Do I Need A Visa For Germany From Australia

As someone who regularly travels for business, I know how important international travel can be for your career. It’s a chance to see some amazing locations as well as meet new people and even do a little networking. But is Germany on your list of city destinations? Or are you going there for work or vacation? While you’re getting excited about Germany, there’s one thing you’ll need to consider: You will need a visa for Germany from Australia if traveling from the country of Australia.

Globetrotting is a dream for many of us. When you are on the Internet trying to get information about things like flights, insurance and visas it can be tough to find what you want. You see a website about something that interests you, but when you click on it, it takes you to an entirely different page. The same thing happens again and again. After a while, you just give up. The worst part is that all this frustration could have been avoided if there had been a web directory for Germany sites or German sites.

Do I Need A Visa For Germany From Australia

Australian citizens / The German-Australian Agreement on the Exemption of Visa Requirements, dated 22.12.1952

Australian citizens do not need a visa for the Schengen area, which includes Germany, for an intended stay of up to 90 days in a 180 day period as long as

• their passports are valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended length of stay in the Schengen zone and
• they do not engage in any type of gainful employment

The German-Australian Agreement on the Exemption of Visa Requirements, dated 22.12.1952

Australian citizens are allowed to travel to Germany and to stay in Germany for up to 90 days without having to apply for a visa, as long as their passport is valid for the entire duration  of the stay and as long as they do not engage in any kind of employment in Germany.

According to this agreement the duration of one stay in Germany must not exceed 90 days but the number of entries to Germany is not limited. In order to re-enter Germany for another 90 days, visitors have to depart Germany for any other non-Schengen country and can come back even the same day. Since visitors need to be able to document the period of time they have been spending in Germany, we recommend to enter and to depart via a German airport in order to obtain an official entry and departure stamp in their passport.

Please be aware that this special regulation applies only for your stays in Germany. It will not authorise you to stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period in the other Schengen countries, unless they also have a similar bilateral Agreement. 

Holders of UN Travel Document / Titre de Voyage

Holders of UN Travel documents, issued by the Australian Government according to the UN Conventions for refugees (Convention of 28 July 1951) and stateless persons (Convention of 28 September 1954), mentioned on the front page, can enter Germany without a visa for an intended stay of up to 90 days, as long as at the time of entry into Germany their travel document is still valid for at least 4 months and they do not engage in any type of gainful employment. If you want to travel to other Schengen countries, please check with the respective embassy for entry requirements.

Holders of Document of Identity / Certificate of Identity

Holders of other Australian travel documents (Document of Identity or Certificate of Identity) need a visa according to the citizenship mentioned in the document. They have to apply at the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sydney. Please find information about the required documents in the following checklist:

Schengen visa – document checklist

To apply for a visa you have to make an appointment online .
Please note that you will need proof from the Australian authorities that you are allowed to leave Australia AND to come back after the travel to Germany when applying for the visa.

For long-term visa please refer to: long-term visa

Where to apply for short-term visa in Australia

The Austrian Embassy in Canberra is responsible for issuing Schengen Visas on behalf of Germany in all States and Territories of Australia. As a consequence, visa applicants with residence in Australia will have to launch their application for a Schengen-Visa (intended stay of up to 90 days in a 6 months period; e.g. tourist or business visa) personally at VFS global or the Austrian embassy in Canberra. Please look here for more information about visa applications: