German national visa D from Moscow

The national D visa for work, study and family reunification is processed centrally for all of Russia by the German Embassy in Moscow. Below: how booking works, which documents are needed and where applicants usually lose time.

Updated: September 17, 2026

The D visa covers stays in Germany longer than 90 days: work, the EU Blue Card, the Chancenkarte, study, family reunification, self-employment. It is not a Schengen visa: different form, different booking channel, different timelines.

Since 01.01.2026 a biometric passport is required: non-biometric Russian passports are accepted neither for a new visa nor for extending a residence permit. The exception is a valid visa or permit issued before 01.01.2026 in a non-biometric passport — it may be used until it expires. A biometric passport runs 10 years instead of 5 and carries the ICAO symbol on the cover.

Second: all of Russia files through Moscow. The visa sections of the consulates general in Kaliningrad, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk stopped accepting applications on 31.05.2023, and processing is centralised at the embassy. Applicants from Crimea file in Kyiv, from Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Tbilisi.

Who files and in which category

Applicants are people permanently resident in Russia; the category determines the booking section, filing location, document package and fee.

• Work: EU Blue Card, § 18b and § 18a, IT specialists without a degree (§ 19c), Chancenkarte, recognition of qualifications, medicine, research, self-employment, Au-Pair, internships
• Education: university and Studienkolleg, applicant visa, Ausbildung, language course longer than 3 months, school exchange
• Family: spouses and partners, children, parents of a German child, parents of a Blue Card holder, visa for marriage
• Other: medical treatment, ethnic German repatriates, Jewish immigration (§ 23 Abs. 2 AufenthG), re-entry

The full list with category leaflets (Merkblatt) is under Long-term stay. If the route is not settled yet, see our pages on the Blue Card, Chancenkarte, freelance visa and family reunification, the points calculator, the Blue Card salary threshold and a consultation. The decision is made by the embassy.

How to book

Since 01.06.2023 direct booking is impossible, at the visa section and at VisaMetric alike. The only channel is the embassy booking system RK-Termin, national visa section for Moscow.

1. You choose your category and join the waiting list.
2. The embassy assigns appointments in chronological order; the slot arrives by email.
3. An assigned date cannot be changed.
4. On the day: biometrics and original documents.

Booking is free, and outside agencies have no access to other slots: the embassy advises relying only on German missions and their partner VisaMetric. The Moscow section has ten categories, and booking the wrong one means your documents are not accepted.

The filing location is stated in the booking confirmation:

• Embassy visa section: Leninsky Prospekt 95A, entrances from Akademika Pilyugina street, phone +7 495 933-43-11.
• VisaMetric visa centre: Prospekt Mira 40, Gardenmir mall, 5th floor. Filing Mon–Fri 09:00–16:00, collection until 18:00, call centre +7 495 990-89-79.

Applicants from the regions file on the embassy-assigned appointment at VisaMetric offices in St Petersburg (+7 812 309-89-79), Yekaterinburg (+7 343 384-57-24) and Novosibirsk (+7 383 280-43-11); documents are then forwarded to Moscow. The embassy warns about the fake sites visametrik.de, visametrik.ru (the official one is visametric.com) and germania.works: it never asks anyone to transfer money online.

The application form

The form is completed in videx.diplo.de, section langfristiger Aufenthalt — not the same form as for Schengen, and available in German and English only. You download it as a PDF, print it together with the barcode page and sign by hand; the alternative is the paper form from the embassy site, filled in German.

The embassy's general FAQ asks for 2 copies of the form and 3 photos 45×35 mm, the category leaflets for the original Videx and 2 biometric photos. Follow the leaflet for your category and bring spare photos.

Timelines

The embassy's official wording is "from a few working days to several months", depending on the category. It does not answer questions about a case during the first three months of processing: no telephone enquiries, only a contact form. You may file no earlier than 3 months before the planned trip, but it is worth joining the waiting list straight away. If documents were filed in a region, add forwarding time.

