Skip to content
Germany flag — visa destinationSchengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Business Verified 2026-04-20

Business Visa (Schengen Type C)

Schengen short-stay business visa for Indian professionals attending meetings, negotiations, conferences, or contracts in Germany — up to 90 days.

Germany asks for three company documents together, the certificate of incorporation, the GST registration and the company registration, and a file with two of the three is treated as incomplete. Some visit categories also need pre-approval from the Federal Employment Agency, and a missing approval where one was required is a refusal, not a query. The German side's invitation has to explain the relationship between the two companies and what will actually be done during the visit. The fee is €91, processing is 15 working days from arrival at the Consulate General in Mumbai, and the VIDEX form should be completed online before the VFS appointment.

Govt. of Punjab licensed· 5★ from 100+ Google reviews·WhatsApp support · reply in 5 min
Call +91 97803 01303
Processing time
About 3 weeks
after you submit

No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the Germany visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.

Jurisdiction Notice — Germany Schengen Visa

SureshotVisa handles the New Delhi jurisdiction.

All Germany Schengen visa applications accepted in India are forwarded to the German Consulate General, Mumbai, for decision — but you must apply at the VFS Application Centre that matches your place of habitual residence. Choosing the wrong jurisdiction means your appointment is cancelled and the application is refused at the counter.

Covered States (New Delhi jurisdiction)

  • Haryana
  • Himachal Pradesh
  • Jammu and Kashmir
  • Punjab
  • Rajasthan
  • Sikkim
  • Uttar Pradesh
  • Uttarakhand

Covered UTs (New Delhi jurisdiction)

  • Chandigarh
  • NCT of Delhi
  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  • Lakshadweep (incl. Minicoy & Amini)

Outside these states/UTs? Germany splits Schengen applications across Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru consulates by residence. We can still guide you end-to-end — document checklist, appointment slot at the right VAC, and submission support. Contact us first before booking anything.

Processing

15 working days

Stay Duration

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period

Starting Fee

€91

Apply At

14 VFS centres

Done-for-you · End-to-end filing

Your whole Germany Business Visa, handled for one honest price.

A strong Germany file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.

All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges

₹16,999all-in · GST incl.

File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents

5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min

Everything below — included, nothing extra

  • Document checklist
  • Application form guidance
  • Document review
  • Cover letter
  • Purpose of travel structure
  • Financial proof review
  • Sponsor document guidance
  • Submission & appointment support
  • Post-submission guidance
Licensed consultant files it Govt/VFS fees paid direct — never marked up

Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee. Read the full guide

Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.

Your fee, in one glance

What the ₹16,999 fee covers for a Germany file

  • We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
  • We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
  • We read your documents against each other, not against a list
  • Financial proof review
  • Purpose of travel structuring
  • Cover letter / explanation support
  • Return ties review
  • Sponsor / invitation guidance
  • Application form guidance
  • Submission & appointment support
  • Biometrics guidance
  • Post-submission support

Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.

Good to know before you apply

Rules that apply to every Germany visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.

  • 1You MUST apply at the VFS Application Centre covering your place of habitual residence. New Delhi jurisdiction covers Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand + UTs of Chandigarh, NCT of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep. Applying at the wrong VAC means your application is refused at the counter.
  • 2Applications must be submitted NOT earlier than 6 months before and NOT later than 15 working days before intended travel.
  • 3Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond scheduled return, issued within the last 10 years, have at least 2 blank pages, and must not have any observations on the data page.
  • 4All documents, forms, and declarations must be submitted in German or English. Documents in other languages require certified German/English translation — missing translation = 'document not submitted'.
  • 5Travel medical insurance must cover the ENTIRE duration of the Schengen trip, minimum €30,000 coverage, and is only accepted from approved Indian Travel Insurance companies (list at india.diplo.de/in-en/service/-/1984578).
  • 6Fingerprints are collected at VFS for every in-person submission unless collected within the last 59 months for a previous Schengen visa.
  • 7Photo specs: 35×45 mm, white background, face 70–80% of frame, ≤6 months old. Name-observation passports are NOT accepted.
  • 8Incomplete documentation alone is grounds for refusal — the visa section is NOT obliged to request missing documents before denying your application.
  • 9A booked flight ticket does NOT lead to priority processing. Do not purchase tickets until the visa is issued; reservations are enough.
  • 10If you plan to work in Germany on a Schengen Visa (even short engagements), check with the inviting company whether Federal Employment Agency pre-approval (Einvernehmen / Zustimmung der Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required. The host obtains this directly at the Federal Employment Agency — the visa section cannot apply for it. Missing approval = automatic rejection.

