Indonesia - visa-free for 30 days in exceptional cases
14/04/2016 02:00

The Embassy of Indonesia in Berlin announces:

Different nationalities (including German citizens) do not require a visa for the following purposes for a stay of up to 30 days: 

Excluding business trips to give presentations or attend seminars or participate in meetings with parent or subsidiary companies in Indonesia.

Mauritania - No visas issued until the beginning of May 2016
07/04/2016 02:00

No visa issued until the beginning of May 2016

The Embassy of Mauritania informs:

Due to a system change, no visas will be issued until the beginning of May 2016

According to the embassy, travelers should try to obtain the visa at the border. However, the transporting airline should be contacted in advance to ensure transportation without a visa.

India Frankfurt - Delays in issuing visas
30/03/2016 02:00

The Consulate General of India in Frankfurt informs: 

There are currently delays in the issuance of visas.

We recommend that you allow for an application period of approx. 14 days until further notice.

China - Standardization of consular fees
10/03/2016 01:00

&Amendment of the consular fees 

The Chinese Visa Application Service Center informs

The consular fees in Germany will be standardized from 14.03.2016

Depending on the type of visa and the number of entries, a uniform consular fee of EUR 60.00 will be charged for all applicants from Schengen countries.

The fees of the Chinese Visa Application Service Center remain unaffected by this.

China - Shanghai region: 6-day visa-free transit stay
26/02/2016 01:00

UPDATE: Shanghai region: 6 days visa-free transit stay 

German nationals as well as citizens of 50 other (mainly European) countries have been able to stay in the Yangtze region without a visa for up to 144 hours (6 days) since January 30, 2016, according to the Chinese immigration authorities.2016 up to 144 hours (6 days) visa-free in the Yangtze Delta region (city of Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu & Zhejiang), provided they have an onward travel ticket to a “third country”.

This regulation only applies to transit travelers, i.e. the onward journey must be to a third country and may not return to the country of origin! Please note that a "third country" is defined as a destination in Asia or Oceania and does not refer to a return journey to the country of origin or to a third country located in Europe. According to current knowledge, the length of stay in the third country must be proven to be at least 72 hours. If a visa is required for entry into the third country, the relevant valid visa must be presented.

Entry and exit are therefore possible via Shanghai’s airports and seaports as well as the international airports of Nanjing and Hangzhou; a direct round trip is still only possible with a valid visa.

Detailed information is available on the Shanghai Immigration Inspection website at http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40  http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40 . In case of doubt, it is recommended to contact the relevant Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) or the transporting airline or shipping company in good time before departure to find out whether, in a specific case, transportation is guaranteed without a visa for the stay in the Shanghai region.