Important Information for Visa applicants for Schengen Visa to Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Slovenia

The German Embassy in Bahrain inaugurated a Visa Application Centre in Manama which is operated by VFS Global.

Every client has to submit his/her visa application at the VFS Visa Application Centre in Manama.

The VFS Global German Visa Application Centre in Manama is located at Diplomatic Commercial Tower, 18th Floor. Visa applicants can direct their queries and appointment requests to the call center number +973 17516545 or communicate with the center at info.germanybh@vfshelpline.com

Visa requirement

Nationals of EU countries
EU citizens do not need a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany.

Nationals from non-EU countries
Generally speaking, all other foreigners require a visa for stays in Germany. A visa is not required for visits of up to 90 days in a 180‑day period for nationals of those countries for which the European Community has abolished the visa requirement.

Please click here to find out if you require a visa.

Bodies responsible for issuing visas

In the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Manama is responsible for issuing visas.

Application preparation

The possibility of creating your visa application online and having the completed and printed form electronically scanned through a barcode during the appointment with the service provider (VFS Global) contributes significantly to reducing the processing time. Therefore please use the electronic application form VIDEX.

Applying

The visa application must be submitted personally by the applicant to the nearest service provider with all necessary documents. Biometric data (fingerprints) are collected if this has not been done before by any Schengen Mission in the past 59 months. In that case, appearing in person is not required. You can submit your application for a Schengen Visa at the visa acceptance center in Bahrain. The service provider supports you during the visa process. It accepts your application, checks it for completeness, collects the visa and service fees, forwards it to the German Embassy and then returns your passport to you. The service provider has no influence on the decision made by the Embassy regarding your application or any additional documents requested.

Application procedure

The competent German Mission will decide on the issuance of a visa taking into account all the circumstances of the individual case. There is no legal claim to the issuance of a Schengen Visa. In each individual case, the mission must establish that the following conditions have been met:

• Plausibility and comprehensibility of the purpose of travel in Germany
• Financing of living and travel expenses
• Willingness of the visa holder to leave the Schengen Area before the visa expires
• Proof of a travel health insurance valid for the entire Schengen area and for the entire duration of the stay with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros

Should an applicant be unable to prove that he/she can finance the journey and sustain him/herself, a third person may undertake to cover all costs associated with the trip in accordance with sections 66 and 68 of the Residence Act. This undertaking is normally to be made to the foreigner authority in the place of residence of the person making the undertaking.

Persons whose entry into the Schengen Area would jeopardize security or public order in the Schengen States or who do not fulfil one or more of the above mentioned requirements, cannot be granted a visa.

In the case of denial of an application, the applicant will be informed about the relevant reasons. Legal recourses are available to all applicants.

Visa Types

Select the visa type that is right for you to see important information on visa fees, documents required, forms, photo specifications and processing times.

VFS Global

Health Insurance Coverage for visa applications

The Embassy can generally only accept insurance policies issued in Bahrain. If your host or business partner has already bought a health insurance in Germany or one of the Schengen Member States, the insurance can also be accepted if you provide the original policy to the Embassy and the insurance meets the requirements mentioned below.

Health insurance requirements:

• Minimum insurance coverage for medical expenses must be € 30.000,-.
• The insurance policy has to cover all Schengen Member States and must generally be valid for the validity of the visa.
• Schengen or Europe should be mentioned as main destination on the policy.
• Insurance cards cannot be accepted unless accompanied with the insurance policy.
• Hand-written policies cannot be accepted.

General information:

Visa applications can be submitted at the earliest 6 months before and at the latest 15 calendar days before traveling. Passports are not handed out during the visa process.

To withdraw your application, please submit a signed withdrawal letter.

Please do not send business invitations or other application documents to the Embassy. All relevant documents have to be presented to the external service provider when applying for the visa.

Important information for Palestinians - Only the following passports / travel documents are recognized:

• Passport or Travel document issued by the Palestinian National Authority, only if the ID-Number mentioned in the document begins with the numbers 4, 8 or 9
• “Document de Voyage pour les Réfugiés Palestiniens”/“Travel Document for Palestinian Refugees” issued by the Egyptian authorities, only if the document contains a valid re-entry visa and the holder resides in Egypt
• Alien’s passport (T-series) issued by the Jordanian authorities
• “Document de Voyage pour les Refugies Palestiniens”/“Travel Document for Palestinian Refugees” issued by the Syrian authorities, only if Germany is included in area of validity and the right to return is secured.

Important information for Syrians:

The new Syrian electronic passports issued by the Syrian Arab Republic since 20.08.2023 are currently not recognized for entry and residence in the Federal Republic of Germany. This concerns the entire passport series (diplomatic, special, normal, service passports and travel documents for Palestinian refugees). If you have such a passport, you must expect significant delays in processing your visa application.

Passports are recognized only when they are signed by the bearer itself, except if the passport owner is younger than 10 years. If a Syrian passport is not duly signed on page 2, the owner itself will have to sign the passport at a Syrian Embassy/Consulate.