Basic information

• You can apply for a Schengen visa for business purposes if you intend to stay in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.
• The German Embassy in Nairobi is only responsible for processing your application if your main destination is Germany and you reside in Kenya, Somalia, the Seychelles or – if you are not a Rwandan citizen – in Rwanda.
• Applications shall be lodged no more than six months before the start of the intended visit, and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before the start of the intended visit.
• You have to submit your visa application to the external service provider TLScontact. Information about the services TLScontact offers and how to make appointments can be found in German and English on the TLScontact website.
• All application documents must be submitted in original with 1 copy.
• Please sort the documents in the order listed below.
• Documents not in the German or English language must be submitted with a certified German or English translation.
• The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents in individual cases.
• Incomplete application forms as well as applications with incomplete documents will delay processing and may lead to rejection of the application.
• Processing time is as a rule ca. 2 weeks for complete applications but can take longer in individual cases. If your application is incomplete, the processing time can be up to 45 days.
• Please do not contact the mission abroad to check the status of your application during the normal processing period. Such inquiries are extremely time-consuming for the visa section and can thus not be answered. Please check your TLS account regularly for updates on your visa application status and/or document submission request/status.
• Submitting a complete application does not automatically result in a visa being issued.

Required Documents

1. Completed and duly signed application form. A digital application form to be completed online can be found on https://videx.diplo.de
2. One current, colored and biometric passport photograph (taken in front of a white background)

3. Passport + 1 copy of the data page

   Your passport shall have at least two blank pages and its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Schengen Member States

4. If you are a foreigner (i.e. not a national of the country in which you live) who resides in Kenya, Somalia, the Seychelles or Rwanda, you must present a residence permit for your country of residence
5. Somali citizens: Completed and signed application for exemption of the passport requirement (provided at TLS or on their website)

6. If applicable: Proof of previous travel to the Schengen area

   Please provide copies of your previous Schengen visas.

7. Invitation letter from a company or business partner based in Germany

   The invitation letter must meet the following requirements and contain the following information:

   1. Issued on official letterhead with company name, company stamp, and date of issue
   2. Original signature, name, and position of the responsible person within the company (no digital signature); signature may not be imitated by a third party
   3. Details of the exact purpose and duration of the trip, the program, and the places of stay
   4. Person or institution covering travel and accommodation costs
   5. If applicable, a commitment to cover the applicant's travel and accommodation costs in accordance with Sections 66-68 of the German Residence Act

8. Proof of accommodation for the entire stay in the Schengen area

   For example, hotel reservations or apartment reservations

9. Proof of Employment
   1. For Employees

      1. Letter from the employer with

         - current address, telephone and fax numbers, email address, and company contact person

         - Company seal, company letterhead, and date of issue

         - Original signature, name, and position of the responsible person within the company (no digital signature). Signature may not be imitated by a third party

         - Information about the applicant (name, position, salary, and length of service)

         - Approval of the business trip and confirmation of continued employment upon return

         - Information about the purpose (business reason for the invitation) and duration of the planned trip

         - Information about the person or institution covering travel and accommodation expenses

      2. Company registration; additionally in Kenya: CR12
      3. Salary slips for the last 3 months - certified by your employer
   2. For self-employed applicants
      1. Company registration and current business permit (issued in your name); additionally in Kenya: CR12

      2. Letter from your own company with

         - current address, telephone and fax numbers, email address, and company contact person

         - Company seal, company letterhead, and date of issue

         - Original signature, name, and position of the responsible person within the company (no digital signature). Signature must not be imitated by a third party

         - Information about the applicant (name, position, salary, and length of service)

         - Approval of the business trip and confirmation of continued employment upon return

         - Information about the purpose (business reason for the invitation) and duration of the planned trip

         - Information about the person or institution that will cover travel and accommodation expenses

      3. Bank statements from your business account or M-Pesa statements for the last 3 months - certified by the bank or Safaricom

   3. For students

      Confirmation letter from the university with:

      - Letterhead, seal, current address, and contact details of the university

      - Original signature, name, and position of the signatory (no digital signature)

      - Leave of absence for the planned travel period

10. Applicant's bank statements

    Statements of the applicant's salary account or other current accounts (including M-Pesa) for the last 3 months, issued and stamped by the bank or Safaricom, showing

    - regular income to cover living expenses in the country of habitual residence

    - sufficient funds to cover all travel and accommodation expenses (if necessary, please also see no. 12)

11. Proof of family ties in country of residence

    For example, birth certificates + ID copies of the applicant's minor children and marriage certificate + ID copy of the spouse

12. Proof of sufficient means of subsistence

    - Commitment of the inviting company or business partner to cover the applicant's travel and accommodation expenses in accordance with Sections 66-68 of the Residence Act OR

    - Confirmation from the employer that all travel and accommodation expenses will be funded by the employer (in this case, the employer's business bank statements for the last 3 months must be submitted and certified by the bank) OR

13. - Funding of the trip from the applicant's own funds (in this case, there must be sufficient funds in the applicant's personal accounts). The submission of M-Pesa bank statements alone is not sufficient, as M-Pesa cannot be used in the Schengen area.

14. Travel Health Insurance

    Valid travel health insurance coverage for the requested period of stay with a minimum coverage of €30,000, valid for all Schengen countries.

    For applications for multiple-entry, annual, or multi-year visas, presentation of valid travel health insurance is sufficient for the first trip only.

    Insurance policies from Schengen countries are generally accepted if the above requirements are met.

    Travel health insurance policies from insurance companies based in Kenya are only accepted if the company is listed on this list.

15. Visa fee of €90 and the service fee charged by TLS of €28.50 (each to be paid in Kenyan shillings according to the embassy's exchange rate applicable at the time of application).

This fact sheet reflects the legal situation at the time of drafting it. It is regularly updated but makes no claim to be complete. Authoritative version of the fact sheet is the German version.