Who Can Apply

  • Indian professionals travelling for business meetings, negotiations, or contracts in Germany
  • Employees attending conferences, training, or trade events (not exhibitors — use Trade Fair visa)
  • Company owners / directors visiting German partners, suppliers, or clients
  • Consultants delivering short-term services to a German client

Not eligible under this visa:

  • Stays longer than 90 days — apply for National Visa D / work permit
  • Any paid employment in Germany (work may require Federal Employment Agency pre-approval)
  • Exhibitors at trade fairs — apply for the Trade Fair / Exhibitors visa instead

What it costs

Government & VFS fees

Paid directly to Germany / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.

ItemAmount
Adult — Schengen Short Stay (Type C)€91
Children 6–12 years€45
Children below 6 yearsFREE
VFS service charge₹2,022

Embassy fees are set in EUR by the German Consulate General, Mumbai — the INR charged at VFS varies with the daily exchange rate. New Visa Fee of €91 is effective from 29 January 2026 for all cities. VFS service charge of ₹2,022 (inclusive of CGST 9% + SGST 9%) is fixed. Fees are payable in Cash / Visa / Mastercard / Amex / Rupay / Demand Draft (in favour of VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd) / UPI. All visa fees, VFS service charges, and value-added service fees are non-refundable regardless of visa outcome.

Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary

What Germany actually requires — and what it does not.

Germany applies the Schengen rules, so travel insurance is not a nice-to-have — it is a legal condition of the visa.

2 of 4 are compulsory for Germany

Expected

Flight reservation

The Germany consulate wants a return itinerary with a real PNR covering your exact dates. It does not want a paid ticket, and buying one before a decision puts your money at risk for nothing.

Where people slip: Flying into one city and out of another with nothing showing how you travel between them. Officers read the whole route, and an unexplained gap reads as a plan that does not hold together.

How to hold a flight without paying
Required

Hotel booking

Accommodation for EVERY night of the stay. Not most nights — every one. A gap is a documented refusal ground under the Schengen code.

Where people slip: Free-cancellation bookings are accepted, but if the entire file is free-cancellation the officer sees a trip nobody has committed to. Some of it should be real spend.

Refundable hotel booking, explained
Required

Travel insurance

Minimum EUR 30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen state, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation, for the full period of stay. Regulation (EC) 810/2009 — this is law, not preference.

Where people slip: Buying cover for the adults and forgetting the children. Every traveller needs their own EUR 30,000, infants included — a real refusal we have seen on a family of four.

What the cover must actually say
Expected

Travel itinerary

A day-by-day plan matching your flights, your hotels and the country you applied to. Germany must be your main destination or your first point of entry, or you are at the wrong consulate.

Where people slip: Spending more nights in another Schengen country than in Germany. That gets a file rejected before it is even assessed.

The letter your itinerary attaches to

We arrange all four for your Germany file.

We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.

What to gather

Documents required

Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.

Core Documents

7 items
  • VIDEX online application formRequired

    Printed with all barcode pages, signed.

  • Signed Declaration of True and Complete InformationRequired
  • Signed Declaration on Travel and Health InsuranceRequired
  • Valid passportRequired

    Valid 3 months beyond return, 2 blank pages, issued within last 10 years.

  • Copy of biometric & address page (DIN A4)Required
  • One biometric photo 35×45mmRequired

    White background, 70–80% face coverage, ≤6 months old.

  • Personal covering letterRequired

    Proof of intended means of transport and itinerary.

Business Documentation

6 items
  • Original covering letter from your Indian company on company letterheadRequired

    Must state: name of traveller, passport number, purpose of trip, duration, brief itinerary.

  • Certificate of Incorporation + GST Registration + Proof of Company RegistrationRequired

    Submit ALL three in addition to the covering letter.

  • Invitation letter from German business partner (in German or English)Required

    Must state: activities planned, business relationship between companies, products/services traded. For consultancy: confirmation letter from the German client.

  • Detailed schedule of business meetings

    ONLY required for stays over 30 days.

  • Further Schengen appointments (if applicable)

    Signed invitation letter from the Schengen business partner on company letterhead.

  • Federal Employment Agency approval

    ONLY for international staff exchange or contracts for work and services — rejection risk if required but missing.

Accommodation & Travel

3 items
  • Proof of accommodationRequired

    Hotel reservations OR inviting company arranging accommodation (must be confirmed in invitation letter — then point 12 below can be skipped).

  • Flight reservationRequired

    Do NOT purchase tickets until visa is issued.

  • Overseas travel medical insurance — €30,000 min, approved Indian insurerRequired

Financial Documents (Applicant)

4 items
  • Pay slips last 3 months + employment contract + Leave Sanction letterRequired

    If you are employed.

  • Company registration certificate + GST number + ITR last 2 years + bank statements

    If you are a company owner / self-employed.

