Do you want to invite your friends, family members, or business partners to Germany? Or do you want to visit Germany for personal or business reasons? Germany is a fantastic place to visit for many people, either for education, tourism, or business. If you are from one of the EU countries, then you can simply pack your stuff and visit it whenever you want. If you are not from an EU country, you must get a German visa to visit Germany. An invitation letter is necessary to get a visitor visa in most countries; with this letter, you can invite anyone to Germany.
What Does an Invitation Letter Mean in Germany?
An invitation letter is the document you can present while applying for a German visa. This invitation letter convinces your application powerfully and makes the process easy and quick. If one is applying for a German visa and has an invitation letter in hand, the German embassy can trust the person that he or she is not moving to Germany for any illegal activity. The invitation letter also proves that you will not stay in Germany for more than 90 days and will return to your homeland within your visa limit.
Obligation Letter
Some people call it an invitation letter while others call it a sponsorship letter. In Germany it is called verpflichtungserklärung which means obligation letter. If your friends or family members or anyone else wishes to visit Germany, they can use an obligation letter to ease their visa process and can travel to Germany without any challenge.
For more information about declaration of commitment, refer to our article (Declaration of Commitment) on our blog.
🔶 Related Topic: How to Get Verpflichtungserklärung in Germany
Writer of The Invitation Letter
The person planning to ask someone and host the visit would write an invitation letter to get the visitor visa. Once the invitation letter is written, you should send it to your friend, family member, acquaintance, or business partner you want to invite to Germany, as they need to present the invitation letter at the German embassy while applying for the German visa. If you are going to Germany to visit your family or spouse, any of your family members or spouse should write it. If you have a lot of members to write your invitation letter to, you should ask the one who has the strongest financial background and has more years while staying in Germany. For students, universities or educational institutions will provide the invitation letter.
Visa Options
There are two basic kinds of visas;
- Tourist visa
- Visitor visa
It is highly recommended to use a visa for your close friends or relatives, otherwise, you might face some legal and financial issues in Germany. The short stay visa is only valid for 90 days within the period of 180 days. This visa is used for private visits, tourist visits, and business trips. It is also called a short stay visa or Schengen visa.
Requirements to Get A Visa
There are a few requirements to get a visa. Let us share those requirements below;
- Get an invitation letter from the immigration office of the town you are registered in.
- Get the below information of the person you are going to invite;
- First name
- Last name
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Passport number
- Scan a copy of the first or last page of the passport number
- Your relationship with the person you wish to invite to Germany
- Filled form based on your city of residence
- Your passport
- Residence permit
- German house rent agreement (to check the flat area if it is enough to welcome and serve the guests in a good way in Germany)
- Salary slips of last 6 months (to check if you can sponsor)
- Bank statement of last 6 months
- Certificate by a tax advisor if you are self-employed
- Euro 25
- German work contract (in some specific cases)
Kinds of An Invitation Letter
Well, the reason to have an invitation may be different for everyone. You can write it for multiple purposes. Here are the different kinds of invitation letters based on multiple reasons.
- Invitation letter for private visit
- Invitation letter for business visit
- Invitation letter for tourism
- Invitation letter for a family visit or spouse visit
- Invitation letter for medical visit
- Invitation letter for education
- Invitation letter for guest scientists or scholars
- Invitation letter for official delegations
- Invitation letter for training and internships
- Invitation letter for trade and fair exhibitions
Let us discuss each in detail.
Invitation Letter for Private Trip
There is no specific format for an invitation letter, so you can write it as you want to. Your invitation letter must have all the necessary information mentioned in it. Here is the information needed to write an invitation letter for a personal or private trip.
- Your personal information, like your name and your complete address
- Your contact information, like phone number and email address
- Your identity card number
- Your resident permit number
- Information of the person you want to invite; full name, address, date of birth, and passport number.
- Proof of your relationship with the person you are inviting.
- Purpose of your trip; to attend any event like a birthday, wedding, general meetup, or tourist visit.
- Describe the kind of your friendship or kinship
- The duration of your relationship with the person you plan to invite.
- Time frame and scheduled course
- Date and location
- Your signatures
Evidence of Your Relationship with The Visitor
As we mentioned, you need to provide evidence of your relationship. It is necessary for your invitation letter. Proof of your relationship can be in the form of the below documents;
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificate
- Proof of previous notes
- Any document of a previous meeting
- Proof in the form of an email
Invitation Letter for A Business Trip
As Germany is well developed, people find multiple business options here. To visit Germany, it is necessary for you that a person working in a German company for example; manager or director invites you. Reasons to visit Germany for business might be different such as visiting to sign an agreement, to start a business venture, to discuss the business plan, or so on. If you need to write an invitation letter for a business trip, it should have the following information;
- Your personal information like full name and address
- Your contact information like phone number and email address
- Information of the person you want to invite; full name, address, date of birth, and passport number.
- If you invite an employee, a letter from the employee's employer is necessary. The employer should mention the reason and duration of the visit in this letter.
- Purpose, reason, and objective behind the business visit.
- Period and planned course of the visit (business meetings, office visits, factory visits, business discussions, or receptions)
- Proof of business relationship such as; contract, agreement, or business emails
- Address of the hotel where the invited person will stay during his or her visit
- Date and location
- An official company letterhead
- Stamp of the company
- Your signatures
- Signature of the managing director
Invitation Letter for Tourism
Germany is a place full of tourist attractions for the tour lovers so people visit it for tourism. Germany has many locations and events to attract visitors. If you are one who wants to visit Germany for tourism, your invitation letter can help you to get a visitor visa for your tour to Germany. If you have any relationships in Germany, your friend, family, or business person, who is willing to write an invitation letter for you, it is a great option to get one invitation letter from that person. The information needed to be mentioned in your invitation letter is almost the same as you have read earlier for the invitation letter for a personal or private visit to Germany. One additional piece of information that you should mention in your invitation letter, is the information related to the tourist places, attractions, or locations you want to visit and see together.