Fees and payment

The rouble amount follows the embassy rate of the day, so bring small notes. Payment is only in cash roubles or by a card issued in Germany: cards issued in Russia and Belarus are not accepted. Fees are not refunded on a refusal; current amounts are on the embassy site.

Document checklist

The basic set is the same for every category:

• The leaflet (Merkblatt) for your category: build the package strictly from it
• The completed and signed form — Videx or the paper version
• A biometric passport: signed, at least 2 (per most leaflets 3) free pages, valid at least 3 months beyond the end of the planned stay, plus a copy of the data page
• Internal Russian passport: original and copies of all pages with entries
• Photos 45×35 mm, white background, full face, no headwear
• Insurance policy: open-ended, with no clauses ending cover by age, refusal of work or change of status, covering § 11 Abs. 1–3 SGB V; for employment, cover runs from the start date of the contract
• A CV in table form with no gaps in the timeline
• A motivation letter — for study and language courses, with specific personal reasons
• The fee, paid on site

Every original and translation needs a set of copies, arranged in the order of the leaflet. Families need a separate complete set per applicant.

Apostille and translations

• Civil registry and court documents need an apostille on the original, not the copy; the apostille is translated too.
• Russian documents are filed with a German translation by an authorised translator; translations made in Russia must be notarised.
• Translations of the passport, internal passport and insurance policy are not required.
• The authority the documents go to next also sets requirements: the Ausländerbehörde and Arbeitsagentur often accept only translations by translators recognised in Germany.

Category specifics

EU Blue Card

Since 01.01.2026 the salary threshold is at least €50,700 a year (€4,225 a month); for doctors, natural scientists, mathematicians, engineers and IT specialists it is €45,935 a year (€3,827.85 a month). You also need an employment contract or job offer with the workplace address, contacts and job description, the Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis from the employer, and a degree with the transcript of subjects. The degree must be recognised in Germany or comparable to a German one: a check in ANABIN is mandatory, and "conditionally comparable" status requires a Zeugnisbewertung from the ZAB.

The key restriction: under the leaflet only insurance policies taken out in EU countries are accepted, so a Russian policy will not be. A European policy covering the period from entry works, for example Expat health insurance from Feather. IT specialists without a degree follow the separate § 19c leaflet: at least 3 years of comparable experience.

Chancenkarte

Filing from Moscow is effectively suspended: the waiting list is formally open, but the embassy issues no invitations for this category — people queue without an assigned date. There are two realistic options: filing from another country, or another visa category.

The leaflet requirements are given for comparison with countries where filing works: at least 6 points if you are not a recognised skilled worker, with the mandatory Self-Check on make-it-in-germany.com; a motivation letter and a CV in table form; proof of funding for 12 months. The 2026 leaflets put this at €1,091 a month, that is €13,092 for the year, while the Moscow leaflet still shows the earlier €1,027 (€12,324) — count with the higher figure. Also required: insurance with cover of at least €30,000, proof of qualification (a German degree, recognition of equivalence, ANABIN or ZAB) and language: German A1 or English B2 with a certificate from a body accredited by ALTE or TOEFL.

Study

You need the Zulassung — admission to a university or Studienkolleg, with a copy — and proof of eligibility to enrol. Under the Moscow leaflet funding is €992 a month, that is €11,904 for the first academic year: a blocked account or an official (behördliche) sponsorship declaration issued no more than 6 months before filing. For the applicant visa it is €9,819 with €1,091 a month available. Amounts are indexed annually, so check the current leaflet before opening an account. In addition: a motivation letter, a CV, proof of language skills, an insurance policy (may be presented when the visa is issued) and, for minors, parental consent with a translation.

Family reunification

For spouses: the marriage or partnership certificate with an apostille on the original and a translation, the spouse's passport or residence permit in Germany, proof of housing with the future address, a declaration from the reference person covering maintenance, and proof of German at A1. Exception: if the spouse holds an EU Blue Card, ICT or Mobile ICT card, no language proof is required (§ 30 Abs. 1 S. 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG) — attach a copy of their permit.

