Germany
Nationality · visas, permits and migration
- Moved to OECD countries, 2023
- 133,409
- Top destination, 2023
- Switzerland
- U.S. non-immigrant visas, FY2025
- 62,482
- UK visas issued, 2025
- 8,938
- Schengen visa refusal rate, 2024
- 3.2%
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Visa requirements for a short visit
Whether citizens of Germany need a visa for a short tourist or business visit, according to the legal lists. Rules change; check the official source before travelling.
| Destination | Short visit | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen area | Free movement (EU/EFTA citizens) | Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (consolidated 30.12.2025) |
| United Kingdom | No visa; electronic travel authorisation (ETA) required | Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor / ETA National List |
| Canada | Temporary resident visa required | IRPR s. 190, Schedule 1.1 |
| Hong Kong | No visa for visits of up to 90 days | Immigration Department (HKSAR), visit visa requirements, 31.12.2025 |
Where people from Germany move
Inflows of foreign nationals by country of nationality, as recorded by each destination (OECD).
- Switzerland26,211
- Austria19,774
- Spain17,445
- Netherlands10,429
- Türkiye9,355
- France7,105
- Portugal5,483
- Japan5,277
- Denmark5,042
- United States4,430
- Sweden3,819
- Italy2,876
- Belgium2,508
- South Korea2,507
- Hungary2,480
Inflows to all OECD countries by year
Data table
| 2000 | 59,937 |
| 2001 | 68,345 |
| 2002 | 68,585 |
| 2003 | 65,853 |
| 2004 | 79,568 |
| 2005 | 98,487 |
| 2006 | 107,131 |
| 2007 | 135,633 |
| 2008 | 139,516 |
| 2009 | 114,381 |
| 2010 | 109,417 |
| 2011 | 102,361 |
| 2012 | 106,339 |
| 2013 | 114,325 |
| 2014 | 111,487 |
| 2015 | 108,248 |
| 2016 | 115,727 |
| 2017 | 119,346 |
| 2018 | 120,033 |
| 2019 | 124,543 |
| 2020 | 100,994 |
| 2021 | 127,378 |
| 2022 | 136,461 |
| 2023 | 133,409 |
- Share going to the top destination
- 19.6%
- Destinations recording arrivals
- 15
Living abroad
People born in Germany who live in another country: mid-year estimates of the international migrant stock (UN DESA). Where a destination records citizenship rather than country of birth, its foreign citizens are counted.
- United States1,137,577
- Switzerland371,816
- Türkiye363,563
- United Kingdom287,772
- Austria268,460
- Italy194,597
- France189,761
- Spain174,637
- Netherlands125,024
- Greece123,912
- Canada118,463
- Australia99,593
Living abroad by year
Data table
| 1990 | 3,870,620 |
| 1995 | 4,825,017 |
| 2000 | 4,107,120 |
| 2005 | 4,078,804 |
| 2010 | 4,260,810 |
| 2015 | 4,207,460 |
| 2020 | 4,204,441 |
| 2024 | 4,297,233 |
- Living abroad, 2024
- 4,297,233
- Change since 2000
- +4.6%
- Share living in the largest destination, 2024
- 26.5%
United States
Visas issued to citizens of Germany by U.S. consulates (fiscal years, October–September) and certified PERM labor certifications.
- B1/B221,753
- J112,948
- F15,535
- C1/D5,255
- E23,271
- L13,204
- L21,740
- A21,144
- I879
- O1814
Non-immigrant visas by fiscal year
Data table
| 2017 | 51,684 |
| 2018 | 70,559 |
| 2019 | 64,588 |
| 2020 | 27,124 |
| 2021 | 27,916 |
| 2022 | 56,139 |
| 2023 | 65,872 |
| 2024 | 69,429 |
| 2025 | 62,482 |
- IR1383
- CR1303
- DV119
- E187
- IR276
- IR572
- SQ362
- E261
- Immigrant visas, FY2025
- 1,357
- Certified PERM labor certifications, FY2024 (latest year with citizenship)
- 317
Green cards and U.S. citizenship
People born in Germany who became U.S. lawful permanent residents (green cards) or U.S. citizens, and admissions of citizens of Germany with an I-94 record (DHS, fiscal years).
