For longer stays, a national visa is required. This is issued before entry. The embassies and consulates general of the Federal Republic of Germany are responsible for issuing national visas.
Please apply for a residence permit or EU Blue Card during the term of validity of your visa.
Your application should be submitted 4 to 6 weeks before your visa is scheduled to expire.
The best thing is to book an appointment online in a timely manner.
It is not possible to convert this visa into a residence permit at any earlier stage. If, in spite of this, other authorities (e.g. health insurers) require a residence permit before you have one, you can be issued with a certificate of your right of residence for a fee of EUR 18.
A national visa can also be issued with a maximum term of validity of up to 12 months.
If you do not intend to stay for a longer period than the visa allows, you do not need to submit an application, or to come into theBerlin Immigration Office.
Your visa states whether and to what extent you are permitted to work.
You can start working immediately after your entry, to the extent permitted, even if you do not yet have a residence permit or EU Blue Card.
With a valid national visa, you can travel to the following countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days (after first entry):
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
The duration of your stay with a national visa counts towards the periods for which you are deemed to hold a residence permit, an EU Blue Card, a settlement permit or an EU long-term residence permit.
Therefore, if you wish to acquire a permanent residence title or to become naturalized, it does not matter when your national visa was converted into a different residence title.
