to India, with every date matching your bookings and insurance.

How to Apply - VFS Global Germany, Appointments and Biometrics

A typical sequence as of September 2026:

• Destination: Germany is the sole or main destination.
• Appointment: booked at a VFS Global centre, with the service charge prepaid at booking.
• File: prepared from the current checklist.
• Submission: application and passport handed in at the appointment.
• Decision: by the German Consulate General in Mumbai.

Centres and jurisdiction

Appointments can be booked and Schengen applications submitted at any VFS Global centre in India, regardless of your place of residence. Applications are then forwarded to the German Consulate General in Mumbai for a decision. We recommend checking the current list of centres on the official VFS Global Germany India website.

Appointment category

The priority "urgent business" category is reserved for business travellers. The German missions do not accept tourism or visit applications under it, so it is not an option for a holiday or family visit.

Biometrics

As of September 2026 we could not confirm on an accessible official page how long earlier fingerprints can be reused at VFS Germany India, or which applicants are exempt from biometrics. We recommend checking both on the official VFS Global Germany India website before your visit.

Visarun is a visa agency, not a German authority. We help with preparing the Schengen file and with the VFS appointment step; the visa decision rests with the consulate, and no agency can promise approval.

Germany Visa Fees for Indians

As of September 2026, the fee table of the German missions in India, dated 27 August 2026, lists these Schengen visa fees:

• Adults: EUR 90, charged as INR 10,100
• Children aged 6 to 12: EUR 45, charged as INR 5,100
• Children under 6: no fee

The missions mark the INR amounts as subject to change without prior notice, so we recommend checking the embassy's fee page shortly before your appointment.

VFS Global service charge

A separate VFS Global service charge applies on top of the visa fee. For Schengen applications, the German Consulate General in Mumbai requires it to be prepaid when you book the appointment. No official amount could be confirmed as of September 2026, so we do not quote one; VFS shows the current charge at booking.

Refunds and other costs

The visa fee is not refundable, even if the visa is rejected. Refunds the German missions describe include an application returned unprocessed because the planned travel date falls within 15 calendar days after it reached the visa section, and one returned because Germany is not the Schengen country responsible for it.

Other costs: travel insurance and, for a sponsored family visit, the EUR 29 fee in Germany for a Verpflichtungserklärung.

Processing Time and Appointment Waits

Under the rules cited by the German missions in India, a Schengen visa application is decided within 15 calendar days of lodging. In individual cases that need closer examination or additional documents, the period can be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days.

In practice, the missions say processing takes on average 15 days after the application reaches the Consulate. Transit days between the VFS centre and the Consulate are not counted, and they advise planning at least three extra days for logistics. We recommend allowing roughly three weeks after your VFS appointment.

When to apply

Applications can be submitted up to six months before the trip, and the German missions recommend applying at least three weeks before travel. If the travel date is within 15 calendar days after the application reaches the visa section, the missions return the passport and the unprocessed application with a refund of fees.

Appointment waits in 2026

In June 2026 the German missions in India acknowledged long waiting times for Schengen appointments. We have not found official waiting times in days or weeks.

If no appointment can be booked before the trip, the missions say all available slots are fully booked and you might need to reschedule your travel. Special appointments are generally limited to compelling and unplanned medical and humanitarian reasons.

As of September 2026 we have not seen an official notice of a VFS waiting list for Schengen tourist or visit appointments, so booking early within the six-month window remains the practical answer.

Visiting Friends or Family - Invitation and Formal Obligation Letter

Family and friends visits need extra paperwork from the host in Germany.

Invitation letter

The German missions' checklist for visiting family and friends asks for an original signed invitation letter from the family member or friend in Germany. It covers the host's address and contact details, the intended period and duration of your stay, and evidence of the host's legal residence.

Is the Verpflichtungserklärung mandatory?

Not on the India checklist, which lists the sponsor's Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation letter) as a document to submit "if provided".

Germany's Federal Foreign Office adds that in most cases, especially when the invited person cannot finance the stay from their own funds, an invitation means this formal obligation letter. In practice there are two routes:

• You pay: your own stamped bank statements and ITR or Form 16 cover the finances, and the letter is optional.
• Your host pays: the Verpflichtungserklärung is the standard route for a host in Germany covering a visitor who cannot finance the stay.

How the host arranges it

By signing, the host undertakes to cover all costs arising from your stay in Germany, including possible medical treatment and repatriation to India. The declaration is accepted by the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde) at the host's place of residence, which checks the host's creditworthiness and certifies the signature. The fee in Germany is EUR 29.

The Federal Foreign Office describes the original, issued on a forgery-proof form, being presented to the German mission that examines the visa application.

