| Universität Bielefeld > International > Information for internationally mobile scientists and their families > Preparations > Visa and Entry |
When applying for a visa, you must give precise and detailed information on how long you intend to stay and the purpose of your visit. The type of visa you will be granted will be selected to fit this information.
Staying in Germany as an international scholar generally requires a national visa. This is issued for a 3-month period. Before it runs out, you have to convert it into a long-term residence permit by the responsible foreigners' registration office. A national visa only grants permission to stay in Germany.
National Visa for Researchers:Under the following conditions the Visa for Researchers might be the right choice for you:
If you are accompanied by your spouse, you should consider applying for a National Visa for Researchers, because for spouses of so-called researchers entry requirements are less bureaucratic (no basic knowledge of German is required for spouses of "researchers") and also admission to the labour market is much easier.
If you are employed at Bielefeld University and part of your work has to be done in other European countries you should consider applying for a National Visa for Researchers because then entry regulations between the different countries will be less bureaucratic.
If you are funded by a scholarship it might be useful for you to apply for a visa for "researchers", because the residence permit procedure will then be much easier.
If non of the above-mentioned characteristics apply to you, you can of course apply for a regular National Visa for Employment.
Please note, that to apply for a Visa for Researchers you need to conclude a Hosting Agreement with Bielefeld University. Please contact the International Office to lean more about the conditions for this hosting agreement.
If you intend to visit another Schengen country at the beginning of your stay in Germany, then you need to apply for a dual visa. This will allow you to make short visits (of up to 3 months) to all member states of the Schengen agreement before being granted a residence permit for Germany.
We strongly advise international scholars not to apply for such a visa, because it cannot be extended or converted into any other type of visa. A Schengen visa is granted for a stay of up to 3 months only. It may be valid for one or repeated entries, and it is intended particularly for business travelers and tourists.
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