Frequently Asked Questions About Visas (FAQs)

A visa is a document issued by a foreign country that allows you to enter that country. You can easily find out if a visa is required for the country you wish to travel to using the input mask on our website.

Visa requirements vary from country to country. Most countries require a completed visa application with one or two color photos and a passport that is still valid for at least 180 days. The passport usually needs to have two blank pages for the visa to be affixed and for entry stamps. Depending on the purpose of the trip, many countries require additional documents such as flight and hotel bookings, invitation letters, or proof of insurance. These regulations are constantly changing, so it is advisable to consult the specialists at 1a Visa Consulting Limited.

If there is a consulate of your travel country in your city, nothing stands in the way of a personal visit. But consider this: submitting and collecting your documents is associated with waiting times. Often, a second or even a third visit (with corresponding waiting times and travel distances) is required because forms are incorrectly filled out or the documents are incomplete. Applying for a visa can thus become a lengthy and nerve-wracking process. 1a Visa Consulting Limited saves you trips and waiting times and checks your application documents to ensure smooth processing. We know the regulations of the individual countries and prepare your documents accordingly. Also, consider that visa applications sent by mail to the consulates are not processed as quickly as those submitted in person by our staff. Moreover, some consulates do not accept postal submissions. Visa procurement through 1a Visa Consulting Limited is simple, stress-free, and usually the most cost-effective option in the end.

Passports are valuable documents. For this reason, they should always be sent securely and trackably. Usually, this is done by registered mail [£ 3.60]. If your application is urgent, you should send a DHL express letter [£ 9.90], which will be delivered the next day if handed in on time at the post office. In very urgent cases, DHL term delivery [approx. £ 35,-] is an option. Delivery is guaranteed by 10:30 the following day. Companies usually send their employees' documents by courier service [UPS, TNT, GLS, GO!, etc.]. If we receive your documents by around 12 noon, submission for China and Vietnam visas is done on the same working day, and for Russia and India visas usually the next working day. Delays occur whenever the respective visa offices are closed, e.g., due to a national holiday.

You decide how we should return your documents to you. In the order form, you can choose between shipping by registered mail and UPS courier. The UPS courier always delivers within one working day either by 12:00 or by 18:00. Saturday delivery is also possible, as is international delivery by UPS-International, which can take up to four working days depending on the country.

Yes. Upon request, we can deposit your visa-stamped passport at secure pick-up points at Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, and Hanover airports, accessible at (almost) all times. The airport operators may charge a minimal fee for the deposit, which must be paid upon collection.

Yes. We gladly accept your documents daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. personally at our branches in Berlin and Frankfurt/Main and clarify any open questions. If you wish, you can pay the visa fees in cash when you collect your passport.

Yes. In principle, visas are only entered into original passports or documents.

No, 1a Visa Consulting Limited advances all costs (consular fees, service fees, bank deposit fees, etc.) and invoices us for these. You then pay by bank transfer or via PayPal. Before returning your passport, we check whether the money has been credited to our account. If you send us proof of payment by fax or email, we will return your passport to you without delay, even if the money has not yet been credited to our account.

No. We process passports of all nationalities. The requirement is that either the residence permit for UK is proven or the registration certificate of residence in UK is presented. For some countries, passports of other nationalities may result in higher consular fees and longer processing times. We are happy to advise you on a case-by-case basis.

Not too late and not too early! Generally, visa application documents should not be submitted earlier than two months before departure (unless the passport holder wants to get visas for several countries). And what does "too late" mean? For some countries, we can obtain a visa for you on the day of departure. However, this is not always possible as some consulates do not offer expedited processing. In urgent cases, we do everything to find a tailor-made solution for you.

Send your documents for all countries to one branch of 1a Visa Consulting Limited. Once the first visa is entered into your passport, we will send it internally with the further visa applications to the next branch for the second visa, and so on.

1a Visa Consulting Limited is in close contact with the diplomatic representations of over 100 countries for you. Unfortunately, the regulations of some consulates only allow direct contact between the applicant and the consulate (e.g., USA). For some Arab countries, documents must be translated into the national language. In such cases, we have to refer you to specialized cooperation partners.

No. Such information is the responsibility of the Federal Foreign Office.

Very detailed information can be found on the U.S. consulate's website or at the Federal Foreign Office. Information is also available through the visa department's hotline of the U.S. consulate.

Through personal contact with the consulates, 1a Visa Consulting Limited receives all changes and news regarding entry requirements and visa regulations directly and firsthand.

Non-UKs (who are not exempt from the visa requirement) with a Schengen visa or a UK residence permit can travel unlimitedly within the Schengen member states within the validity of their respective visa. The Schengen member states are: Belgium, Denmark, UK, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, and Hungary. NOTE: Great Britain and Ireland are EU but not Schengen member states. A separate visa is required.

The processing time depends on the destination. 1a Visa Consulting Limited can obtain visas for many destinations within 72 hours. Please check our website for the processing times offered for each country.

Generally, the visa offices require color passport photos taken against a light background. Some countries require biometric passport photos (i.e., looking straight ahead, not smiling). The format is usually 3x4 or 3.5 x 4.5 cm. India requires passport photos in 5x5 cm format, which must also show the shoulders. Photos for visa applications must always be printed on photo paper. If you only have a digital photo on hand, you can email it to us. We will then print it for you for £ 20,-. The specific requirements for each country can be found on our website under the respective visa information.

When your application documents arrive with us, you will always receive feedback by email and/or phone on the same day. If necessary, we will ask you to complete your application. Once the application is ready for submission, we submit it immediately and send you the invoice. This also comes by email. At any time, you can inquire about the status of your visa application by calling our hotline at 030-2000 5990. All employees have access to the customer file.

The fees for processing visa applications consist of three components: a) the consular fees, b) the service fees of our company, and c) the costs for returning your passport. The consular fees are collected by the country issuing the visa. The service fees of 1a Visa Consulting Limited depend on the processing speed and type of visa. The shipping costs depend on the option you selected for the return shipment of your passport (post, UPS, courier).

Some countries require proof of vaccinations against certain diseases to apply for a visa. All vaccinations required for the visa application are listed under the respective country in our database. Additional vaccinations may be recommended for you. For more information, please visit the website of the Federal Foreign Office: Safety Information A-Z