Passport valid for the whole trip, with two blank pages
Valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen area, issued within the previous ten years, with at least two blank pages.EU Visa Code, Article 12
Requirement guide
Germany, Schengen short stay (type C)
For applicants holding a India passport. 9 required items, fee EUR 90, 15 to 45 calendar days.
DEGermany15% refused in 2024EUR 90
Required
9 items, grouped by what each one proves.
Every line is quoted from the published requirement, with its source linked. Nothing here is our summary of the rule.
Who you are
3Completed and signed application form
The harmonised application form, completed in full and signed by the applicant.EU Visa Code, Article 11
One recent photograph to ICAO standard
A photograph taken within the last six months, meeting ICAO specifications.EU Visa Code, Article 13
What you can afford
1Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
Evidence of sufficient means for the duration of the stay and for the return, assessed against the reference amounts each member state publishes.EU Visa Code, Article 14
Why you are going
1Documents supporting the purpose of the visit
Evidence explaining the purpose and conditions of the intended stay, consistent with the itinerary and the bookings.EU Visa Code, Article 14
What brings you home
1Evidence you will leave before the visa expires
Information allowing the consulate to assess the applicant intention to leave the territory before the visa expires, such as employment, property, or family obligations.EU Visa Code, Article 21
Where you will be
2Accommodation for every night of the stay
Confirmed accommodation covering the full period, or an invitation from a host together with proof of their residence.EU Visa Code, Annex II
Return travel reservation
A reservation showing both entry to and departure from the Schengen area.EU Visa Code, Annex II
Cover while you are there
1Travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000
Cover for repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and emergency hospital treatment, valid across all Schengen states, minimum EUR 30,000.EU Visa Code, Article 15
Why applications on this route fail
The grounds, and what answers each one.
Purpose and conditions of the stay not justified
Usually means the itinerary, the bookings and the stated reason did not describe the same trip.
No proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance
Most often cover below EUR 30,000, or a policy that ends before the return flight.
Information submitted regarding the justification is not reliable
The evidence contradicted itself, or a figure could not be traced to a source.
Intention to leave before the visa expires could not be established
The single most common ground for applicants from high refusal rate countries.
This page describes what the mission publishes. It is not immigration advice, the mission can ask for more than it lists, and requirements change without notice. Check the source links before you rely on anything here.
Check your Germany file against this list.
Upload what you have and see every place two of your own documents disagree, before you pay the fee.