According to 2016, statistics prove that Germany has been a tourist spot to almost 2 million people from around the world. France, however ranks as the most visited Schengen nation followed by Germany. German visa consulate in Houston has issued close to 1600 Germany Schengen visas.
Germany has more than 6% rejection rate in terms of issuing visas. This is one of the highest in Schengen nations. The below post will help you to understand how I got my Germany Schengen visa approved from the Houston Consulate.
Planning a short visit to Germany? Well, in that case, this guide will be helpful for you to understand if you require a Germany Schengen Visa. And how you should go about it.
Update : It is now mandatory to get COVID Insurance when you travel Abroad. Click the below link to get your COVID Insurance at cost price.
Go through these steps to apply for your Germany Schengen Visa.
- Find out if you are required a visa
- Is Houston the right embassy to apply for your visa ( Get Schengen visa appointment for $ 10 )
- Arrange all the essential documents
- Attend the interview in person and get your visa processed
Let’s further understand these points in a detailed manner.
Am I needed to apply for a short-stay visa to Germany?
The place of your origin determines whether you need a visa to visit Germany or not. If you are a full US citizen, you will not need a visa to visit Germany. But in case you have settled in the US after traveling from another country, then you will need to check with your nationality if you really need a Germany Schengen visa.
Can I apply from The Consulate General of Germany in Houston?
Only and only if your jurisdiction comes under these following states of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico.
Do I need to apply for a Germany Schengen Visa if I bear a US Permanent Resident Card?
Yes, you have to apply for a Germany Schengen visa. Your permanent resident card needs to have a validity of at least 90 days from your Germany departure date.
What if I am a B1/B2 visa holder?
You cannot apply in the Houston Consulate for a Germany Schengen visa. For that, you have to apply from your country.
Do I need to apply to the Germany Consulate?
You need to apply at the Germany Consulate if your travel destination focuses on Germany. For e.g.,if your travel plans include France or other Schengen nations then you need to apply from that particular nation’s consulate.
The infographic below will help you understand better.
Want temporary flight, hotel or insurance for your Spain Schengen visa appointment ?
How do I book my visa appointment in the Houston Consulate?
You should be aware that the Consulate General of Germany in Houston don’t engage in any walk-in applicants. You have to apply online for your visa application. That is the very first step.
Ensure that you don’t end up applying for your visa a week before or three months prior to your US departure to Germany. It has to be within this period.
Visit the official website of the German Consulate in the US. Select Houston from the many options.
Official German Consular website
Select Houston, that will redirect to your next page official website of the German Consulate in Houston.
You can get all your important contact details from this page.
Click below to schedule your visa appointment.
Select Schengen visa to continue.
Enter the ‘Captcha code‘ and continue in the next redirected page.
In the below image, you can see that there are dates available to you to choose from, for your visa appointment.
Once you are done selecting your preferred date, you will once again need to enter another ‘Captcha Code’. Based on your availability, select a date and time online.
After you enter the ‘Captcha Code‘, you will be redirected to your next page where you will be able to schedule an appointment.
To gain the accessibility to the calender, click on your preferred date.
You can select any time slot available on the calendar as your convenience. Click the green coloured arrow on your right. You are now on the ‘New appointment’ page.
The page will require to fill up important details.
You need to ensure that the details you fill are in tune with your passport information.
In the end, enter the ‘Captcha Code’ and click on submit.
This completes your visa appointment process. Ensure that you keep a copy of your visa application.
Your Schengen visa application
The required documents for Germany Schengen visa
- Passport
- USA Permanent Resident Card or USA Permanent Resident Visa, both should have validation
- 3 recent passport size photographs
- A cover letter
- Travel Itinerary
- Proof of your Hotel accommodation
- Travel Health Insurance
- A copy of your signed and filled visa application and appointment form
- Financial sustenance proof
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You must carry your original passport and not copies of it.
You will be required to provide at least 3 recent passport size photographs.
Your USA Permanent Resident card provides your legal stay in USA.
Ensure that your cover letter includes your Germany visit. Also, mention all the documents that you are submitting.
You must provide your travel itinerary to attain instant visa approval.
Your hotel bookings have to be included as well.