As a rule, no more than six months should pass between signing and the visa being issued; after that, a new declaration is usually required. We recommend that the host signs once your appointment date is known.

Common Refusal Reasons

The German missions in India say that, based on their experience, most rejections are the result of incomplete or unverifiable documentation. Germany's Federal Foreign Office lists four core requirements for a Schengen visa: travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover, described above, and the three below. We recommend checking your file against each:

• A plausible and comprehensible purpose of travel: the covering letter, itinerary and transport proof describe the same trip.
• Financing of living and travel costs from your own assets or income: complete, stamped statements and ITR or Form 16, or a host's Verpflichtungserklärung for a sponsored visit.
• Willingness to leave the Schengen area before the visa expires: return plans that are clear from your letter and bookings.

Non-issuance statistics for 2025

According to European Commission visa statistics for 2025, German consulates in India received 153,179 applications for short-stay Schengen visas that year, issued 136,674 and did not issue 16,126, a non-issuance rate of about 10.5%. The Consulate General in Mumbai accounted for 130,562 of those applications.

These figures cover everyone who applied at German consulates in India, not only Indian nationals. Non-issuance includes refusals and other cases where no visa was issued, and an average does not predict an individual outcome.

After a refusal

There is no remonstration (objection) procedure: at German missions in India it has been abolished since 1 January 2024. The missions describe two routes: applying again at any time with additional information and documentation, or a lawsuit at the Administrative Court in Berlin (Verwaltungsgericht Berlin), filed within one month of receiving the refusal. Court fees are EUR 483 as of July 2025, according to the German missions in India, and the plaintiff pays them upfront regardless of the outcome.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

Entry/Exit System fully operational

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started operating on 12 October 2025 in 29 European countries, with a progressive roll-out over six months. It became fully operational on 10 April 2026: fingerprints and a facial image are collected on entry along with passport details, and travel documents are no longer stamped manually.

Airport transit visa lifted

Germany lifted the airport transit visa requirement for Indian citizens with effect from 3 June 2026, after publication in the Federal Law Gazette on 2 June 2026. It does not change the Schengen visa needed for a stay in Germany; we recommend confirming transit conditions with the German missions before booking a connection.

Remonstration abolished worldwide

Germany abolished the remonstration procedure for visa refusals worldwide from 1 July 2025. For applicants in India nothing changed, as the procedure had been abolished at German missions there since 1 January 2024.

FAQ

How much is the Germany tourist visa fee for Indians in 2026?

As of September 2026, EUR 90 (INR 10,100) for adults and EUR 45 (INR 5,100) for children aged 6 to 12; children under 6 pay nothing. A separate VFS service charge is prepaid at booking. INR amounts can change, so we recommend checking with the embassy first.

How long does a Germany Schengen visa take from India?

Under the rules cited by the German missions, 15 calendar days from lodging, extendable to 45 in individual cases. In practice processing averages 15 days once the file reaches the Consulate, plus at least three logistics days, so we recommend allowing roughly three weeks after the appointment.

How early can I apply?

Up to six months before the trip, and the German missions recommend at least three weeks before travel. Given the long appointment waits they acknowledge, we recommend booking as early as possible.

Can I apply at a VFS centre outside my city?

Yes. Appointments can be booked and applications submitted at any VFS Global centre in India, regardless of where you live. Applications are forwarded to the German Consulate General in Mumbai for a decision.

How much bank balance is needed for a Germany tourist visa?

We did not find a fixed daily amount on the German missions' pages. The checklist asks for three months of your own stamped bank statements plus ITR acknowledgments for two assessment years or Form 16.

What travel insurance is required?

Overseas travel medical insurance valid for all Schengen countries for the entire trip, with at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover. Indian policies are accepted only from approved Indian travel insurance companies.

Is a Verpflichtungserklärung mandatory for visiting family?

No, the India checklist lists it "if provided". It is the standard route when a host covers a visitor who cannot finance the stay, and the host arranges it at the local Ausländerbehörde for EUR 29.

Is the visa fee refunded if my visa is rejected?

No. The missions describe refunds only in specific cases, such as an application returned unprocessed because the travel date falls within 15 calendar days after it reached the visa section, or because Germany is not the responsible Schengen country.

Can I appeal a Germany visa refusal?

Remonstration is no longer available in India. The German missions describe a lawsuit at the Administrative Court in Berlin within one month of receiving the refusal, with court fees of EUR 483 as of July 2025, according to the German missions in India.

Should I apply to Germany if I am visiting several Schengen countries?

Yes, if Germany is the sole or main destination in terms of length or purpose of stay; if another Schengen country is the main destination, the application goes there. If no main destination can be determined, it goes to the country whose external border you intend to cross first to enter the Schengen area.