Basic information

• You can apply for a Schengen tourist visa 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. Additional documents for minors below the age of 18
   1. Birth certificate
   2. Written travel consent from all parents listed on the child's birth certificate – certified by a notary public.
   3. Passport or ID copies of the parents listed on the child's birth certificate.
   4. If one parent is deceased or sole custody exists, corresponding proof (death certificate, court custody order) must be provided.
   5. Confirmation letter from the school that the child is a student there, including details of school holidays/absences, etc.

8. Travel Program

   A detailed itinerary outlining the planned itinerary (locations and means of transport). If you are booking an individual tourist trip through a tour operator, please provide the relevant documentation from the tour operator, including the names of fellow travelers if applicable.

9. Proof of accommodation for the entire stay in the Schengen Area

   For example, hotel reservations or apartment reservations. Cancelled reservations will not be accepted.

10. Proof of employment/training
    1. For employees:
       1. A recent letter from your employer stating your position and the duration of the approved leave
       2. Salary slips for the last 3 months - certified by your employer
    2. If you are self-employed:
       1. Company registration, current business permit (issued in your name), additionally in Kenya: CR12 certificate
       2. Business account statements or M-Pesa statements for the last 3 months - certified by the bank or Safaricom
    3. For students: Student ID and certificate of enrollment (including details of your course of study, semester breaks, and remaining semesters)
    4. For pupils: School certificate
    5. For retirees: Pension certificate
    6. If you are not employed: Details of how you support yourself in Kenya, along with supporting documents

11. Proof of family connections 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. Other proof of ties to the country where you are residing

    For example, proof of property ownership (in the form of title deeds), volunteer work, etc.

13. Proof of sufficient means of subsistence/Applicant's bank statements

    Financing of the trip from the applicant's own funds. 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, have to be submitted. 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 (children under 6 years: free; children between 6 and 12 years: €45) and the TLS service fee of €28.50 (both fees 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.