Visa - Residence

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Temporary short stay in Germany by non-EU citizens/Schengen visa
Longer stay in Germany/moving to Germany, non-EU citizens
Temporary stays in countries outside the EU
Temporary stays within the EU
Travelling in the EU as a non-EU national in Germany

The most important points

Citizens of many countries can enter Germany / the Schengen area without a visa for short stays. All others require a Schengen visa. EU citizens can generally travel freely within the EU.
A short stay in the Schengen area means a maximum of 90 days within 180 days, based on a dynamic backward calculation. In principle, working is not permitted during a short stay. However, there are some exceptions for artists. Each Schengen country has its own national exceptions.
German/EU nationals must check whether they require an entry visa, a work permit and/or an electronic entry authorisation for their stay in a non-EU country.
All non-EU/EEA nationals require a residence permit for long-term stays in or relocation to Germany. Citizens of a few countries can apply for this after entering Germany without a visa. Most, however, must first apply for a national visa at a German mission abroad. It is generally not possible to apply for a residence permit in Germany after entry with a Schengen visa.
There is no German residence permit specifically for artists that allows all work activities. A residence permit is usually limited to a specific purpose of residence. A purpose of residence is, for example, a specific employment contract (e.g. in a theatre), a specific self-employed activity (e.g. as a freelance artist) or a special purpose (e.g. participation in a residency programme). Advice on asylum issues is available from organisations specialising in asylum law.

Questions regarding entry and stay are part of the nature of international artistic activities. Different residence titles such as visas, work permits, etc. are relevant for different countries.
The EU treaties guarantee the freedom of establishment and services and the freedom of movement for workers, which grant any EU citizen the right to live and work in another EU country.
German nationals are required to obtain visas for trips to many non-European countries; an appropriate residence title is necessary to be able to work there.
Artists and creatives who are not EU citizens need a valid residence title for entering and staying in Germany.

An independent dance company based in Munich hires an Indian dancer, a French choreographer and an Irish musician on a fee basis. They will rehearse in Germany for two months and then go on a month-long tour through Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and Ireland. What visas or work permits do they need?

An artist from Iraq is invited to Germany for a period of two weeks for setting up his/her exhibition pieces and participation in the subsequent opening of the exhibition. On the day following the opening, he/she gives a workshop as part of the exhibition, for which he/she receives a fee.

Answers to these and similar questions can be found in this module.

Legal bases

Residence Act (AufenthG) Link
Employment Ordinance - Ordinance on the Employment of Foreigners Link
Act on the General Freedom of Movement for EU Citizens Link
Directive 2004/38/EC (Freedom of Movement Directive) Link
Procedural information on residence in Berlin (in German) Link
Federal Foreign Office, Visa Handbook (in German) Link
Federal Employment Agency, Residence Act and Employment Ordinance, Directives (in German) Link
Schengen Agreement Link
Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code) Link
Visa waiver agreements Link