The main restriction: the law of 24.07.2025 suspended family reunification with holders of subsidiary protection (subsidiärer Schutz) — if your reference person holds that status, the route is currently closed. A separate rule applies to family members of Syrian citizens with recognised asylum: they can file in Russia only if they are in the country for other reasons, not for the sake of filing; a short-term Russian visa of up to 90 days does not qualify.

Self-employment and liberal professions

In addition: a business plan and CV with translations, a Handelsregister extract, proof of project funding, an insurance offer and, from age 45, proof of pension provision.

Accelerated procedure § 81a

Employment categories can be sped up. The employer in Germany obtains a Vorabzustimmung — the Ausländerbehörde's preliminary approval under § 81a AufenthG; only the employer can apply, the applicant cannot. Once the approval exists in the original, you book in the separate section of the system and the appointment must take place within three weeks.

The package: the form in German, 2 biometric photos no older than 6 months, a passport with 3 free pages, the internal passport, a CV, an insurance policy, the original approval, the employment contract, proof of qualification and language certificates where required.

A caveat on language: the general § 81a leaflet lists German proof for the specialist, the spouse and children from 16, but it is written for ordinary work visas (§ 18a, § 18b). For the Blue Card (§ 18g) no language proof is required, and the spouse's exemption is set out in § 30 Abs. 1 S. 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG. The embassy recommends booking family members at the same time as the specialist: the fastest route for specialists with Russian citizenship and their families.

At the appointment

Electronics are not allowed into the embassy visa section: phones, tablets and laptops are banned, and there may be no lockers at the entrance. Bring originals plus a set of copies: copies are stamped, originals returned. Fingerprints are taken from everyone aged 12 and over, so attendance in person is required. Further documents may be requested on site or by letter — check your email and spam folder. Through VisaMetric you can order courier delivery of the passport at filing.

Refusal

Remonstration was abolished on 01.07.2025. The refusal notice states the reasons; what remains is a new application with a stronger package or a court appeal at the applicant's own cost.

Collecting the passport

There is no public collection list in Moscow: through VisaMetric the status is tracked by application number, and the passport is collected at the office or by courier. Check the visa immediately — name, passport number, photo and above all the permitted validity, the period in which you may enter; report errors to the issuing visa section at once. The visa is issued for 3–6 months, and if the stay does not exceed a year it may cover the whole period. It is valid for Germany and allows stays in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days per half-year, without the right to work there. Right after entry: Anmeldung and an appointment at the foreigners' authority. Other material is in our guides.

FAQ

Can I book a D visa appointment directly at the embassy or at VisaMetric?

No. Since 01.06.2023 booking runs only through the embassy system: you join the waiting list and the embassy assigns a slot in chronological order. The date cannot be changed, booking is free, and outside agencies have no access to other slots.

How long does a decision take?

Officially from a few working days to several months, depending on the category. The embassy does not answer questions about the state of a case during the first three months of processing. If documents were filed in a region, add the forwarding time to Moscow.

Can I apply for the Chancenkarte from Moscow right now?

In practice no: the system lets you join the waiting list, but no filing dates are assigned for this category. The working alternatives are filing from another country or another visa category. Check the current status on the embassy site.

Do I need a biometric passport if my current one is non-biometric?

For a new visa, yes — since 01.01.2026 there is no alternative. If a non-biometric passport already holds a valid visa or residence permit issued before 01.01.2026, it may be used until it expires. For applications filed before 31.12.2025 and not yet decided, a biometric passport must be presented when the visa is issued.

Can I file documents in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg or Novosibirsk?

You can file at a VisaMetric office on the appointment assigned by the embassy. Processing still happens in Moscow and documents are forwarded — that means extra time and a fee of 1,770 ₽ per person.

How is the fee paid?

In cash roubles at the embassy rate of the day, or by a card issued in Germany. Cards issued in Russia and Belarus are not accepted. The fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.

Applying from other countries