Germany is among the most requested Schengen destinations for citizens of Azerbaijan, and the reason is obvious: plenty of families here have relatives, business partners or a student in Germany, and there are direct flights from Baku to Berlin and Frankfurt. Yet a good share of applicants stumble at the very first step, because a lot of what is online is out of date.
Many sites still say documents go to VisaMetric and the fee is 90 euros. Both are wrong. Since July 2025 Germany’s visa centre in Baku is TLScontact, and under the agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Union the fee is 35 euros. The appeal procedure after a refusal changed at the same time.
This article collects everything currently true about the German visa: what it costs, which documents are required, how to book an appointment, how long the answer takes and what you can do if the visa is refused.
Do you need a German visa?
Yes. Citizens of Azerbaijan can enter Germany and the other Schengen countries only with a visa. Short trips — tourism, visiting family, business meetings, medical treatment — are covered by a «C» type Schengen visa, which allows a maximum of 90 days within any 180.
Anyone planning to study, work or join family in Germany for a longer period applies for a «D» type national visa instead. This article is mainly about the Schengen visa, because that is where the great majority of applications fall.
| Visa type | «C» type Schengen visa |
| How long can you stay? | 90 days in any 180 |
| Fee | 35 euros (free for children under 12) |
| Where documents go | The TLScontact visa centre in Baku |
| Processing time | Usually 10 calendar days, up to 30 in individual cases |
| When to apply | No earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before the trip |
What does a German visa cost?
Here citizens of Azerbaijan have an advantage. A visa facilitation agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Union has been in force since 2014, and under it the Schengen visa fee for our citizens is 35 euros. Citizens of most other countries have paid 90 euros since 2024. Children under 12 pay nothing.
The figures are published in the German embassy’s official fee table, which also lists the national visa: 75 euros for adults and 37.50 euros for under-18s. All fees are set in euros but paid in manat at the embassy’s current rate.
On top of the fee there is the visa centre’s service charge, paid separately. Add travel insurance, photographs and document translation, and the total for one person comes to roughly 100–120 manat.
Which documents are required?
The German embassy is strict about paperwork. One missing document, or an application filled in on an outdated form, can be enough for a refusal. Read the list carefully.
Documents everyone needs
For a tourist trip, additionally
A travel plan — a short itinerary showing how many days you will spend in which cities. If you are visiting several, there must be a hotel booking for each. Travelling as a family adds the marriage certificate and the children’s birth certificates.
For visiting relatives or friends
The key document is a formal invitation from the person in Germany. The strongest version is the Verpflichtungserklärung, a formal undertaking: your host registers it at their local immigration office and thereby assumes responsibility for all your costs during the trip. With such a letter, less weight is placed on your bank statement. A copy of the host’s passport or residence permit is attached as well.
For a business trip
An invitation on the German company’s letterhead stating the purpose of the trip, the dates and who is covering the costs. Add a letter from your employer in Azerbaijan confirming the assignment, plus documents showing the link between the two companies — a contract or correspondence about earlier cooperation.
Step by step: booking an appointment at TLScontact
On 8 July 2025 the German embassy moved Schengen visa intake from VisaMetric to TLScontact. Documents are now accepted only at the TLScontact centre in Baku. The process runs like this:
- Register on the TLScontact site, open a personal account and select «C-Visa».
- Join the waiting list for an appointment. Demand is high, so the centre works through a queue: when a slot opens you get a notification and pick a time.
- Fill in the VIDEX application, print it, and gather the documents according to the list.
- Attend on the appointed day. Documents are checked, fingerprints taken, and the fee and service charge paid.
- Your passport goes to the embassy. When the answer is ready you collect it at the centre or receive it by courier.
When can you apply?
No earlier than six months before the trip and no later than 15 days. In practice, do not rely on those 15 days: waiting for an appointment takes time of its own, and the queue lengthens in summer and before New Year. Our advice is to start at least two months before you travel.
What happens on the day?
At the centre they check that the file is complete, take your photograph and scan all ten fingers. Fingerprints stay in the Schengen visa system for 59 months, so if you were issued a Schengen visa in the past five years and your prints are on file, they are sometimes not retaken. You must attend in person; children under 12 do not give fingerprints.
How long does the answer take?
