The German Consulate General in Nigeria is located in Lagos state while the German Embassy is located in Abuja. Obtaining a visa application form as well as the appointment booking are free of cost. The only fee incurred during the visa procedure are the visa fees. When applying for a visa with the German embassy, it is not recommended that you use intermediary service providers because the German embassy does not cooperate with any of them. This article provides you with information on how to book an appointment in German embassy in Nigeria.
How to Book Appointment in German Embassy in Nigeria
Schengen visa: This is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any members of the Schengen Area. Holders of the Schengen visa can stay for up to 90 days for tourism, business purposes or trade fair. The visa also enables its holder to enter and freely travel within the Schengen zone and from any of the Schengen member countries. If you intend staying in Germany for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days, you have to apply for a Schengen visa. You can apply for a Schengen visa up to 180 days before your planned date of travel
Immigrant / Long term Visa: This is for applicants staying more than 90 days for such reasons as family reunion, employment purposes or study purposes.
Where to book an Appointment
Appointments already booked online for all applicants travelling to Germany as their main destination must be done in person at the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany located in Lagos. The only time it is not necessary to submit your application in person is under the following circumstance:
- If your fingerprints have been scanned for a Schengen visa application any time in the past five years.
- If your fingerprints have been scanned at the German embassy in Lagos, at another German embassy anywhere else in the world or at the visa section of another Schengen member state
In the case of all the above, you may submit your visa application through a representative. However, you are still required to book an appointment.
Note that the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Abuja can issue visas only in exceptional cases. These are:
Applicants on official and medical emergency trips residing in Abuja or administrative areas of the embassy such as Niger state, Kwara state, Kogi state, Nassarawa state, Benue state, Taraba state, Plateau state, Adamawa state, Gombe state, Bauchi state, Kaduna state, Zamfara state, Kebbi state, Sokoto state, Katsina state, Kano state, Jigawa state, Yobe state, Borno state.
Elligible applicants allowed to process visa appointments from Abuja include:
Employees of the Federal Level:
- Federal Authorities who are only on official trips / official passports
Federal Authorities on private trips only with a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Applicant must be working actively for the federal authority with payslip as proof)
- Presidency
- Members of the National Assembly
- State House
- Senate
- Military: Only official trips with invitation from Germany
- SSS: only official trips or with full cost coverage
Applicants in this case may be accompanied by one PA, spouse and children.
Other exceptions include:
Employees of the UN and ECOWAS in Abuja
Spouses and children of Germans living in Embassy’s jurisdiction
Employees of the German political foundations in Nigeria
The visa section in Abuja can only process applications for Schengen visas (C-Visas, short term). Aside from diplomats, National visas also known as D-visas cannot be processed in the German Consulate General in Abuja.
Applicants who do not need an appointment
- Applicants for transit visas
- Applicants on official duty who have a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The following listed above are exempted to the rule of booking an appointment and may appear in person at the visa section of the German Consulate General in Lagos state. The permitted time is 6.30 a.m from Monday to Friday.
Visa Application
- You must provide the minimum required documents which include: fully completed visa application form, 1 passport photograph, passport and the application fee in If these are not provided, you may be rejected on the day of your appointment or your visa application refused. Only the submission of a complete application with all required documents in place guarantees a prompt processing of your visa application.
- When applying for your visa online via the German mission website, ensure you select the appropriate visa category such as Student visa, Work visa, Family reunion visa, Schengen visa.You cannot use your appointment for a different visa category. If you book an appointment for another visa category than the one you actually requested, your appointment will be cancelled.
- Make your visa application well in advance. It is possible to apply for your Schengen visa up to 6 months in advance of your journey.
- Visa applications should be handed in at least 15 days ahead of your desired travel time
- All the required information for the booking process must be entered. Ensure you enter a valid email address and correct passport number. After this, you will receive a reservation confirmation by email. This is the reason it is essential you put in a valid email address.
- Each applicant must have a separate booking / registration. Even minors applying for their visa are expected to have a separate appointment
- In order to avoid malpractice, the German Consulate allows for only one appointment can be booked per person. A new booking can only be allocated after a period of time
- The payment of visa fee is to be made in cash only at the time of submission of the application.The visa fee amount is only payable in 500 and 1000 bills!
- You are requested to submit your complete documents even if you are a regular visitor to the Schengen states.
- You must arrive at the German Consulate early on the day of your appointment. You are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your appointment at the consulate.