  • Applicant's bank statements last 3 months, stamped by bankRequired

    Pages in continuation must be separated — passbook copies not accepted.

  • ITR acknowledgment for last 2 assessment years OR Form 16Required

Sponsor Documentation (if sponsored)

4 items
  • If sponsored by Indian resident: Sponsor letter + sponsor's passport copy + bank statements (3 months) + relationship proof
  • If sponsored by German/EU resident: Sponsor letter + passport copy + German residence permit (if applicable) + Verpflichtungserklärung (if provided)
  • If sponsored by Indian company: ITR acknowledgment for last 3 years + company incorporation + GST registration
  • If sponsored by German company: Sponsor letter + passport copy + German residence permit (if applicable)

Civil Status

1 item
  • Marriage certificate / divorce decree / custody / birth certificate of children / death certificate of spouse

    If applicable. Single applicants need no civil status document.

Required · optional / if applicable

The journey.

6 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.

  1. 01

    Fill VIDEX online

    Complete application at videx.diplo.de. Print with barcodes, sign.

  2. 02

    Collect company documents

    Covering letter on letterhead + Certificate of Incorporation + GST Registration + Proof of Company Registration. Invitation letter from German partner.

  3. 03

    Check if FEA pre-approval is needed

    If your trip involves staff exchange or work contracts, the German host must obtain Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) pre-approval BEFORE you apply. Missing this = rejection.

  4. 04

    Book VFS appointment

    At visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/deu — select the VAC matching your residence jurisdiction.

  5. 05

    Submit at VFS + biometrics

    In-person submission. Pay €91 + ₹2,022. Optional: courier / SMS / premium lounge.

  6. 06

    Decision from Mumbai Consulate

    Application forwarded to German Consulate General Mumbai. Standard 15 working days processing.

What works

8 levers that flip a borderline case.

  • Fill your VIDEX application online BEFORE visiting VFS — most VFS centres have limited PCs and on-site filling creates long queues.
  • Apply 3–4 weeks before travel as the sweet spot — early enough to handle extended processing, not so early that bookings expire.
  • Book travel health insurance ONLY from the approved Indian insurers list — VFS rejects insurance from non-approved providers even if coverage exceeds €30,000.
  • Carry ALL previous passports with old Schengen stamps — the consulate wants to see full travel history.

What kills cases

Top 3 refusal triggers we see.

  • 1Missing Federal Employment Agency pre-approval when the visit category required it
  • 2Invitation letter missing key details (relationship between companies, activities planned)
  • 3Company documents incomplete (COI, GST, company registration — need ALL three)

VFS application centres

VFS Global New Delhi (Shivaji Stadium Metro, Connaught Place)VFS Global MumbaiVFS Global BengaluruVFS Global ChennaiVFS Global KolkataVFS Global HyderabadVFS Global AhmedabadVFS Global PuneVFS Global ChandigarhVFS Global JalandharVFS Global JaipurVFS Global GoaVFS Global CochinVFS Global Puducherry

Schengen Business Visa Eligibility Check

Answer 10 questions focused on business visa criteria. Business applications face different scrutiny — the embassy wants clear purpose, genuine business relationships, and verifiable host.

0 / 10
1

Who is inviting you to Denmark / the Schengen country?

2

What form will the invitation take?

3

How long have you had a business relationship with the Danish host?

4

How long is your business trip?

5

What's your role in your Indian company?

6

What's your Indian company's annual turnover?

Helps establish legitimacy of the business case.

7

How often do you travel internationally for business?

8

Have you used a Schengen visa before?

9

Any previous visa refusals (business or otherwise)?

10

Your return-to-India anchor?

Indicative only — final decision is always with the Embassy.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered straight

Trade Fair visa is for exhibitors and visitors of specific German exhibitions/trade fairs (Hannover Messe, IFA, Drupa, etc.) and requires an exhibitor/visitor pass. Business visa is for general business meetings, negotiations, and short consultancy — no trade-fair pass required.

Only for international staff exchange or contracts for work and services. Pure business meetings, sales, and negotiations do NOT need FEA approval. If unsure, ask the German host to clarify — they must obtain the approval, not you.

No — Schengen short-stay visas (Type C) cannot be extended inside Germany except in force majeure (serious illness, etc.). Plan your trip within the 90-day allowance.

Yes — if the German host provides a Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation letter) they take financial responsibility. You still need to show your own economic ties (employment, business ownership).

Residents of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, UP, Uttarakhand + UTs of Chandigarh/Delhi/A&N/Lakshadweep must apply at VFS New Delhi. Residents elsewhere apply at the VAC matching their state's jurisdiction (Mumbai / Chennai / Kolkata / Bengaluru consulate zones) — contact SureshotVisa for guidance.