Under the agreement the embassy must decide within 10 calendar days of receiving the file, and the embassy states the same period on its site. Where extra checks are needed it can extend to 30 days. Realistically, expect to wait two to four weeks for your passport.
Why applications are refused, and what to do next
The most common reason is that the embassy is not convinced the applicant will return to Azerbaijan. A steady job, family, property and a record of earlier travel remove that doubt. The second reason is an incomplete file or documents that contradict each other — a salary certificate that does not match the bank statement, for example. The third is a purpose of travel that is not clear.
Remonstration no longer exists
This is the most important change of 2025, and many sites still carry the old information. A refused applicant used to be able to write a free appeal letter — a remonstration — to the embassy, and roughly 40 per cent of cases were resolved that way. On 1 July 2025 Germany abolished the procedure worldwide.
Two routes remain after a refusal: file a claim with the Administrative Court in Berlin, which is expensive and can drag on for years, or fix the file and apply again. In practice the second is almost always the sensible one. But it has a consequence: getting the first application right matters far more than it used to, because the cheap way of correcting a mistake is gone.
New rule: no more stamps at the border
On 10 April 2026 the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) came fully into operation at all Schengen borders. It means your passport is not stamped when you first enter Germany. Instead a facial image and fingerprints are recorded electronically at the border, and entry and exit dates are stored there too.
Two practical consequences. First, the first crossing takes a little longer, so do not leave a tight connection on a transit flight. Second, the 90/180 count is now automatic, and even a single day over shows up immediately. The embassy looks at that history when you apply for your next Schengen visa.
How to get from Baku to Germany
Germany is one of the few European countries with a direct flight from Baku. AZAL flies Baku–Berlin and Lufthansa Baku–Frankfurt, a journey of about five hours. Munich, Hamburg and Düsseldorf are reached with a connection in Istanbul or another European city.
Direct flights are convenient but not always cheapest. Once your dates are firm it is worth comparing fares to Germany across both direct and connecting options. Incidentally, the embassy needs a reservation rather than a purchased ticket, so buy the ticket after the visa is in your hands.
For anyone who wants to see Germany together with a neighbouring country or two, there are group tours around Europe. Hotels, transfers and the route come ready-made, and the operator usually helps gather the visa documents — which makes a first Schengen application considerably easier.
Read next: Schengen visa from Baku: which country to apply to and where to hand in your papers
Frequently asked questions about the German visa
How long does a German visa take?
Usually 10 calendar days from the moment the file reaches the embassy. That does not include waiting for an appointment, so allow three to six weeks for the whole process.
Can you visit other Schengen countries on a German visa?
Yes. A Schengen visa is valid in all 29 Schengen countries. There is one rule, though: the main part of the trip — the country where you spend the most nights — has to be Germany. Otherwise your next application may run into trouble.
Is there a fee for children?
Children under 12 pay nothing. Over 12 the fee is the same as for adults, 35 euros. If a child travels with one parent, the other parent’s notarised consent is required.
How much money should be in the account?
There is no official minimum, but the embassy works from roughly 45–50 euros a day. An amount matching 400–500 euros for a week, or 800–1000 for a fortnight, raises no questions. What matters most is that the balance has been stable over the past three months — not a large sum dropped in the day before you apply.
Can you get a multiple-entry visa?
You can. The EU agreement provides for multiple-entry visas in certain categories: close relatives of EU citizens living in Germany may get up to five years, while regular business travellers, journalists and students who used their previous visa properly may get up to one year. Ordinary tourists usually receive a single-entry visa matching the trip the first time, with longer validity as a clean history builds up.
After a refusal, when can you apply again?
There is no official waiting period — you could apply the next day. But resubmitting the same file is pointless. The refusal letter states the reason; add the documents that remove it, then apply.
In closing
A German visa is not hard to get, but it rewards care. The fee is 35 euros, documents go to TLScontact, and the answer comes in about ten days. What matters most is that the file is complete and internally consistent, because since remonstration was abolished, fixing a mistake is no longer easy.
The Viza.az team puts together a document list for your specific case, fills in the VIDEX application, books the appointment and checks the file against the embassy’s requirements.
Read more about Germany as a destination and our service fees, or fill in the application form and one of our specialists will contact you shortly.
Note: the information here is accurate as of the publication date. Fees, document requirements and the visa centre’s procedures can change, so check the official pages of the German embassy and TLScontact again before applying.
