General Information

• Schengen visa allow people to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days for a six-month period. 
• Please do not send the Visa Section any documents unless requested to do so, particularly not before you have applied for a visa. We are not able to store such documents and will not know to which application they belong. Please always bring all the necessary documents with you to your Appointment.
• The German Embassy in Kigali only accepts documents in German, English or French. Documents in other languages must be translated by a certified translator prior submission

Preparing your application

1. Apply for your visa at least 1 months prior to departure. Otherwise it cannot be guaranteed that your application will be processed on time!
2. Please fill in the visa application form here.
3. Please compile the documents you need to submit with your application. If documents or supporting documentation are missing, your application may be rejected. We have prepared a checklist for each type of visa.
   • Checklist Tourist Visa
   • Checklist Business Visa
   • Checklist Transit Visa
4. Book your appointment at the Embassy.

Submitting your application

• Your application can be submitted at the Embassy. You need to book an appointment online.  
• You have to submit your application in person. During this appointment, we kindly ask you to submit all of your application documents, pay the fee and answer questions about your planned trip. Your photograph and fingerprints will also be taken on this Occasion.
• The visa fee is payable in Rwanda Francs cash only! Please note that the RWF amount is subject to change depending on the current exchange rate. The fee is a non-refundable administrative fee. In case your application is rejected you are not entitled to any refund!

What happens during processing?

• The Embassy will review your application and make a decision on whether or not to grant you a visa. To this end, it will assess whether your application meets the legal requirements.
• Processing generally takes 15 days. 
• We hope you will understand that we are not able to answer any questions on the status of your application during this processing period.
• After that, enquiries can only be answered if they are made by the applicant, his/her legal representative or another person authorised in writing by the applicant.

Return of your passport

• As soon as the Embassy has decided on your application, you can collect your passport. You should collect your passport in person. If you are not able to collect it yourself, you can authorise another person to collect it for you. In order to do so, please fill out the following power of attorney. [Download here]
• There are various reasons why your visa application may be rejected. The reasons will be stated in the letter notifying you that your application has been rejected.
• You are welcome to submit a new application at any time with complete, informative and verifiable documentation.

Have a good trip! Information for visa holders

• If all the information on your visa label is correct, you are free to travel. Please check the information on the label as soon as your passport is returned to you. You should let us know immediately if there are any mistakes so that we can issue you a new visa.
• Your visa will state your full name and passport number and include your photo. It will also state the period of validity. This is the time period in which you can travel. In addition, it will state the maximum number of days you can stay in the Schengen area during the period of validity of your visa. Our aim is to give you a certain amount of flexibility in planning your trip. In order to allow you to change your travel dates at short notice, visas are usually valid for 15 days longer than the maximum number of days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area.
• Please note that being granted a Schengen visa does not guarantee that you will be allowed to enter the Schengen area. The final decision on whether or not you will be allowed to enter the Schengen area will be made by the border police on your arrival. When you arrive, the border police may ask you to present additional documentation alongside your passport and valid visa with information on your financial means, the length and purpose of your stay, and your health insurance cover. You should therefore take a copy of your visa documents (including an invitation from Germany, hotel reservation and travel health insurance) with you on your trip.

Complaint about the Schengen Visa procedure

Applicants for a Schengen visa can complain about the behavior of the consular staff or the Schengen visa application procedure using our contact form. In the contact form please choose the addressee “complaint about the Schengen visa procedure”. Complaints can only be filed in German or English language. There will be no follow up for complaints in other languages. Please indicate in the subject matter field  of the contact form

Either

• Complaint about the behavior of the consular staff or
• Complaint about the Schengen visa application procedure.

We shall follow up your complaint.