Invitation letter for a visitor visa
Would you like to invite friends, family members or business partners to Germany? In order for "third-country nationals" to obtain a visitor visa, they need a letter of invitation in addition to many other documents. With the letter of invitation, you confirm that you would like to invite a specific person to Germany. A letter of invitation must meet certain requirements, which we describe in more detail here. You can find out all about the other requirements for a visitor visa in our chapter"Visitor visa".
What do I need to know?
What does the invitation letter need to look like?
The invitation letter does not have to be in any particular form. It can therefore be formulated as a normal letter. The important thing is that it contains all the necessary information. You can find out more about this in the following sections.
Important: The invitation letter for a business visit must contain the official company letterhead, the company stamp and the signature of the managing director.
What information must the invitation letter for a private visit contain?
The invitation letter for a private visit must contain at least the following information:
- Your full name and address, telephone number and e-mail address.
- Your identity card number or the number of your residence permit.
- A copy of your identity card or residence permit.
- The full name, date of birth, passport number and full address of the person being invited.
- Proof of your relationship or acquaintance with the person you wish to invite. This could be marriage or birth certificates, for example. Or proof of previous meetings or letters, e-mails, etc.
- The purpose of the trip, e.g. attending a wedding or a birthday. You should also describe in detail your relationship or friendship, how long you have known each other, etc.
- The time frame and planned course of the planned visit
- Date and place
- Your signature
What information must the letter of invitation for a business visit contain?
The letter of invitation for a business visit must contain at least the following information:
- Your full name and address, telephone number and e-mail address.
- The full name, date of birth, passport number and full address of the person being invited.
- If the person being invited is an employee: A letter from the person's employer explaining the reason for and duration of the visit.
- The purpose of the visit, i.e. an explanation of what the visit is for and what exactly the aim of the visit is.
- The period and planned course of the planned visit, including flight numbers.
- Details of where the invited person is to be accommodated. For example, the address of the hotel, etc.
- Date and place
- Your signature
Who writes the invitation letter?
The host writes the invitation letter. So if you want to invite your relatives, friends or business partners, you write the invitation and then send it to the invited person. The invited person then presents the invitation letter at the German embassy when applying for their visa.
Important
A letter of invitation is not the same as a letter of commitment. If the person you would like to invite does not have enough money to pay for the trip and stay in Germany, they will need a so-called letter of commitment in addition to the letter of invitation. You can find out more about this in our chapter"Declaration of commitment for a visitor visa".
The visitor needs to include the invitation letter along with their application for a German visitor visa. Without this letter, the application process may be incomplete. Accordingly, the invitation letter should include your full name, address, contact information, your identification number or residence permit copy, the invitee's details, proof of your relationship, the trip purpose, duration, and planned schedule.
Source: handbookgermany.de