15 working days from when the German Consulate General, Mumbai receives your file. Add 2 working days for VFS transport. Peak season can extend this. A booked flight ticket does NOT result in priority processing.

Reviewed by Sherbir Singh Grewal, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.

How we get it done

Your Germany Business Visa, from your first message to your passport back.

7 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.

Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.

+Who has to sign my Germany business invitation, and what must it say?

The inviting company signs it, on its letterhead, naming you personally, the exact dates, the purpose of the meetings and — crucially — who is paying for what. Officers verify these: a letter with no signatory title, no company registration detail and no reachable phone number is worse than no letter, because it fails a verification call. Your own side matters just as much: a leave sanction or board resolution, your employment or directorship proof, and a travel history that fits the seniority the letter claims for you.

+Can I attend meetings, sign contracts or get paid on this visa?

Meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs and training you attend are normally fine. What is not permitted is gainful employment — being paid by an entity in Germany, or doing work that a local would otherwise be hired for, even unpaid in some categories. That line is where business visas get refused and, worse, where they get cancelled at the border. If your trip involves anything close to it, tell us the actual plan and we will tell you which route it needs.

+How long can I actually stay on a Germany Schengen visa?

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The window rolls: on any given day the authorities count backwards 180 days and add up the days you were inside. It is not 90 days per country and it does not reset when you leave and come back. Entries are single or multiple entry, as granted by the consulate. Getting this arithmetic wrong is how people end up overstaying without realising, which follows you into every future application.

+Should I apply to Germany or to another Schengen country?

You apply to the country you will spend the most nights in. If the nights are equal across several, you apply to the one you enter first. Applying to the "easier" consulate when your itinerary says otherwise is a well-known refusal ground and, if the mismatch looks deliberate, it reads as misrepresentation rather than a mistake. Send us your itinerary and we will tell you which mission is the correct one for your trip — sometimes that is not Germany.

+How long does a Germany Business Visa take, start to finish?

Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. Germany currently states 15 working days from when the application reaches the German Consulate General, Mumbai (not counting the up to 2 working days VFS takes to transport your file). May extend in peak season or if additional documents are required. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.

+How much of what I pay for the Germany visa is actually your fee?

Most of it is not ours. The Germany government fee (currently €91) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.

+How does SureshotVisa handle my Germany Business Visa, from first message to passport back?

You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (Germany currently states 15 working days from when the application reaches the German Consulate General, Mumbai (not counting the up to 2 working days VFS takes to transport your file). May extend in peak season or if additional documents are required.). Government and visa-centre fees (€91 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.

Before you file

A Germany Business Visa goes one of two ways.

Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same Germany rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.

Other Germany Visa Types

Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Tourism

Tourist Visa (Schengen Type C — Short Stay)

Schengen short-stay visa for Indian citizens travelling to Germany for tourism, sightseeing, and leisure — up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

View guide
Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Visit / Family & Friends

Visit Visa — Family & Friends (Schengen Type C)

Schengen short-stay visa for Indian citizens visiting family members, relatives, or friends in Germany — up to 90 days.

View guide
Schengen Airport Transit (Type A)

Airport Transit Visa (Schengen Type A)

Indian nationals no longer need Germany’s airport transit visa for an airside connection (rule lifted 3 June 2026). Who still needs it, and when a Schengen visa applies instead.

View guide
Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Trade Fair / Exhibition

Trade Fair / Exhibition Visa (Schengen Type C)

Schengen short-stay visa for Indian exhibitors and visitors of German trade fairs (Hannover Messe, IFA, Drupa, Automechanika, etc.).

View guide
Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Medical Treatment

Medical Treatment Visa (Schengen Type C)

Schengen visa for Indian citizens seeking specific medical treatment at a German hospital / clinic — up to 90 days.

View guide
Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Culture / Sport / Religious

Culture / Sport / Religious Visa (Schengen Type C)

Schengen short-stay visa for Indian artists, sportspeople, film crews, cultural performers, and religious workers invited to Germany.

View guide
Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Seamen

Seamen Visa (Schengen Type C)

Schengen short-stay visa for Indian seafarers joining ships at German ports — requires CDC, shipping company invitation, and Indian agent documentation.

View guide
Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Guest Scientist / Research / Student

Guest Scientist / Research / Short-term Student Visa (Schengen Type C)

Schengen short-stay visa for Indian scientists, researchers, and students visiting Germany for research, academic programs, or short courses under 90 days.

View guide

Source & Disclaimer

Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global Germany website and Embassy of Germany. Last verified 2026-04-20. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.

Ready?

Want us to check your Germany visa case?

Share your travel purpose, employment/business profile and funds. We'll tell you honestly where your file stands.

Call +91 97803 01303