Germany Visa for conference
Jul 18th, 2014, 02:38 AM
#1
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Germany Visa for conference
Hello,
I am a facing an issue while deciding as to which kind of VISA to apply for. I have to go to Bremen, Germany to attend in international conference in September. After a week there, I plan to go to Paris for a couple of days. And then fly back to India. Can anyone suggest as to which kind of VISA is to be applied - Tourist/Visit/Business? Thank youl
I am a facing an issue while deciding as to which kind of VISA to apply for. I have to go to Bremen, Germany to attend in international conference in September. After a week there, I plan to go to Paris for a couple of days. And then fly back to India. Can anyone suggest as to which kind of VISA is to be applied - Tourist/Visit/Business? Thank youl
Jul 18th, 2014, 03:43 AM
#4
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I have been to europe umpteen time for business - granted never for more than a week or so and it never would have occurred to me to get a visa for business.(This was for meetings with a client, attending a congress or market research - all paid for by my US employer, never earning money in europe.) And all of my colleagues going to europe for this type of trip do the same.
Just went in as a tourist and often added a few days of vacation onto the business portion of the trip. Of course this is much easier since no visa is needed for vacations of 90 days or less.
Similarly our european or asian colleagues coming to see us in NYC for business or to visit a joint client in the US for a few days just enter as tourists.
Just went in as a tourist and often added a few days of vacation onto the business portion of the trip. Of course this is much easier since no visa is needed for vacations of 90 days or less.
Similarly our european or asian colleagues coming to see us in NYC for business or to visit a joint client in the US for a few days just enter as tourists.
Jul 18th, 2014, 04:31 AM
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<<Similarly our european or asian colleagues coming to see us in NYC for business or to visit a joint client in the US for a few days just enter as tourists.>> As a European who travels to the US sometimes for business meetings, conferences etc, I never say I am a tourist, I state my true purpose of the visit. Alot of Europeans will have an ESTA for the US anyway but immigration still ask why you are visiting.
My Asian colleagues, for example those from the Philippines or India, always have to have a visa for the US even if they are just attending meetings or training sessions.
My Asian colleagues, for example those from the Philippines or India, always have to have a visa for the US even if they are just attending meetings or training sessions.
Jul 18th, 2014, 05:00 AM
#7
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Yes, I am from India. On the website for Visa for germany in India, there are two VISAs that seem to confuse me. One is the Business Visa and other is the Visit Visa (which is under the section of Tourist visa but slightly different from Tourism visa). Now I study in a university and business visa asks information regarding company and all. So how is Business visa applicable?
Jul 18th, 2014, 08:24 AM
#8
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I think people presumed when you said conference, it was business-related, although it obviously is not and sounds academic. That is not a business visa.
I don't see anything like what you mention on the German embassy website for India, it talks about short-term and long-term visas. And the short-term visa types are: business, tourist/visit to family and friends (that is ONE type), guest scientist/visiting scholar, training/internship, airport transit and seaman. That's it.
I don't see anything like what you mention on the German embassy website for India, it talks about short-term and long-term visas. And the short-term visa types are: business, tourist/visit to family and friends (that is ONE type), guest scientist/visiting scholar, training/internship, airport transit and seaman. That's it.
Jul 18th, 2014, 09:30 AM
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You can go to Germany and then France with a Schengen visa.
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/in...a_en.htm#faq12
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/in...a_en.htm#faq12
Jul 18th, 2014, 10:23 AM
#11
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@All it is an academic conference.
@Christina you are close but my state lies in the jurisdiction of chennai and the info you have given is from delhi one. Here is the link that I am referring to:
http://www.vfs-germany.co.in/Chennai...srequired.html
Please go through this once. As you can see that within tourist visa itself, it gives two options - one of tourism and one of visit. Other than that there is obviously the business visa. Thanks.
@Christina you are close but my state lies in the jurisdiction of chennai and the info you have given is from delhi one. Here is the link that I am referring to:
http://www.vfs-germany.co.in/Chennai...srequired.html
Please go through this once. As you can see that within tourist visa itself, it gives two options - one of tourism and one of visit. Other than that there is obviously the business visa. Thanks.
Jul 18th, 2014, 12:03 PM
#12
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Goodness.. that really is some bureaucracy!
As you know, none of us here can give you legal advice.
From the options I have seen on the embassy's website, the national visa for academic visits and research would probably fit your trip to Bremen best.
http://www.india.diplo.de/contentblo...tscientist.pdf
On the other hand, this does not help you with your tourist trip to Paris.
Why don't you ask the embassy or the mission in Chennai directly and ask them what visa they would suggest.
Eventually, I cannot imagine that visting one lousy conference in Bremen would constitute a violation of the statutes of the Schengen tourist visa. If that conference was in Berlin or Munich, I would tell you to just get a tourist visa and forget about the full truth. But Bremen is not really know to attract lots of international tourists so a "pleasure trip" to Bremen and Paris will look like a odd combination for any official deciding on your application.
As you know, none of us here can give you legal advice.
From the options I have seen on the embassy's website, the national visa for academic visits and research would probably fit your trip to Bremen best.
http://www.india.diplo.de/contentblo...tscientist.pdf
On the other hand, this does not help you with your tourist trip to Paris.
Why don't you ask the embassy or the mission in Chennai directly and ask them what visa they would suggest.