Your financial sustenance can be your credit cards and travel cards to prove your financial stability.
Your travel health insurance helps them to understand that you will be able to take care of yourself in case you face medical emergencies.
Provide your employment letter if you are an employee.
If self-employed, then you need to provide your company’s bank statement, IT return documents and business license.
A foreign student in the USA has to produce a letter from the university.
And, if you are a retired employee, then you need to provide your pension statement from the last 6 months.
The Germany Schengen visa interview process
Make sure that you reach The Consulate General of Germany in Houston prior to the visa appointment time. Once they verify your appointment letter, you will be given a token. Submit your application form with the appropriate documents.
You will receive a copy off all the information that they enter online. The visa interview is completed once your biometrics information is taken.
Is it advisable to wait for my Germany visa approval to book my flight and hotel accommodations?
If your visa is rejected then there are high chances that you might end up spending a substantial amount of money if you have already booked your flight and hotel.
And, since the visa approval requires you to provide flight and hotel bookings, you can book temporary flight and hotel accommodations on our site.
What is flight itinerary? Is it accepted by the Schengen consulate ?
Of course, in fact all the embassies mention the same. We have added links to the official visa pages which you can verify.
France Consulate
Your travel itinerary : you MUST BOOK your airline ticket but do not purchase until the visa has been approved.
We recommend that you do not purchase travel tickets until your visa has been approved. On the other hand, you may provide us with a reservation, a planned itinerary or an online printout of a roundtrip ticket.
Travel reservation to and from schengen area, not a ticket. Note: Make travel reservation which you can cancel
Flight (roundtrip)/travel reservations and full itinerary (if several Schengen States will be visited or if the trip covers several Schengen States and non-Schengen countries) with the name of passenger and one copy
Round trip ticket/reservation, originating in this jurisdiction to Europe (and ultimately to Italy) and back, including internal entry and exit points of travel i.e. EURORAIL tickets, car rental, internal flights. The names on reservations have to reflect the names on passports.
We can provide you with flight itineraries which is accepted by not only for Schengen visa but for all visas. We have customers using the same flight itinerary for Malaysia visa, Singapore visa, India visa, UK visa etc.
In fact the European union visa requirements for visa states the same.
As per the official document,
Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen state.Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa but request the original air ticket when visa is collected.
That is why we have 100% visa acceptance rate although some of our customer have been requested to provide “additional documents”,none of their visa has been rejected for providing fake documents.
With 80% of our customers being return customers or companies which process visas for their employees/clients, our approach is the best approach if you want to ensure the safety of your visa.
This is our orders screen for this month. Most of the orders have been placed by repeat customers.
The best part about our service is along with getting a flight reservation without payment, you can also get confirmed hotel bookings, personal cover letter, leave/no objection letter for your visa consulates.
Why should I book my flight and hotel accommodations from you?
Our site has singlehandedly issued more than 100000 bookings in 5 years.
In addition, we also provide a tailor made cover letter and a travel itinerary which will help you in gaining instant visa approval.
What is the German Visa fee?
You need to pay your Germany Schengen visa fees only through bank transfer.
But, you have other costs too. They are applicable for Schengen short stay visas, if you primarily wish to not make any full fledged hotel and flight bookings in advance.
Can I apply via mail?
No, you cannot. Only online visa appointments are allowed.
Can I bring a copy of my passport or USA Permanent Resident card?
No,you cannot. Only original documents are required and no copies.
What is the procedure for a minor visiting Germany?
You need to carry consent letters from both the parents. Also, passport copies of both the parents.
If you are traveling with your child, then you require his/her birth certificate. And, a family court order in case you are a single parent.
What if my Germany visit is sponsored by a relative?
An official affidavit will be required that will state the above. It needs to be signed by your relative and you must provide it on the day of your visa interview.
How will it be available to my relatives?
He/She can access it at their local resident office.
How long does a Germany Schengen visa take to process?
Approximately 15 days.
What will be the validity of my Germany Schengen visa?
The number of dates that are provided on your travel itinerary is the validity days for your Germany Schengen visa. Therefore, make sure to add a couple of days beside your travel plan to enjoy your Germany trip.
Germany Consulate in Houston
Address
1330 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056, USA
Telephone
+1 713-627-7770
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