Current News

Please note the changes to the entry procedure into Mexico, which can be found at the Federal Foreign Office under Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise für Mexiko.

From now on, documents for legalization can only be submitted to the Algerian Consulate in Frankfurt after making a prior online appointment.
This leads to significant delays because appointments can be up to 3 weeks in the future. The actual legalization still takes around 2 weeks.

Please take this into account when planning.

Due to the bank holidays "Victory Day", the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Berlin and the Consulate General in Bonn will be closed from 09 to 10 May 2024.

Due to the holiday “Spring and Labor Day” on May 1st, 2024, the Russian Visacenter Artionis GmbH as well as the embassy in Berlin and the Consulate General in Bonn will be closed from April 29th to May 1st, 2024.

For business activities, tourism, family and acquaintance visits as well as transit, entry is possible for certain nationals without a prior visa for a stay up to 15 days between December 1st, 2023 and November 30th, 2024.

This initially affects nationals from: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia.

It is expressly pointed out that the visa requirement remains if the purpose of the trip goes beyond those mentioned above, the stay lasts longer than 15 days and if the traveler (except citizens of Malaysia) has an official passport.

*Update: 07.03.2024*

The following countries will be added as of March 14, 2024:

Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Hungary.

German citizens, as well as other 78 nationalities worldwide, have been exempt from the visa requirement for Malawi since February 7, 2024.

This applies to both tourist and business travel purposes.

You can find an overview of the affected countries here

As already mentioned in our news on November 24th, 2023, for some entry into China is possible without a visa.

Apart from the previously known regulations, no further details regarding local entry have been communicated by officials.
After consultation with the Chinese Immigration Office in Shanghai, we were given the following requirements/recommendations with a view to ensuring unproblematic processing upon entry:

Necessary:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months
• Proof of return or onward travel tickets within the 15 day stay

Recommended:

• For business travelers:
  Invitation letter from the business partner about the purpose and duration of the trip (max. 15 days stay)
• For tourists:
  Proof of accommodation (e.g. hotel confirmation)

Of course, we will continue to monitor developments and keep you informed of any changes.

Due to the current economic and geopolitical situation, the work of the Russian visa center Artionis Germany GmbH in Frankfurt am Main will be temporarily suspended until further notice.
Visa applications will be accepted for processing until November 15, 2023.

Similar to the ESTA process for USA, Great Britain will gradually introduce an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from October 25, 2023 for people who were previously able to enter the UK without a visa.
 

Find further information here.

"Visa on arrival" is no longer possible, say Kenyan authorities. As the Federal Foreign Office explains, visas must be applied for online before travelling.