The right connections for your life and business.
The right visa for Germany depends on the purpose and length of your trip. This page sets the short-stay Schengen visa next to the long-stay national visa, compares the main application purposes, and links to each detail guide so you reach the page that matches your situation.
Prepared for visitors, business travellers, students and families applying from Türkiye. The rules that apply to you depend on your citizenship, passport and place of residence.
GERMANY / DEUTSCHLAND
Turkish citizens need a visa to travel to Germany. Which visa you apply for depends on how long you stay (under or over 90 days), the main purpose of the trip (tourism, visit, business, study, work) and your main destination country. The comparison below helps you pick the right category; each purpose has its own detail page.
Four questions settle the right category for most applications.
Trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period — tourism, a visit, a business meeting, a fair, a short course — fall under the short-stay Schengen visa (type C). Study, work or family reunification beyond 90 days require a long-stay national visa (type D).
If you travel to several Schengen countries, you apply to the country where you spend the most time by purpose and duration (your main destination). If no main destination can be determined, you apply to the country you enter first. If Germany is your main destination, you apply at the responsible iDATA branch in Türkiye.
Tourism, a visit, business or a fair, a student trip, an internship or an event each have different document and preparation details. Pick the heading closest to your purpose and follow the current document list on that page.
Schengen visa applications are accepted only at the iDATA offices authorised by the German missions. Which mission you belong to (the Embassy in Ankara, or the Consulate General in Istanbul or Izmir) is set by your place of residence.
Each heading explains its own application purpose, document preparation and points to watch. You can reach every topic from the directory on the left.
Short-stay Schengen preparation for holiday, culture and personal travel plans.
View the pageInvitation and document preparation for meetings, business talks and trade fairs.
View the pageThe invitation and formal undertaking process when visiting relatives in Germany.
View the pageThe 90-day rule, the Schengen area and the general frame of short-stay travel.
View the pageConnecting journeys through Germany and airport transit conditions.
View the pageShort-stay preparation for school and university group travel.
View the pageShort study travel under an exchange programme.
View the pageTravel for a short internship or practical training.
View the pageTaking part in a competition, festival or organised event.
View the pageThe specific conditions for concerts, stage and artistic events.
View the pageThe application frame for drivers in international transport.
View the pageFor study, work or family reunification beyond 90 days, see the residence category.
Every application depends on personal circumstances; keep the following limits in mind.
A Schengen visa (C) is for short trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A national visa (D) is for long stays beyond 90 days such as study, work or family reunification, and it needs a different set of documents and a different application office.
You apply to Germany if you will spend most of your time there (your main destination). If the duration and purpose weigh more towards another country, you apply there. If no main destination can be determined, the first country you enter is responsible.
Applications filed in the wrong category can be refused and require a new appointment in the correct category. That is why it matters to settle the purpose first, then follow the document list on the relevant detail page.
The sources below were checked on the date of writing.
Last official check: November 2, 2026
Let us review your situation together and settle the right category; then you file your official application in your own name.
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