Green cards by fiscal year
Data table
| 2015 | 5,440 |
| 2016 | 5,310 |
| 2017 | 4,660 |
| 2018 | 4,440 |
| 2019 | 4,850 |
| 2020 | 3,910 |
| 2021 | 3,900 |
| 2022 | 4,090 |
| 2023 | 4,550 |
| 2024 | 4,130 |
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens2,520
- Employment-based preferences1,290
- Diversity visa lottery130
- Family-sponsored preferences80
- Other classes60
- Refugees and asylees50
- Intracompany transferees (L-1)20,130
- Spouses and children9,400
- Extraordinary ability (O-1, O-2)5,450
- Specialty occupations (H-1B)4,640
- Other temporary workers2,870
- Athletes, artists and entertainers (P)1,480
- Seasonal agricultural workers (H-2A)10
- Seasonal non-agricultural workers (H-2B)10
- Green cards, FY2024 (born in Germany)
- 4,130
- Naturalizations, FY2024 (born in Germany)
- 4,690
- I-94 admissions, FY2024 (citizenship)
- 2,169,090
United Kingdom
Entry clearance visas issued to nationals of Germany (Home Office) and students with a permanent address in Germany (HESA).
- Study4,283
- Work3,641
- Family404
- Visitor378
- Other232
Visas issued by year
Data table
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 53 |
| 2021 | 8,032 |
| 2022 | 9,308 |
| 2023 | 8,880 |
| 2024 | 9,148 |
| 2025 | 8,938 |
- Students at UK universities, 2024/25
- 6,765
Canada
Permits and invitations for citizens of Germany, by year the permit took effect (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP work | IMP work | Study | Permanent residents | Express Entry invitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 230 | 4,840 | 2,525 | 680 | 95 |
| 2024 | 255 | 5,635 | 2,305 | 930 | 155 |
| 2023 | 290 | 5,825 | 2,465 | 1,160 | 200 |
| 2022 | 280 | 5,280 | 4,315 | 900 | 105 |
| 2021 | 285 | 2,670 | 5,245 | 1,440 | 285 |
| 2020 | 225 | 2,895 | 820 | 780 | 290 |
| 2019 | 300 | 7,365 | 2,295 | 1,520 | 300 |
| 2018 | 280 | 7,395 | 2,255 | 1,275 | 340 |
| 2017 | 330 | 7,835 | 2,255 | 1,140 | 325 |
| 2016 | 400 | 6,560 | 2,255 | 1,205 | 255 |
| 2015 | 405 | 5,600 | 2,055 | 1,280 | 235 |
Australia
Temporary skilled visas (subclass 457 to 2018, then 482) granted to primary applicants who are citizens of Germany, by financial year ending 30 June (Home Affairs).
Primary visas granted by financial year
Data table
| 2005–06 | 1,398 |
| 2006–07 | 1,587 |
| 2007–08 | 1,836 |
| 2008–09 | 1,564 |
| 2009–10 | 1,034 |
| 2010–11 | 1,329 |
| 2011–12 | 1,567 |
| 2012–13 | 1,317 |
| 2013–14 | 918 |
| 2014–15 | 972 |
| 2015–16 | 842 |
| 2016–17 | 835 |
| 2017–18 | 598 |
| 2018–19 | 696 |
| 2019–20 | 470 |
| 2020–21 | 341 |
| 2021–22 | 362 |
| 2022–23 | 553 |
| 2023–24 | 502 |
| 2024–25 | 660 |
| 2025–26 | 598 |
- Core Skills323
- Specialist Skills224
- Labour Agreement31
- Short-term12
- Medium-term8
- Granted, 2025–26
- 598
- Share of all Australian grants, 2025–26
- 0.9%
Japan
Citizens of Germany living in Japan at the end of each December, by status of residence (Immigration Services Agency of Japan). 2020 and 2021 were published only as database tables.
Foreign residents in Japan
Data table
| 2012 | 5,223 |
| 2013 | 5,547 |
| 2014 | 5,864 |
| 2015 | 6,336 |
| 2016 | 6,773 |
| 2017 | 7,132 |
| 2018 | 7,370 |
| 2019 | 7,782 |
| 2022 | 8,264 |
| 2023 | 8,352 |
| 2024 | 8,749 |
| 2025 | 9,417 |
- Permanent Resident2,196
- Student1,738
- Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services1,245
- Spouse or Child of Japanese National1,181
- Designated Activities1,172
- Dependent621
- Intra-company Transferee240
- Professor216
- Highly Skilled Professional195
- Business Manager143
- Residents, December 2025
- 9,417
- In work-related statuses
- 2,265
- Share in work-related statuses
- 24.1%
- Students
- 1,738
Schengen visas in Germany
Short-stay (C) visa applications at Schengen consulates located in Germany, 2024. Applicants are mostly, but not only, its citizens.
