How to apply for a Germany Schengen visa from the UAE

Where you apply

Apply to Germany if it is your main destination: where you spend the longest, or the main purpose of the trip. The German missions assign the centre by where you live:

• Dubai and the Northern Emirates: VFS Global Dubai, Wafi Mall, first floor.
• Abu Dhabi and Al Ain: VFS Global Abu Dhabi, World Trade Center Mall, level B2.

An appointment cannot be moved from one centre to the other. Book under the right category — “Short Stay” for tourism and family visits, “Business Purpose” for business trips — because Germany's VFS page says a booking under the wrong category forfeits the service fee.

Spouses of German or EU citizens, and parents of minor German or EU citizens, may apply without an appointment, according to the German missions' page.

Step by step

1. 1

   Fill in the VIDEX form

   Germany's short-stay form is VIDEX; print and sign it. The Consular Services Portal is used from the UAE for national (D) visas only, not Schengen visas.
2. 2

   Book at VFS Global

   On Germany's VFS page for the UAE: create an account, choose the centre for your emirate and the category, and pay the VFS service fee by card. You get an appointment letter and a receipt.
3. 3

   If there are no dates, join the waitlist early

   Invitations go out in chronological order and the booking link in one is valid for 24 hours. A waitlist booking cannot be rescheduled. VFS says that in peak season, May to September, booking without the waitlist is highly unlikely.
4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   Bring the documents with copies and the appointment letter, give fingerprints, and pay the visa fee in cash, in dirhams.
5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   The German missions say processing takes up to 15 days.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, valid beyond your return.
• The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
• Recent bank statements, and a salary certificate or employer letter if you are employed.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the German missions' tourism checklist for the UAE asks for:

• A UAE residence permit valid at least three months after the visa expires or the trip ends, with a copy.
• A letter from your employer or sponsor giving your position, start date, salary and approved leave dates; investors and partners add the trade licence.
• For dependants, the sponsor's passport and residence permit.
• Personal bank statements for at least the last three months.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90, paid in cash in dirhams at the centre

Children aged 6 to 11

€45

VFS service fee

AED 146.74 at both centres, paid by card when you book (VFS Global, November 2026)

Processing

Up to 15 days, according to the German missions

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Germany in the UAE received 40,555 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 13.6% of all those lodged in the UAE, and the 1st most of any Schengen country. They refused 22.0% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UAE the rate was 24.2%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

40,555

Rank in the UAE

1st of 27 Schengen countries

Refused

22.0%

All Schengen countries in the UAE

24.2% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so in the UAE they come mostly from residents of other nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

Not enough applicants in the UAE have reported a Germany visa yet to show their own figures; these are the 61 reports from every origin. The median time from appointment to passport back was 13 days.

Reports

61

Appointment to passport back (median)

13 days; typically 8–15 days

Approved

100% of 61 with a known outcome

Validity granted (median)

4 months

Multiple entry

92%

See every Germany report · how the statistics work

How often new dates appear

Dubai. Our monitors saw new Germany appointments appear in Dubai 79 times in the last 90 days, on 44 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 12 hours. The latest release we saw was on 5 November at 12:41 UAE time. Over the past year (391 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Abu Dhabi. Our monitors saw new Germany appointments appear in Abu Dhabi 12 times in the last 90 days, on 11 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 4 days. The latest release we saw was on 4 November at 12:39 UAE time. Over the past year (342 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date at the Germany visa application centre: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear. Right now our board shows a waitlist in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Germany (last check 1m ago).

These are the ways to get a date, including ours:

The live status of each Germany route is on its own page, and every UAE route is on the UAE appointment board. For how the booking portal itself works, see how to book a VFS Global appointment in the UAE.

• Germany visa appointment, Dubai
• Germany visa appointment, Abu Dhabi

Questions

Do I apply for a German visa in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

It depends on where you live. Residents of Dubai and the Northern Emirates apply at VFS Global Dubai (Wafi Mall); residents of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain at VFS Global Abu Dhabi (World Trade Center Mall). An appointment cannot be moved between the two centres.

Do I use VIDEX or the Consular Services Portal for a German Schengen visa?

VIDEX. From the UAE the Consular Services Portal is used for national (D) visas, not for short-stay Schengen visas.

What should I do if there are no Germany appointments in the UAE?

Join the VFS waitlist as early as possible: invitations go out in chronological order and each booking link is valid for 24 hours. VFS says that from May to September booking without the waitlist is highly unlikely. Visa Catcher’s Telegram alerts also tell you when a new Germany date opens.

How long must my UAE residence visa be valid for a German visa?

At least three months after the requested visa expires or the trip ends, according to the German missions in the UAE.

What is the refusal rate for Germany Schengen visas in the UAE?

In 2025, the consulates of Germany in the UAE refused 22.0% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 24.2% across all Schengen countries in the UAE, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 40,555 applications, the 1st most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• German Missions in the UAE: Schengen visa
• German Missions in the UAE: Schengen visa checklist (tourism)
• VIDEX: German short-stay visa application form
• VFS Global Germany, UAE: book an appointment
• VFS Global Germany, UAE: Dubai centre and fees
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (consolidated text of 28 June 2024)
• European Commission: visa policy and the short-stay visa fee
• European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (2025-consulates-schengen-visa-statistics.xlsx)

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and VFS Global and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Route status and our prices on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with VFS Global or any embassy, consulate or government.