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Schengen visa, applied for from the UK

Germany visa from the UK for non-UK passport holders

If you live in the UK on a non-UK passport, you apply for a Germany Schengen visa through TLScontact in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, where slots now come from a waiting list. The visa fee is €90, plus a £27.76 TLScontact charge. The embassy usually decides in about 15 working days.

Checked against official sourcesLast reviewed · sources at the foot of the page
Berlin's TV Tower rising above the red-brick Rotes Rathaus and church spires of Mitte at sunset
Consulate fee, adult. €45 for ages 6 to 11, free under 6.
€90
TLScontact service charge, paid at the centre.
£27.76
Standard processing after the appointment.
15 days
The earliest you can apply before you travel.
6 months

Who can apply from the UK

You can apply in the UK if you live here, for example on an eVisa as a worker, student, family member or with settled status. The German missions only take applications from UK residents. Holders of a UK short-term study visa can also apply.

Your UK permission must stay valid for at least one month after the last day of your trip. Germany checks it with a share code from the Home Office's View and prove service.

Germany must be your main destination, judged by the length or the purpose of your stay. If no country stands out, you apply to the Schengen country whose border you will cross first.

Where you live decides your centre. Scottish residents apply in Edinburgh. Everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland applies in London or Manchester.

If you are only visiting the UK and live somewhere else, you apply to the German mission in your country of residence instead.

Documents for a Germany visit visa

You provide

  • Passport Signed, issued in the last 10 years, valid for at least 3 months after your trip ends, with 2 blank pages. Bring one copy of the photo page.
  • UK immigration status A share code from the Home Office's View and prove service, plus one printed copy. It must be valid for at least one month after your trip.
  • Biometric photo One photo, 35 × 45 mm, no older than three months, on a white or light background. Digitally altered photos are refused.
  • Proof of UK address A recent council tax bill, utility bill, bank statement or similar.
  • Bank statements Your own UK statements for at least the last three months, showing salary payments and your current balance. Add credit card statements that show the monthly limit.
  • Job or study evidence Employees: payslips for the last three months and a letter confirming your job. Self-employed: a letter from your accountant, banker or solicitor plus your self-assessment. Students: a letter from your university.
  • Invitation from your host Family or friend visits only: a recent informal invitation, a copy of your host's passport photo page and, if they are not German, their residence permit.
  • Children's documents A separate form for each child signed by both parents, the birth certificate, and both parents' passports with copies.

We provide

  • Application form The VIDEX online form, printed with its barcodes and signed. One form per person, including children.
  • Cover letter Sets out your dates, plans, who pays and your ties to the UK, so the officer can follow your file quickly.
  • Return flight reservation A reserved return ticket matching your dates. The embassy suggests a refundable fare, because a complete file does not guarantee a visa.
  • Hotel bookings Confirmed hotel bookings for your whole stay, or a tour operator confirmation.
  • Travel medical insurance At least €30,000 of cover, valid in every Schengen country for your whole trip. A GHIC or EHIC card is not enough.
  • TLScontact registration We register you with TLScontact in the right category, with every detail exactly as in your passport, and watch for the allocation email so the service fee is paid in time.

Where and when to apply

Germany takes UK short-stay applications through TLScontact in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. Apply no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before you travel.

TLScontact takes every short-stay (C) and airport transit application for the German Embassy in London and the Consulate General in Edinburgh. Most long-stay national visas go to the German missions directly.

Appointments in London →Appointments in Manchester →Appointments in Edinburgh →

Worth knowing about this consulate

  • Since 1 June 2026 you cannot pick a slot in London or Manchester. You join a TLScontact waiting list for tourism, family visits, business or school trips, and appointments are allocated first come, first served. Edinburgh switched to allocation for tourism and family visits on 1 August 2026.
  • Once a slot is allocated, TLScontact's London page gives you 24 hours to pay the service fee, or the slot is cancelled and you join the list again. Wrong-category bookings and details that do not match your passport are turned away.
  • Edinburgh only serves people who live in Scotland. Since 1 February 2025, residents of Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear apply in London or Manchester.
  • TLScontact's London fee page shows the €90 visa fee as £78.10 and the service fee as £27.76 (€32). You pay the service fee online and the visa fee at the centre. Neither is refunded if you are refused.
  • The embassy does not give status updates. It emails you if it needs more documents, so keep an eye on your junk folder for auswaertiges-amt.de addresses.
  • Everyone aged 12 or over attends in person to give fingerprints. Children under 12 attend for an identity check. Arrive more than 15 minutes late and TLScontact asks you to rebook.
  • Documents that are not in German, English, Spanish or French need a translation into German or English.

