Wikimedia Summit 2020/Visa Process and Assistance

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Visa Process and Assistance

WMDE would be happy to welcome all registered participants to the Wikimedia Summit 2020. Therefore, we kindly ask you to carefully read and consider the information below. In any case, please immediately inform us via wmsummit@wikimedia.de about your visa approval or denial.

Do I need a visa?

1. Check the following website to find out whether you need a visa for travelling to Germany: http://wmde.org/germanyvisa
2. Once you have your travel plan at hand, check whether you need a transit visa en route to Berlin.
3. Even if you do not need a visa, some visitors need to present various documents (e.g. letter of invitation, foreign health insurance) upon immigration. Please check the entry requirements/travel advice for Germany on the website of your country's Department of Foreign Affairs and email us at wmsummit@wikimedia.de in case you require any of the above mentioned documents.

I need a visa for travelling to Germany. What next?

1. Register for the Wikimedia Summit 2020 using this link.
2. Make a visa appointment at the responsible embassy/consulate right after registering as waiting times for an appointment can be up to 4 months! When choosing an appointment, allow yourself enough time to collect the required documents and/or prepare for an interview.
3. Check the validity of your passport (must be valid at least six months beyond the period of your stay).
4. Check which documents (e.g. birth and marriage certificate, copy of your passport, biometric photo etc.) are required for your visa application on the website of your embassy/consulate. Gather all the required documents. WMDE will provide you with a letter of invitation, a foreign travel health insurance, copy of registration of association of WMDE.
5. Check with your contact person at the embassy/consulate whether the copied documents provided by WMDE are sufficient or if original documents are required.
6. Have all documents prepared 1 week prior to your visa appointment.
7. Apply for a so-called ‘Uniform Schengen Visa -Type C ‘, which allows a maximum of stay of 90 days.
8. We advise you to specify the purpose of your stay as ‘Other: Conference’. If you are a staff member of an affiliate you might want to specify the purpose of your stay as ‘Business’.
9. When filling out the visa application form, please note that the arrival and departure dates entered, must match with your travel booking. Once a Schengen visa is issued, the dates mentioned on your visa sticker can’t be changed or extended.
10. Prepare for the interview at the embassy/consulate in case that one is required.
11. Inform WMDE about your visa approval or visa denial via wmsummit@wikimedia.de.