One of the largest countries in Europe, Germany is part of the EU and the Schengen Agreement. While the EU member states normally require visas to travel between them, the Schengen countries, which include  Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland are open for travel between each other without the need for a visa or passport. A major player within the EU, Germany has long been hailed for its contribution to the European Union and its economic policies. Officially known as the federal Republic of Germany, the country was divided after the end of World War II, and was only united again after the end of the period known as the “Cold War” in 1990. With a strong economy and high per capita average income, Germany is one of the world’s largest exporters of goods. Germans also have a love of travel, and during the peak holiday months around the world can be seen throughout South America, Southern Africa, and Asia. The most popular holiday destinations in Asia for German tourists are Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, and China, and the numbers of German tourists traveling to Asia has been increasing year on year. According to the statistics from the EU Commission on Foreign Travel, more than 400,000 German tourists travel to China every year.

Chinese Entry Visa

The Chinese Entry Visa is required for all German tourists traveling to China, and there is no visa-free travel eligibility for EU Member States in China as of this time. Germans traveling to China for tourism have a choice of visas available to them, and the maximum period they can stay in China is 90 days on any one visit. Chinese Entry Visas can be obtained for three months for a single entry visa, six months for a double entry visa, and six months or one year for a multiple entry visa. All visas cost €183.76 per visa, regardless of its validity period.

Requirements

Application for a Chinese Entry Visa is the same throughout Europe for all EU member states, and the details of the basic requirements can be found on the Chinese Embassy website at http://www.china-botschaft.de/det/ or http://de.chineseembassy.org/det/ or http://de.china-embassy.org/det/. The requirements for a Chinese Entry Visa for German passport holders are:

• Your original passport with at least six month’s validity at the date of travel (one year for sox month and one year valid visas) with at least two facing blank visa pages.
• Color photocopies of the data and photo pages.
• A fully completed Visa Application Form (V.2013), which can be filled online and printed at http://www.visaforchina.org/HAM_EN/System/268067.shtml or downloaded from the Consular website at https://www.visaforchina.org/HAM_EN/generalinformation/downloads/268057.shtml. Once downloaded, the application form must be completed in full and signed before submission.
• One color passport-type photo sized 48mm by 33mm with bare head, full face, and against a light background, to be attached to the application form in the space provided.
• Proof of legal residency status in Germany for non-German passport holders. Both original and photocopies must be provided of valid certificates of residence, employment status, student status, or visa.
• Former Chinese citizens must provide photocopies of previous passports and visas prior to obtaining German citizenship.
• The itinerary for your trip to China (not including any additional itinerary for travel to Tibet).
• Proof of return flight ticket booking or onward travel ticker booking.
• Proof of booking of a hotel reservation in China at your port of entry.

Application Process

Applications for a Chinese Entry Visa can be done either by mail or in person. Personal applicants are required to visit the Embassy or Consular Office that houses the Chinese Visa Application Service (CVAS) center in the designated city for your home area. There are four locations for the CVAS centers, in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. For your personal application, complete the downloaded application form, and attend the local CVAS center at your appointed time with all the required supporting documents to submit your application. Appointments can be booked online through the CVAS website at https://www.visaforchina.org/web/reservation/ReservationAction_preCreateReservation.action?visacenterCode=HAM&request_locale=en_US&site_alias=HAM_EN. The visa should be ready to collect within four working days, and the visa application process in Germany does not have Rush and Express services. Mail applications must be sent using a registered mail service from the Deutsche Post. No other mail service provider will be accepted by the CVAS centers. Postal applications often take longer than personal applications, and for the mail service you should expect to wait around ten working days for the return of your passport and visa. Applications for visas by mail service must be made from an address inside Germany, and must be sent to the CVAS center address for your home area. The mail application must contain the completed application form, your original passport, and all supporting documents, as well as a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope using the Deutsche Post registered service. Payment of the visa fee for personal applicants can be made in cash, company check, or by debit and credit cards. For postal applications, payment is made through remittance to the CVAS bank account at the Deutsche Bank Privat- und Geschäftskunden AG. Account details are available on the CVAS website or from the center staff on receipt of the message that your passport and visa are ready for return. When making the remittance payment, include your passport number and form number on the remittance slip for verification at the CVAS center.

Chinese Embassy and Consular Offices

There are four options for making visa applications in Germany, at the main Embassy in Berlin, as well as the Consular Offices in Munich, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, and Hamburg. The Embassy and Consular Offices do not handle the visa applications, and all applications are processed by the Chinese Visa Application Service Centers (CVAS), which are approved centers for processing visa applications outside the Chinese ambassadorial and consular services. Each office covers a specific area of Germany relevant to its location, and all applications must be made with the relevant CVAS center for your area.

Contact Information

Botschaft der Volksrepublik China in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

(Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Germany) Chinese Visa Application Service Center Address: Invalidenstraße 116, Berlin Tel: +49-0-30979920000 Fax: +49-0-30979920001 Website: https://www.visaforchina.org/BER_EN/index.shtml Email: [email protected] Service Area: Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Thüringen Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Generalkonsulat der Volksrepublik China In Muenchen

(Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Munich) Chinese Visa Application Service Center Address: Lutzstraße 2, 80687 München Tel: +49-089-58927460 Fax: +49-089-589274628 Website: https://www.visaforchina.org/MUC_EN/ Email: [email protected] Service Area: Bayern Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Generalkonsulat der Volksrepublik China In Frankfurt am Main

(Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Frankfurt) Chinese Visa Application Service Center Address: Bockenheimer Landstraße 51-53, 60325 Frankfurt am Main Tel: +49-069-26919130 Fax: +49-069-269191350 Website: https://www.visaforchina.org/FRA_EN/ Email: [email protected] Service Area: Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen, Baden-Württember and Saarland Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Frankfurt Chinese Visa Application Service Center, Duesseldorf Field Office Address: Pempelforter Strasse 50, 40211 Duesseldorf Tel: 0211-5408850 Fax: 0211-54088530 Email: [email protected] (The Dusseldorf Field office does not accept postal applications, which should be submitted to the Frankfurt office address. Application processing time in Dusseldorf is five working days.)

Generalkonsulat der Volksrepublik China In Hamburg

(Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Hamburg) Chinese Visa Application Service Center Address: Willy-Brandt-Strasse 57, 5.OG，20457 Hamburg Tel: +49-040-323106000 Fax: +49-040-323106001 Website: https://www.visaforchina.org/HAM_EN/ Email: [email protected] Service Area: Hamburg, Bremen, Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm