Do I apply to the German Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh?

Residents of Scotland apply to the Consulate General in Edinburgh, at TLScontact Edinburgh. Residents of England, Wales and Northern Ireland apply to the Embassy in London, at TLScontact London or Manchester. Since 1 February 2025 this includes Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear, which Edinburgh used to serve.

How does the German visa waiting list work in the UK?

Since 1 June 2026, appointments at TLScontact London and Manchester for tourism, business, family visits and school trips go through waiting lists. You register online with TLScontact, appointments are allocated automatically on a first-come, first-served basis, and you must pay the service fee within 24 hours or the appointment is cancelled. The missions do not give waiting times.

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

At least one month after the end of your trip, according to the German missions in the UK. You show it with a share code and a printout from UKVI’s “Prove your immigration status” service.

How do I pay the German visa fee in the UK?

By Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card when you submit the application, with the physical card; the cardholder must be present, and Apple Pay or Google Pay are not accepted. The fee is not refunded after a refusal or a withdrawal.

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

In 2025, the consulates of Germany in the UK refused 3.2% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 10.5% across all Schengen countries in the UK, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 32,725 applications, the 4th most of any Schengen country.

How to Apply for a Germany Schengen Visa from the UK

On this page

Where you apply
Step by step
Documents
Fees and processing time
Applications and refusals
What applicants reported
Getting the appointment
Questions
Sources

German short-stay Schengen visas for UK residents are decided by the German Embassy in London, or by the Consulate General in Edinburgh for residents of Scotland. Every Schengen application goes through TLScontact, at its visa application centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh; the missions take none directly. Since June 2026, the main categories in London and Manchester are booked through a waiting list.

Visa Catcher does not track Germany appointments in the UK, so there is no free channel or paid alert for it. This guide covers which mission and centre is yours, the VIDEX form, the waiting list, the documents the German missions ask UK residents for, and the fees. For the general rules, see how to apply for a Schengen visa from the UK.

Where you apply

Apply to Germany if it is your main destination. As a rule, the German missions accept applications only from UK residents, and where you live decides the mission and the centre:

England, Wales and Northern Ireland: the German Embassy in London decides; you apply at TLScontact in London or Manchester.
Scotland: the Consulate General in Edinburgh decides; you apply at TLScontact in Edinburgh.

Since 1 February 2025 the Edinburgh consulate serves only Scotland: residents of Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear now apply to the Embassy, at the London or Manchester centre.

From 1 June 2026 the Embassy runs waiting lists at TLScontact London and Manchester for four categories: tourism and planned medical treatment, business trips and short-term economic activities, visits to family or friends, and organised school or student trips. You register online, appointments are allocated automatically in order of registration, and you then have 24 hours to pay the service fee or the appointment is cancelled. The missions give no waiting times and do not answer emails about them.

Step by step

1
Fill in the VIDEX form
Complete Germany's online short-stay form, VIDEX, then print it with its barcodes and sign it. Every applicant, children included, needs their own form.
2
Register or book at TLScontact
On TLScontact's German visa site, join the waiting list for your category or book in it, one appointment per applicant. The details you register must match your passport and documents: if they do not, you lose the appointment and start again, and a booking in the wrong category is turned away.
3
Gather the documents
Against the missions' list for C visas; the UK-specific points are below. You can apply up to six months before your trip.
4
Attend the appointment
Children must come too, and both parents attend a child's appointment. Hand in the form and documents, give fingerprints, and pay the visa fee with a physical Visa or Mastercard card; Apple Pay and Google Pay are not accepted.
5
Wait for the decision
Usually within 15 working days of the mission receiving the file, plus two to three working days to return the passport; for applications made at TLScontact, the missions refer you to TLScontact's guidance on how it comes back. The missions do not offer status tracking; they contact you if they need more.

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.
Proof of your UK immigration status, such as your eVisa and a share code, 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 letter from your employer or proof of studies or self-employment.
A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the German missions' list for UK residents asks for:

A share code and a printout from UKVI's “Prove your immigration status” service, with a copy; your UK residence permit must be valid at least one month after your trip ends.
Proof of your UK address, such as a council tax bill, a utility bill, a bank statement or a pension certificate.
Bank statements in your name for at least the last three months, showing movements, salary payments and the current balance; credit card statements must show the monthly limit.
Employees: payslips for the last three months. The self-employed bring a recent letter from an accountant, banker or solicitor and a self-assessment form.
A biometric photo, 35 × 45 mm and no older than three months, on a white or light background.
A reserved return flight, ferry or train ticket, ideally fully refundable, and a confirmed hotel or tour booking for the whole stay.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults: €90, by Visa or Mastercard card at the appointment (German missions, November 2026)
Children aged 6 to 11: €45, under the EU Visa Code
TLScontact service fee: Charged on top by TLScontact and paid within 24 hours of a waiting-list appointment being allocated
Processing: Usually within 15 working days, plus two to three for the passport, according to the German missions

The visa fee is not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn. The cardholder must be present to sign the payment slip.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Germany in the UK received 32,725 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 6.4% of all those lodged in the UK, and the 4th most of any Schengen country. They refused 3.2% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UK the rate was 10.5%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025: 32,725
Rank in the UK: 4th of 28 Schengen countries
Refused: 3.2%
All Schengen countries in the UK: 10.5% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so these are residents of the UK of many 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

56 applicants in the United Kingdom have reported their Germany visa to Visa Catcher's statistics. The median time from appointment to passport back was 13 days.

Reports: 56
Appointment to passport back (median): 13 days; typically 9–15 days
Approved: 100% of 56 with a known outcome
Validity granted (median): 3 months
Multiple entry: 91%

See every Germany report from the United Kingdom · how the statistics work

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date with TLScontact: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear.

These are the ways to get a date:

Check the TLScontact portal yourself

Free

Who books: You

Log in, choose the centre and category, and look at the calendar. New dates appear when the centre releases them or someone cancels, so this means checking again and again.

Visa CatcherOur service

Not tracked

Who books: —

We do not track Germany appointments in the UK, so there is no free channel, alert or auto-booking for it. Our free channel covers Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

Every route we do track is on the UK appointment board page. For how the booking systems work, see how to book a Schengen visa appointment in the UK.

Questions

Do I apply to the German Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh?: Residents of Scotland apply to the Consulate General in Edinburgh, at TLScontact Edinburgh. Residents of England, Wales and Northern Ireland apply to the Embassy in London, at TLScontact London or Manchester. Since 1 February 2025 this includes Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear, which Edinburgh used to serve.
How does the German visa waiting list work in the UK?: Since 1 June 2026, appointments at TLScontact London and Manchester for tourism, business, family visits and school trips go through waiting lists. You register online with TLScontact, appointments are allocated automatically on a first-come, first-served basis, and you must pay the service fee within 24 hours or the appointment is cancelled. The missions do not give waiting times.
How long must my UK residence permit be valid for a German visa?: At least one month after the end of your trip, according to the German missions in the UK. You show it with a share code and a printout from UKVI’s “Prove your immigration status” service.
How do I pay the German visa fee in the UK?: By Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card when you submit the application, with the physical card; the cardholder must be present, and Apple Pay or Google Pay are not accepted. The fee is not refunded after a refusal or a withdrawal.
What is the refusal rate for Germany Schengen visas in the UK?: In 2025, the consulates of Germany in the UK refused 3.2% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 10.5% across all Schengen countries in the UK, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 32,725 applications, the 4th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and their visa centres and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Our coverage, prices and release statistics on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with any visa centre, embassy, consulate or government.

How to apply for a Germany Schengen visa from the UK