| Schengen state | Applications | Issued | Not issued | Refusal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 134 | 129 | 1 | 0.7% |
| Italy | 52 | 50 | 2 | 3.8% |
| France | 52 | 48 | 2 | 3.8% |
| Czechia | 17 | 16 | 1 | 5.9% |
| Bulgaria | 17 | 15 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Switzerland | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Luxembourg | 10 | 5 | 3 | 30.0% |
| Sweden | 10 | 9 | 1 | 10.0% |
| Belgium | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Greece | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Slovenia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hungary | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Applications by year
Data table
| 2009 | 5,342 |
| 2010 | 1,077 |
| 2011 | 996 |
| 2012 | 718 |
| 2013 | 643 |
| 2014 | 661 |
| 2015 | 553 |
| 2016 | 508 |
| 2017 | 401 |
| 2018 | 348 |
| 2019 | 389 |
| 2020 | 161 |
| 2021 | 246 |
| 2022 | 251 |
| 2023 | 261 |
| 2024 | 312 |
- Refusal rate, 2024
- 3.2%
- Refusal rate, 2019
- 5.4%
National statistics in Europe
Citizens of Germany in the figures of national statistics offices: residence permits granted in Denmark, immigrations by grounds for settlement in Sweden and immigrants with a non-EU/EFTA nationality by migration motive in the Netherlands; Finland and Austria publish immigration and emigration by citizenship only.
| Country | Year | All | Work | Study | Family | Protection | Other or unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2025 | 5,609 | 1,240 | 1,685 | 785 | 0 | 1,899 |
| Sweden | 2025 | 3,492 | 17 | 11 | 46 | 6 | 3,412 |
| Country | Year | Immigration | Emigration | Net migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 2025 | 459 | 336 | 123 |
| Austria | 2025 | 18,619 | 12,224 | 6,395 |
- Denmark1,240
- Sweden17
Foreign embassies and consulates in Germany
Countries with an embassy or consulate in Germany, as recorded in Wikidata.
| Country | Embassies | Consulates-general | Consulates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | — | — |
| Albania | 1 | — | — |
| Algeria | 1 | — | — |
| Angola | 1 | — | — |
| Argentina | 1 | — | — |
| Armenia | 1 | — | — |
| Australia | 1 | — | — |
| Austria | 1 | 1 | — |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | — | — |
| Bahrain | 1 | — | — |
| Bangladesh | 1 | — | — |
| Belarus | 1 | — | — |
| Belgium | 1 | — | — |
| Bolivia | 1 | — | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | — | — |
| Botswana | 1 | — | — |
| Brazil | 1 | — | — |
| Brunei | 1 | — | — |
| Bulgaria | 1 | — | — |
| Burkina Faso | 1 | — | — |
| Burundi | 1 | — | — |
| Cambodia | 1 | — | — |
| Cameroon | 1 | — | — |
| Canada | 1 | — | — |
| Cape Verde | 1 | — | — |
| Chad | 1 | — | — |
| Chile | 1 | — | — |
| China | — | 4 | — |
| Colombia | 1 | — | — |
| Costa Rica | 1 | — | — |
| Croatia | 1 | — | — |
| Cuba | 1 | — | — |
| Cyprus | 1 | — | — |
| Czechia | 1 | — | — |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 1 | — | — |
| DR Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Denmark | — | 1 | — |
| Djibouti | 1 | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | — | — |
| Ecuador | 1 | — | — |
| Egypt | 1 | — | — |
| El Salvador | 1 | — | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1 | — | — |
| Eritrea | 1 | — | — |
| Estonia | 1 | — | — |
| Ethiopia | 1 | — | — |
| Finland | 1 | — | — |
| France | 1 | 6 | — |
| Gabon | 1 | — | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — | — |
| Ghana | 1 | — | — |
| Greece | 1 | — | — |
| Guatemala | 1 | — | — |
| Guinea | 1 | — | — |
| Guinea-Bissau | 1 | — | — |
| Haiti | 1 | — | — |
| Honduras | 1 | — | — |
| Hungary | 1 | 2 | — |
| Iceland | 1 | — | — |
| India | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Indonesia | 1 | 2 | — |
| Iran | 1 | — | — |
| Iraq | 1 | — | — |
| Ireland | 1 | — | — |
| Israel | 1 | 1 | — |
| Italy | 1 | — | — |
| Jamaica | 1 | — | — |