Notes by passport

Pakistani passport holders

  • Pakistan is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a German airport on the way somewhere else? As a Pakistani national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The German Embassy says only a valid physical BRP card exempts UK residents; an eVisa or share code does not.

Bangladeshi passport holders

  • Bangladesh is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a German airport on the way somewhere else? As a Bangladeshi national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The German Embassy says only a valid physical BRP card exempts UK residents; an eVisa or share code does not.

Nigerian passport holders

  • Nigeria is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a German airport on the way somewhere else? As a Nigerian national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The German Embassy says only a valid physical BRP card exempts UK residents; an eVisa or share code does not.

Sri Lankan passport holders

  • Sri Lanka is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a German airport on the way somewhere else? As a Sri Lankan national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The German Embassy says only a valid physical BRP card exempts UK residents; an eVisa or share code does not.

Ghanaian passport holders

  • Only changing planes at a German airport on the way somewhere else? As a Ghanaian national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The German Embassy says only a valid physical BRP card exempts UK residents; an eVisa or share code does not.

Turkish passport holders

  • Germany requires Turkish nationals to hold an airport transit visa when changing planes at its airports. Holders of service or special passports are exempt. The German Embassy says only a valid physical BRP card exempts UK residents; an eVisa or share code does not.

Indian passport holders

  • Germany lifted its airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals on 3 June 2026, so you can change planes at German airports without one.

Gambian passport holders

  • EU restrictions on The Gambia (Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1781) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

Somali passport holders

  • EU restrictions on Somalia (a Council decision of 25 June 2026) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

Guinean passport holders

  • EU restrictions on Guinea (a Council decision of 10 July 2026) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

How a Germany application runs, day by day

  1. Day 0Eligibility and checklistA yes, a no or a “not yet, because”.
  2. Days 1–5File builtYou send documents on WhatsApp; we do the rest.
  3. VariesAppointment waitWe watch releases daily and book the first that fits.
  4. 15 daysConsulate decisionFingerprints at TLScontact, then we track the file.
  5. DonePassport backThen we confirm your real flights and hotel.

What it costs, and who you pay

Separate payments to separate people. Only ours is set by us, quoted in writing before you commit.

Consulate visa feePaid to the consulate. €45 for children aged 6 to 11. Not refundable if refused.
€90
TLScontact service chargePaid at the centre. Extras are optional.
£27.76
Fast Travellers, file and appointmentEverything from eligibility to decision, quoted in writing before you commit.
Fast Travellers, urgent or after a refusalAdds a daily slot search and a refusal review, quoted in writing before you commit.

Germany visa questions from UK residents

Can I apply for a Germany visa on a BRP?

BRPs have been replaced by eVisas, so Germany asks for a share code from the Home Office's View and prove service, plus a printed copy. Your status must be valid for at least one month after your trip ends.

Which TLScontact centre do I use for a Germany visa?

It depends where you live. Scottish residents use Edinburgh. Everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland uses London or Manchester.

How do I get a Germany visa appointment in London?

You register on TLScontact's waiting list in the right category and a slot is allocated first come, first served. The embassy does not publish waiting times. Once a slot arrives, you have 24 hours to pay the service fee.

How long does a Germany visa take from the UK?

The embassy usually decides within about 15 working days of receiving your file. Allow another 2 to 3 working days for your passport to come back. It can take longer if the embassy needs more documents.

How much is a Germany Schengen visa from the UK?

The visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11, charged in pounds at the centre. Children under 6 pay nothing. TLScontact adds a service fee of £27.76.

Can I visit other Schengen countries on a Germany visa?

Yes. A Schengen visa lets you travel across all 29 Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180. Germany just has to be your main destination when you apply.

Do I need a hotel booking if I stay with family in Germany?

No. Send a recent invitation letter from your host with a copy of their passport and, if they are not German, their residence permit. If your host pays for you, they can get a formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) from their local immigration office.

Do I have to go to TLScontact in person?

Yes. Everyone applies in person and everyone aged 12 or over gives fingerprints. Children under 12 still attend for an identity check.

Where these facts come from

Fees and rules are checked against official and visa-centre pages. Last reviewed . Rules change: we confirm everything again before you pay.

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