Invitation Letter for A Family Visit or Spouse Visit
This is the most basic reason why people usually have an invitation letter. Most of the people working or living in Germany try to call their spouses or family members to visit them. The German embassy may feel that you will stay in Germany permanently so they can avoid giving you a visa easily. If you have an invitation letter, it can make sure that you would not overstay in Germany. Basic information is the same as other kinds of letters. Additionally you should write the activities you are going to do together during your stay in Germany and also describe the dates of the stay in Germany. If the person inviting you does not share the last name, then he or she must provide other documents to prove that you are related to him or her.
Invitation Letter for Medical Visit
Germany is a popular country for good hospitals, doctors, and medical facilities. They are good to treat many health issues as compared to many other countries. If you or someone in your family needs medical attention from a German hospital or a German doctor, you must have an invitation letter to make your visit happen easily. For a medical visit, you must have an invitation letter from a doctor or hospital you are planning to visit in Germany. They must mention the following information in the invitation letter.
- Kind of medical issue the patient has.
- The required treatment.
- Duration of the treatment.
- Details of medical tests if required.
- Description of required check ups and frequency of hospital visits during stay in Germany.
- Dates of the visit
Keep in mind that the German embassy does not offer visas to those patients who have treatment for an indefinite period, so your treatment must have a specific duration.
Invitation Letter for Education
Being a student, you may want to visit Germany for your college or higher level studies. If so, you need to get an invitation letter from a German educational institution or a German university. A professor or head of your department in a selected German university will write an invitation for you. The professor or head of the department may write an invitation letter while mentioning the below details;
- Reason of visit
- Field of study
- Dates of study visit
- Duration of the degree
- Admission letter or a scholarship letter
Invitation Letter for Guest Scientists, or Scholars
As a scholar or scientist, you might plan to visit a German university or a German research center. They can also invite you to deliver a lecture in a seminar or a conference to the young students, scientists, researchers, or scholars. You may also be invited to give a presentation or to contribute to some latest research. Whatever the reason could be, your host institute, university, or a research center should write an invitation letter for you so you may apply for a German visa easily. Your invitation letter should contain information as given below;
- Dates of your visit to the research center
- Reasons that they choose you as a scholar or scientist
- Activities you will do during your visit together
Invitation Letter for Official Delegations
Being the representative of the government or an organization, you might plan an official visit to Germany. Delegates will get an invitation letter from the organization where they will visit in Germany. The letter must explain below points;
- Relationship with the organization in Germany
- Discuss policies if any
- Mention the workshop if any plan to attend
- Explain how the events will be funded
- Dates and duration of the visit
Invitation Letter for Training and Internships
Here is another reason to visit Germany. People might plan to visit Germany for training or to do some kind of internship. If so, you need your invitation letter from the training institute or company. Your trainer or supervisor must write an invitation letter for you while stating these things in your invitation letter.
- Duties and responsibilities during internship
- Dates of training or internship
- Topic of the training
- Module covered in the training workshop
- Field of job during internship
- Acceptance letter for training or internship
- Information of the person who will cover the expenses
Invitation Letter for Trade and Fair Exhibitions
Last but not least, you might visit Germany to attend a trade or fair exhibition and the organization organizing the trade and fair exhibition will send you an invitation letter. Writer should address the letter directly to the person whom the invitation is to send. The invitation letter must have;
- Dates of the exhibition
- Dates and duration of the visit
- Your full name
- Name of the company you are working in or organization details you belongs to
Process to Apply for A Visitor Visa
The process is simple if you read and follow carefully. A step-by-step guide is given here to explain the process of applying for a visitor visa. Let us read it carefully;
- First, the person visiting Germany should have a valid passport. If he or she does not have it, apply immediately.
- Visit your KVR office to get the invitation letter.
- Send this letter to the person you want to invite to Germany.
- Get health insurance.
- Book air tickets.
- Check the list of documents.
- Check the requirements for a photograph.
- Get a visa from the German embassy.
Format of An Invitation Letter
The letter of invitation is a bit complicated but can be easy if you know how to write it and what to mention in it. If you have read this article in detail, you know everything which is necessary to add in your invitation letter. Now, you need to learn how to write this information in your invitation letter. Take a deep breath and start writing it, you will find it super easy. Once you complete writing your invitation letter, it must be signed by the person in Germany who is planning to invite you to Germany. Your invitation letter should be in a formal language to address the situation in a concise way. Letter is to address the formal institution that is the German embassy. The format of the German invitation letter should include the below information in general;
- Name of embassy
- Address and phone number of embassy
- Name of the applicant
- Passport number of the applicant
- Country of residence where applicant lives
- Address and phone number of the applicant
- Name and contact details of the person inviting applicant to Germany
- Dates and duration of the Germany visit
- Reason of the visit
- Evidence of the relationship between applicant and the person inviting the applicant
- Final remarks
- Signatures of the person inviting someone to Germany
Final Thoughts
So, this is all about an invitation letter to invite your loved ones to Germany. Whatever the purpose is, check the format and required documents carefully so you may get your invitation letter easily and your application process goes smoothly. All the best in your application process and have a good time with the visitors in Germany. Cheers!
