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Schengen Visa (Category C)
Required documents for your Schengen visa
General Information
A Schengen visa entitles the holder to an accumulated stay of up to 90 days within a period of six months and is valid for Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (Schengen Area).
Please submit your application for a Schengen Visa to the representative of the country which is your main destination - considering length and purpose of your intended stay. If no such main destination can be ascertained, please contact the representative of the country of your first entry into the Schengen Area.
The German Embassy in Dar Es Salaam have outsourced the application process for Schengen visas to the external service provider TLScontact who will guide you through the application process.
Requirements for the issue of short-term visas (Schengen visas)
The basis for issuing visas for transit through or for short-term stays in the Schengen area of a maximum of 90 days per 6-month period is European law (Visa Code).
There is no entitlement to the issue of a Schengen visa.
The existence of the following visa requirements must be positively determined by the diplomatic mission or consular post for each individual visa applicant:
- Plausibility and comprehensibility of the purpose of the journey in Germany
- Financing of living and travelling expenses from own assets or income
- Willingness of the visa holder to leave the Schengen area before the visa expires,
- Presentation of travel health insurance valid for the entire Schengen area and for the entire duration of the stay with a minimum cover of 30,000 euros.
If it is not possible to provide proof of own financing, proof of financing can be provided by a third party resident in Germany by submitting a formal declaration of commitment in accordance with §§ 66, 68 of the Residence Act. As a rule, the foreigners authority at the place of residence of the person making the commitment is responsible for accepting such a declaration.
The increased issuance of visas that authorise multiple short stays in the Schengen area within a long-term period of validity can avoid the frequent reapplication of visas. This option can particularly benefit people who need to travel frequently for professional or private reasons and who have proven their reliability through the legal use of previous visas.
IMPORTANT: Duly completed application forms may be submitted six months prior to your intended travel date. It may take an average time of 15 days to process your Schengen visa application.
Processing time differs from case to case. Therefore, in order to avoid delay, it is advisable to apply well in advance of the actual travel dates. This will help ensuring a smooth organization of your trip.
If your travel date is imminent or lies within two weeks of your application date, please check if you can postpone your trip. In general, neither the German Mission nor the Service Provider is able to expedite the process.
Only documents in German or English are accepted - otherwise, a translation needs to be provided or the document will be ignored.
The German Embassy in Dar Es Salaam is only the competent authority should you have your permanent residence in Tanzania. Otherwise, your application will be denied and returned.
Required Documents and first steps
If you need basic general information or in-depth guidance about the types of shorterm visa for Germany as well as the surrounding process, then we recommend using our VISA NAVIGATOR first.
After having accessed the information compiled in the VISA NAVIGATOR, please continue with the country-specific information for your application on this Website.
Schedule an appointment to hand in your application at one of the Visa Application Centres of the external service Provider TLScontact .
We highly recommend to have a look at the relevant documentation checklists for all travel purposes which can be found on the TLS website. Submission of incomplete applications/documentation can result in a refusal. Therefore, please ensure that they are complete!
To apply, you will need the following documents in the original with a single copy (please sort the individual sets in the order listed below). Documents not in the English and/or German language need to be accompanied by a translation (into English):
Please do NOT staple the submitted documents! Do not attach clips!
Fill in the application form in English or German
In your application form (VIDEX) you enter all the information about your entry and your stay in Germany. You must complete this form and print it out once. Bring the print out for your interview, please sign and date it.
If you are a minor, your legal representatives must sign the application and declare their consent. Should they not be able to come in personally for handing in the application, their sigantures need to be certified (e.g. police)
A recent biometric photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light-coloured background) not older than six months. Further Information for biometric photos can be found here
Valid and signed passport (must have been issued within the last 10 years), must have at least two blank pages and be valid for at least 3 months after the scheduled return as well as copy of pages containing personal data ((if applicable copies of previous visa, entry stamps to Schengen Area)
Proof of your current residence in Tanzania. This can be an electricity or gas bill, for example.
Non-Tanzanian citizens must provide a valid residency/work permit which allows
reentering Tanzania upon the end of the journey
- If employed: ORIGINAL and current letter of employment with original signature (not older than two weeks at the time of appointment) including designation, date of employment, salary and including intended travel dates confirming leave
- If self-employed: company registration (BRELA) document as well as TRA tay payment certificate
- If student: current proof of school/university registration confirming that the student is exempt from attending lectures during the requesting travel period, with an original signature
- if other employment situation: current proof of occupation
- if unemployed spouse: marriage certificate, spouses’s passport copy and spouses’s employment contract
- Title deeds, rent contracts (if applicable)
- Always mandatory: Proof of assets (current certified bank statements of the past three months, preferably the ones where the salary is paid in)
- Personal certified bank statements (original) with money movement of the past three months (preferably the ones where the salary is paid in) otherwise M-Pesa. Sufficient funds must be available on the existing balance and no overdrafts. Additional accounts etc. saving accounts can be produced.
- if applicable (meaning you do not have any means of your own) :
Formal letter of obligation (Verpflichtungserklärung) according to §§66 – 68 AufenthG by your sponsor with proof of financial status and sufficient funds (if applicable) issued by the Aliens authority at the place of residence oft he sponsor. It hast o be forwarded ti you as an original – e.g. by courier service. Documents send to the Embassy unrequested will be destroyed.
Proof of health insurance for the entire period of your stay in the Schengen area.
Valid travel health insurance covering your requested stay with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros, valid for all Schengen countries.
