General Information
Federal Republic of Germany is part the European Union visa free Schengen Area, consisting of 29 countries: 25 EU Member States and 4 non-EU countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein). The Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 450 million EU citizens, along with non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes, anyone legally present in the EU.
Depending on the nationality, different rules apply for short term (tourist or business related) visits to Germany, and an overview of the visa policy of the Schengen Area are provided below.
Visa Policy of the Schengen Area
EU, EEA and Switzerland citizens
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Citizens of European Union, European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein) and Switzerland enjoy free movement and do not require a visa to visit, live or work in Germany.
Citizens of 'Annex II' (visa waiver countries) countries
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Citizens of countries which have a visa free agreement with the European Union do NOT require a visa for a short term stay (usually 90 days within any 180-day period) in Germany and the Schengen Area.
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Countries such as: United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, Japan, South Korea, Australia and most of non-EU European countries belong to this group.
Citizens of other countries
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Citizens of all other countries need a visa for short term stay in Germany, for either tourism or business purposes.
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For a short term stay of up to 90 days, Type-C Schengen visa is recommended.
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We suggest applying well in time as visa processing time can take up to 45 days.
Overview of visa requirements/exemptions for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany: Visa Policy
NOTE: If you are a citizen of a country whose nationals need a visa for visiting Germany, and you require an invitation letter, please contact our local organizing committee: numass2026-loc@lists.kit.edu
EU Entry/Exit System (EES)
On April 10th, 2026, EU's Entry/Exit System comes into full effect and will replace the manual stamping of passports. The system registers the person's name, travel document data, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit.
The new system will be applied to all visitors to the European Union and Schengen Area, with the only exceptions being national of EU, EEA and Switzerland, each time they cross the external borders of the EU.
All information regarding EES can be found here: EES
NOTE: As the system will come into effect three days before the NuMass workshop starts, short delays at the borders can be expected.
