Who needs a visa?

EU citizens and those from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not require a visa if they enter Germany.
 

Citizens of non-EU countries always require a visa for the intended purpose of their stay.

Citizens of the states for which the European Community has lifted  visa requirement (opens in a new tab) require no visa for visits up to a maximum stay of 90 days (for each period of 180 days). 
 
A change in the purpose of the stay after entry into Germany is usually not possible. 
 

•  Further information from the Federal Foreign Office  (opens in a new tab)
•  Further information from the City of Stuttgart: Short Stays (in German only) (opens in a new tab)
•  Further information from the City of Stuttgart: Long Term Stay (in German only) (opens in a new tab)
•  Visa Navigator (opens in a new tab)
•  Official list of visa requirements by country (opens in a new tab)

The German Residence Act provides different types of Visa.  Read more (opens in a new tab)

Visitor's visas are issued by the embassies and consulates of the Schengen countries; so-called Schengen visas. A Short stay is a period of up to three months within a period of six months from the date of the first entry.You are not allowed to engage in employment with a Schengen Visa (category “C” visa).

The embassies and consulates general (diplomatic missions) of the Federal Republic of Germany issue Schengen visas for short visit stays as well as national visas for longer stays (more than three months).
 
You can find the addresses of the diplomatic missions on this  interactive world map (opens in a new tab)