| Japan | 1 | 4 | — |
| Jordan | 1 | — | — |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | — | — |
| Kenya | 1 | — | — |
| Kosovo | 1 | — | — |
| Kuwait | 1 | — | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 | — | — |
| Laos | 1 | — | — |
| Latvia | 1 | — | — |
| Lebanon | 1 | — | — |
| Lesotho | 1 | — | — |
| Liberia | 1 | — | — |
| Libya | 1 | — | — |
| Liechtenstein | 1 | — | — |
| Lithuania | 1 | — | — |
| Luxembourg | 1 | — | — |
| Madagascar | 1 | — | — |
| Malawi | 1 | — | — |
| Malaysia | 1 | 1 | — |
| Maldives | 1 | — | — |
| Mali | 1 | — | — |
| Malta | 1 | — | — |
| Mauritania | 1 | — | — |
| Mauritius | 1 | — | — |
| Mexico | 1 | — | — |
| Moldova | 1 | 1 | — |
| Monaco | 1 | — | — |
| Mongolia | 1 | — | — |
| Montenegro | 1 | — | — |
| Morocco | 1 | 2 | — |
| Mozambique | 1 | — | — |
| Myanmar | 1 | — | — |
| Namibia | 1 | — | — |
| Nepal | 1 | — | — |
| Netherlands | 1 | — | — |
| New Zealand | 1 | — | — |
| Nicaragua | 1 | — | — |
| Niger | 1 | — | — |
| Nigeria | 1 | — | — |
| North Korea | 1 | — | — |
| North Macedonia | 1 | — | — |
| Norway | 1 | — | — |
| Oman | 1 | — | — |
| Pakistan | 1 | — | — |
| Palestine | 1 | — | — |
| Panama | 1 | — | — |
| Paraguay | 1 | — | — |
| Peru | 1 | — | — |
| Philippines | 1 | 1 | — |
| Poland | 1 | 3 | — |
| Portugal | 1 | — | — |
| Qatar | 1 | — | — |
| Republic of the Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Romania | 1 | — | — |
| Russia | 1 | — | — |
| Rwanda | 1 | — | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 1 | — |
| Senegal | 1 | — | — |
| Serbia | 1 | — | — |
| Sierra Leone | 1 | — | — |
| Singapore | 1 | — | — |
| Slovakia | 1 | — | — |
| Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Somalia | 1 | — | — |
| South Africa | 1 | — | 1 |
| South Korea | 1 | 1 | — |
| South Sudan | 1 | — | — |
| Spain | 1 | — | — |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | — | — |
| Sudan | 1 | — | — |
| Sweden | 1 | — | — |
| Switzerland | 1 | — | — |
| Syria | 1 | — | — |
| Tajikistan | 1 | — | — |
| Tanzania | 1 | — | — |
| Thailand | 1 | — | — |
| Togo | 1 | — | — |
| Tunisia | 1 | 1 | — |
| Turkmenistan | 1 | — | — |
| Türkiye | 1 | 14 | — |
| Uganda | 1 | — | — |
| Ukraine | 1 | — | — |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| United States | — | 5 | — |
| Uruguay | 1 | — | — |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | — | — |
| Venezuela | 1 | — | — |
| Vietnam | 1 | — | — |
| Yemen | 1 | — | — |
| Zambia | 1 | — | — |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | — | — |
- Countries
- 159
- Missions
- 219
Remittances
Money that migrants send home: personal remittances received by Germany, in current US dollars (World Bank).
Remittances received by year, US$ million
Data table
| 2000 | 3,604 |
| 2001 | 3,883 |
| 2002 | 4,654 |
| 2003 | 5,748 |
| 2004 | 6,516 |
| 2005 | 7,813 |
| 2006 | 8,644 |
| 2007 | 11,195 |
| 2008 | 13,211 |
| 2009 | 13,748 |
| 2010 | 14,234 |
| 2011 | 16,407 |
| 2012 | 15,376 |
| 2013 | 16,172 |
| 2014 | 16,266 |
| 2015 | 14,888 |
| 2016 | 15,259 |
| 2017 | 17,216 |
| 2018 | 18,653 |
| 2019 | 18,338 |
| 2020 | 18,820 |
| 2021 | 20,256 |
| 2022 | 19,892 |
| 2023 | 21,413 |
| 2024 | 22,168 |
| 2025 | 23,900 |
- Remittances received, 2025
- US$23,900 million
- Share of GDP, 2025
- 0.5%
All corridors from Germany
Destinations with a dedicated page for citizens of this country.
- Germany → Switzerland
- Germany → Austria
- Germany → Spain
- Germany → United States
- Germany → Netherlands
- Germany → Türkiye
- Germany → France
- Germany → Portugal
- Germany → Japan
- Germany → Denmark
- Germany → Sweden
- Germany → Italy
- Germany → Belgium
- Germany → South Korea
- Germany → Hungary
- Germany → Norway
- Germany → Canada
- Germany → New Zealand
- Germany → Australia
- Germany → Luxembourg
- Germany → United Kingdom
- Germany → Poland
Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more