Eventually, I cannot imagine that visting one lousy conference in Bremen would constitute a violation of the statutes of the Schengen tourist visa. If that conference was in Berlin or Munich, I would tell you to just get a tourist visa and forget about the full truth. But Bremen is not really know to attract lots of international tourists so a "pleasure trip" to Bremen and Paris will look like a odd combination for any official deciding on your application.
Jul 18th, 2014, 11:21 PM
#13
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I am sure about VISA not being the guest scientist one. It has got conditions which make me ineligible. It has to be either business or visit/tourist.
Secondly, I did call the customer service and to my surprise he denied any help in that regard.
Hey, don't call it lousy
. It is after all giving me a chance to visit Germany 
. Anyway, I already have booked the tickets and my return ticket is from Paris. Moreover, I have a friend there whom I plan to meet. Possibly, I'll give his address or something in the VISA application which should be helpful.
But which VISA to apply is still an issue
?
Secondly, I did call the customer service and to my surprise he denied any help in that regard.
Hey, don't call it lousy
. It is after all giving me a chance to visit Germany . Anyway, I already have booked the tickets and my return ticket is from Paris. Moreover, I have a friend there whom I plan to meet. Possibly, I'll give his address or something in the VISA application which should be helpful.But which VISA to apply is still an issue
?
Jul 19th, 2014, 12:14 AM
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I did not mean lousy in the sense of being useless 
As you don't seem to get any help from the official side, I would probably opt for a tourist visa.
You will not be engaging in any commercial activity, you will or can not use the conference to make business contracts. You visit the conference out of personal interest.
I'm not sure if this will fly, though.
P.S. What is your field of study?
As you don't seem to get any help from the official side, I would probably opt for a tourist visa.
You will not be engaging in any commercial activity, you will or can not use the conference to make business contracts. You visit the conference out of personal interest.
I'm not sure if this will fly, though.
P.S. What is your field of study?
Jul 19th, 2014, 09:54 AM
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Well, our business is such that the meting soften pop up with only a couple of days notice. If someone has a standing visa that allows for multiple short-term visits for business that is fine - but if you only have 3 days warning how do you get a business visa in that time.
And often the visit is just for 2 or at most 3 days. If they waited for a visa it would be over before they got one.
We have had longer-term secondments - for colleagues from Spain (4 months) and Japan (6 months) and for these they naturally had info well in advance and our company organized the necessary paperwork for them (although I understand that their salaries were paid to them in their usual banks in their native countries - I guess they just withdrew/transferred to a US bank for local expenses).
And often the visit is just for 2 or at most 3 days. If they waited for a visa it would be over before they got one.
We have had longer-term secondments - for colleagues from Spain (4 months) and Japan (6 months) and for these they naturally had info well in advance and our company organized the necessary paperwork for them (although I understand that their salaries were paid to them in their usual banks in their native countries - I guess they just withdrew/transferred to a US bank for local expenses).
Jul 19th, 2014, 10:16 AM
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Again, OP is a citizen of India. Regardless whether he will choose to travel as a "tourist" or on "business", he will need a visa for the Schengen area of Europe. If he had only 3 days advance notice for a meeting of his conference, he would not be able to travel. Period. (Unless there was some super-fast and probably super-expensive express visa service). Fortunately that is not the case here.
Jul 24th, 2014, 10:45 AM
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Most of you are still confusing it with Business conference. I would like to remind that it is a academic/scientific conference and I shall be attending it as a student. I am getting mixed reviews at my place which are divided between Business and Visit visa. Now Business visa asks for documents which I can't furnish. And Visit by logic means, visiting friends/family. So still not able to decide the Visa category.
Here is the link which I have to follow for all my Visa stuff:
http://www.vfs-germany.co.in/Chennai...shortterm.html
As you can see, there is one option of Business and one of Tourist/Visit that come close to my eligibility. It is not Guest scientist coz that implies we will be working in some German education institution which is invalid in our case.
If anyone can shed light on this issue, please do asap. As I plan to submit my application in next 3-4 days. Thank you.
Here is the link which I have to follow for all my Visa stuff:
http://www.vfs-germany.co.in/Chennai...shortterm.html
As you can see, there is one option of Business and one of Tourist/Visit that come close to my eligibility. It is not Guest scientist coz that implies we will be working in some German education institution which is invalid in our case.
If anyone can shed light on this issue, please do asap. As I plan to submit my application in next 3-4 days. Thank you.
Jul 24th, 2014, 10:58 AM
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Visit does not mean friend or family. Visit means a vacation and doesn't have to involve anyone but you. If you are going on a vacation - and part of the vacation is attending this enjoyable event - not related to any job - then there is no business involved.
And guest scientist could mean you are a speaker or attendee at a scientific event - not that you are working for someone in Germany.
And guest scientist could mean you are a speaker or attendee at a scientific event - not that you are working for someone in Germany.
Jul 25th, 2014, 09:56 AM
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@nytraveler Well your comment helps but you see the definitions that I have furnished are from the link I posted. What you are giving are more generic understandings. Nonetheless visit sounds more viable now.
@sparkchaser Haha! Obviously I did that. They said "We are not authorized to tell you about the Visa category. If you need any further help please do not hesitate" 
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@sparkchaser Haha! Obviously I did that. They said "We are not authorized to tell you about the Visa category. If you need any further help please do not hesitate"
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