German Visa Process (In General for all Nations. In details for Indians)

Hello friends!!

So, want do you need to do to increase your chances of getting a German Visa? Here below you can read straight-to-the-point information about requirements and step-by-step process of of getting a German Visa.

Before we begin with the Process and the Requirements, let's in short go through most important queries which one must be having while thinking of a German Visa.

• When is it a right time to start working on my Visa? 
• Do I need IELTS/TOEFL to apply for a visa?
• What is VFS-Global and what is its role?
• What is a Schengen Visa?
• Do I need a Schengen Visa or not?
• In which city should I apply for my visa?
• How is the Visa interview? How can I prepare myself for the interview?
• How long does the visa process take?
• What should I do in a meanwhile while I'm waiting for my visa to arrive?
• Does a criminal record has any negative effects on the visa process? 
• Which countries are allowed to visit on my German Student Visa.

Here are some important fundamental points, which you need to remember:

• German Student Visa is also known as a Long Term Visa or a National Visa or a Type D Visa. Its all the same thing. Any Visa with an allowed duration of stay in Germany more than 3 Months can be termed a Long Term Visa. 
• If your studies or any other cause of your travelling to Germany is shorter than 3 months, you will be required a Schengen Visa. You won't be given a long term visa in this case.
• Schengen visa have to be obtained from the Embassy or Consulate of the country where the main purpose of travel lies. Therefore, please check your travel plans before making your application to the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany (Or VFS-Global). In case of travel to multiple Schengen countries, please make your application to the embassy or the consulate where you will be staying for the maximum number of days, or from the point of first entry into the Schengen countries, if the duration of stay is the same in more than one Schengen country.
• Right time to start working on your Visa is when you are done applying for your studies in Germany. Remember, a valid Passport issued within the last 10 years and with at least 12 months validity left after the scheduled return. Make sure you apply for a Passport in the Regional Passport Office of your state as soon as possible, if you don't have it yet. 
•  VFS-Global is the first point of contact for the candidates applying for the Schengen Visa. Whereas, for the Visa with the duration of the stay more than 3 months (For example: Student Visa), you need to contact the German Embassy or the German Consulate General authorized for your state. Once your Visa is approved by the Embassy, you have to submit your passport to the VFS-Global for the Visa stamp on it (For more, read further)
• IELTS/TOEFL are the tests, on which basis, you can prove your English language proficiency to the Embassy. These tests are not mandatory for those students, whose previous university/college/schooling was in English language and if your studies in Germany is in German since the beginning (i.e if your studies in Germany is in German and you have already learned German in your country or you are first going to learn German there or you are going to German just for a language course). "I'm saying this on the basis of my personal experience"
• German language level A1 (or more) will increase your chances of getting a visa to a great extent, if your studies in Germany is in German (In case if you are already enrolled for a further German language course before the beginning of your studies in Germany).
• Visa interview is not difficult at all and you should not have any nervousness. You just have to prepare all documents as required by the Embassy and properly answer the questions asked by visa officers. Be yourself at all the time. You may need to write a motivation letter.
• A criminal record is of course a hurdle, but not an ultimate rejection. You must write down your criminal records in the application form. Never lie. Embassy will decide the severity of your crime, your honesty and your determination of studying in Germany. 
• German Visa may take anywhere between several days to weeks. In my case it took 20 days, whereas one of my friend got it within 12 days. To ensure your timely arrival in Germany, you should schedule your appointment at the competent German Mission as early as possible.
• Student Visa is stamped initially for a duration of 3 months. Once you reach Germany, you have to apply for further extension of 1 year or more within the time period of three months.
• In a meanwhile, as you are waiting for your visa, you can start looking for an accommodation in Germany, if not done yet. It is better to book a flight ticket only once you get a visa approval. Or you can even book a refundable flight ticket if you want.
• If you are in an urgency (For example: You have less than 2 weeks before your studies are going to begin), always feel free to respectfully inquire your visa process and if all the documents are enough or if they require any additional ones. 
• On your German Visa, you can visit Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia. Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
• Location of the competent German Mission for Indians:

1. Mumbai -Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as well as the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Website
2.  Kolkata -West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Website
3.  German Consulate General Bengluru - Karnataka and Kerala. Website
4.  Chennai - Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Pondicherry. Website
5.  German Embassy New Delhi - Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand as well as the Union Territories of Chandigarh, NCT of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep including Minicoy and Amini. Website

For an example, here is a step-by-step student visa process suitable for the Consulate General of Mumbai:

           Step 1: Please prepare the necessary documentation for your visa application using this checklist. Info on blocked account:  I personally went to a local Kotak Mahindra Bank nearest to my home and talked to the branch manager regarding the block account. He wasn't aware of anything like this. So, he contacted his head branch and opened one such account for me within 7 days (Keeping in mind that my studies were about to begin in 1 month, he kept on working behind the closed doors during the Gujarat riots in june-july 2015. It was way faster, easier and reliable as compared to the Deutsche Bank. Once I arrived in Germany, I opened a Deutsche Bank Blocked account and got my money from Kotak Bank transferred to my German Bank account.

         Step 2: Procure photos which meet biometric requirements: 

            

         Step 3: Fill out the application form. To complete your documentation, please print out the declaration form and sign it:  

          Step 4: Now you can schedule an appointment for your visa interview at your German Mission. You can do this even in the very beginning if you are in an Urgency and you are sure that the step 1, 2 and 3 wont take long for you. I experienced the possible appointment available only after 24 days, when I applied for it in july 2015 (In Mumbai Consulate). Appointment has to be booked through VFS-Global via a telephone call or Email. 

          --> For booking an appointment, you will need to provide the below details:

1. Passport Number of Applicant.
2. Title of Applicant (Mr, Mrs, Dr, Ms, Mstr )
3. Given name of Applicant as per the passports
4. Surname of Applicant as per the passport
5. Date of birth of Applicant
6. Expiry date of passport
7. Nationality of Applicant
8. Country Code
9. Landline Number with STD Code
10. Mobile Number of Applicant
11. Email Id of Applicant
12. Intended scheduled return from Germany
13. Visa Category of Applicant
14. State of residence of applicant from the last six months in India

Website(www.vfs-germany.co.in) 

Email address: infowest.germanin@vfshelpline.com

Contact: 022-67866013,

Timings: 08:00 - 17:00 (Monday to Friday exceptholidays observed by the German Embassy).

          Step 5: Shortly before your appointment, verify the current exchange rate for your visa fee on this website and obtain the Demand Draft. The visa fee has to be paid at the time of the visa interview. Remember, Demand Drafts with incorrect amounts will not be accepted. Demand Draft form.

           Step 6: Once you receive the visa approval email from the Embassy, submit your your Passport to VFS-Global for the visa stamp. Submit your passport at least 5 days before your intended travel date. You don't need to book an appointment for that. 

           --> Additionally the following is required to submit:

1.  Tentative date of travel to Germany
2. Travel insurance for a minimum period of 1 Month from the intended date of travel to Germany. 

Travel insurance: I bought "Concept Care AG" because it was the cheapest one.

Always read the text from the official websites for the final verification. The process, required documents, and all other data was verified from the official website, but the original data in the official website may change at any instance based on new visa rules. These links underneath may be useful for the same:

http://www.vfs-germany.co.in/
http://www.india.diplo.de/

So, that's it. Good luck. In case if your visa application has been rejected, don't be sad. You can apply again with the proper documents.