When applying for a multiple-entry visa, a one-year or multi-year visa, it suffices to present a valid travel health insurance for your first trip
- (Tanzanian) Birth certificate (containing father’s and mother’s name)
- In case of Tanzanian birth certificate:
- Marriage certificate of parents or
- Tanzanian court ruling concerning parentage
- single status certificate of mother at time of birth or
- adoption certificate and court’s decision (only if applicable)
- If one parent is deceased or sole custody has been granted: relevant legal documents
- Guardian’s/parents declaration of consent signed by both guardians/parents (both parents need to be present at application, otherwise signature needs to be certified by a notary public)
- Copy of first page of passport of parents/legal guardian(s)
- Confirmation oft he school the applicant is going to, including confirmationn oft he school’s holiday timings and certified bank statements/M-Pesa/Tigo etc. of one parent/legal guardian for the past three months
Additional requirements according to the individual purpose of the journey:
- Recent invitation letter from business partner/public authority in Germany including names, dates and signature of host
- Covering letter by the company (employer) with complete travel plan (itinerary) and stating whether the company will cover costs.
- Documents proving the company's business activities: bill of ladings with the corresponding invoices, swift, related customs clearance documents etc.
- Other documents that clearly show a business or official relationship
- Proof of accommodation including complete address for your entire stay in the Schengen area
- If applicable, admission tickets to trade fairs and congresses (Exhibitor´s pass/visitor´s pass/admission ticket)
- Flight itinerary/ round trip (NO flight booking!!!), rail tickets and other if applicable (travel plans if travelling to various Schengen countries)
Documents relating to the accommodation:
- Leave letter of your company (if employed)
- Flight itinerary (NO flight booking !!!)
Private Trip:
- Invitation letter with dates, names, address and signature by the host;
Copy of passport of the inviting party and if applicable residence permit of the inviting party
If Invitation does not include accommodation or you are going for a touristic trip:
Proof of accommodation including complete address for your entire stay in the Schengen area
Leave letter of your company (if employed)
Touristic Trip:
- Receipts from hotels/guest houses or other suitable documents showing the intended accommodation
- The booking confirmation from the organiser of an organised trip or other suitable documents showing the travel plans
- Leave letter of your company (if employed)/university
- In the case of transit: Visa or other entry authorisation for the third country which is the country of destination, tickets for onward travel
- Invitation by hosting partner association/school in Germany mentioning duration and purpose of visit and – when applicable – funding of trip. The invitation should the contain the guarantee that the host will cover all costs, also in accordance with sections 66 to 68 of the German Residence Act
- Calendar of events/exchange program
- Confirmation letter of Tanzanian school
- Proof of accommodation including complete address for your entire stay in the Schengen area
- Flight itinerary (NO flight booking!!!)
- Invitation by hosting partner association in Germany mentioning duration and purpose of visit and – when applicable – funding of trip. The invitation should contain the guarantee that the host will cover all costs, also in accordance with sections 66 to 68 of the German Residence Act
- Calendar of events/performance
- Confirmation letter or certificate of the Tanzanian artist association / sports association
- Evidence of events/performance of the past 12 months (dates, location/host)
- Contract or bilateral agreement (if applicable)
- Proof of accommodation including complete address for your entire stay in the Schengen area
- Flight itinerary (NO flight booking!!!), rail tickets and other if applicable (travel plans if travelling to various Schengen countries)
- Invitation letter from the hospital or doctors practice not older than 4 weeks and signed, stating the dates of your trip, confirming that all payments for the treatment/check-up have been made or including an estimate on which costs are to be expected
- Proof of housing e.g. confirmation of the hospital or doctors practice that you stay in their guesthouse OR Hotel booking under your name
- Leave letter of your company (if employed)
- Flight itinerary (NO flight booking !!!)
Additional documents for persons accompanying the patient (Attention: Only spouses, parents or children):
- Please provide proof of your stay (e.g. private, hotel booking, confirmation of accommodation within the hospital)
- Marriage certificate, birth certificate etc. (proof of relationship)
You are
- the spouse, life partner or a primary relative of an EU citizen or
- a relative in the primary line of your spouse or life partner of a EU citizen and you are under 21 years of age or
- a relative in the direct ascending or direct descending degree of kinship of a EU citizen or of your spouse or life partner, for whom these persons or their spouses or life partners provide support and the relevant EU citizen lives in Germany or you want to accompany him/her to Germany?
You will not have to pay any fees, however please provide the following documents:
- Marriage certificate or other proof of relationship with EU citizen or his/her spouse / partner in life (original and copy) and certified/legalized by EU-spouses Embassy if Tanzanian
- Copy of the EU citizen’s passport´s data page and -if he/she is residing in Germany- proof of residence
- Proof of support/alimony payments (only for family members of European Union citizens and their spouses /partners in life older than 21 years)
- Invitations, admission tickets, registration confirmations or programmes, stating the name of the inviting body and the duration of the stay, or other appropriate documents indicating the purpose of the trip
- Confirmation letter by the corresponding institution in Tanzanian
- Leave letter of your company (if employed)/university
- Proof of accommodation including complete address for your entire stay in the Schengen area
- Flight itinerary (NO flight booking!!!), rail tickets and other if applicable (travel plans if travelling to various Schengen countries)
A letter from an authority of the third country concerned confirming that the applicant is part of the official delegation travelling to a Member State to participate in one of the above-mentioned events and a copy of the official invitation.
The German Embassy Dar Es Salaam reserves the right to ask for additional documentation at any time during the processing of the application whenever deemed necessary.
Documents sent via fax or e-mail, which have not been requested, will not be allocated to an application.
Processing Time
The processing time is usually 15 working days. Please refrain from status update requests during this time as these will not be responded to.
Fees
Please arrange for your appointment via the website of our external service provider TLS.