Checked on 21 October 2026.
You normally apply for a German national visa through the German mission responsible for your place of habitual residence. Your passport country does not, by itself, determine where you must apply.
If a Russian citizen genuinely lives in Kazakhstan, or an Uzbek citizen lives in Russia, the first steps are to identify the responsible mission and establish residence within its district. A tourist trip to a country with more available appointments does not automatically create a right to apply there. The Federal Foreign Office explains the general principle.
Clients from CIS countries often face this question before their first move to Germany: work, education and family may already be spread across different countries. This guide covers Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Moldova and Turkmenistan as countries of residence. It is a practical regional overview, not a list of countries with identical visa rules.
First identify the visa category
This article concerns national category D visas for long-term relocation, including employment, university study, vocational training, entrepreneurship and family reunification. Short-stay Schengen rules cannot automatically be applied to these applications. In particular, the options in Article 6 of the Visa Code concern Schengen procedures.
Citizenship still matters for visa requirements, certain exemptions and supporting documents. For example, eligibility for short visa-free visits does not create a general right to move to Germany for work without obtaining a visa first. Check long-term entry requirements separately. See the official explanation of national visa procedures.
If you have not chosen a route, establish its legal basis first. Our guides to Ausbildung for applicants from CIS countries and German work visas from age 45 may help. Eligibility for a visa category and eligibility to apply at a particular mission are separate questions.
What does habitual residence mean?
The German term gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt describes residence that is sufficiently settled and, in the circumstances, does not look like a temporary visit. Separate three questions:
- Where do you actually live, and how long have you lived there?
- On what basis are you in that country, and how can you prove it?
- Which German mission covers your address?
The Foreign Office's Visa Handbook takes account both of residence that has already lasted six months and of an intended stay expected from the outset to last at least six months. It also addresses individual immigration status issues and exceptional handling by another mission where the appropriate authorisation is given. Saying that everyone in every country must first live there for six months and obtain a residence permit oversimplifies the rules. See the jurisdiction section of the Visa Handbook, PDF pages 676–677.
Habitual residence and the lawfulness of your local immigration status are separate matters; unusual status situations need individual assessment. Local checklists describe evidence and duration differently. A residence permit, registration, tenancy and physical presence establish different facts. A rental agreement does not replace a residence permit where the checklist specifically requires one.
If you have recently moved, your status is expiring or your circumstances are complicated, obtain an individual clarification. Do not simply choose the most convenient wording from another country's guidance.
Before spending money on travel, request a document review from FIRMDER/RelocationDE. State your citizenship, current country and city, relocation date, local status and intended visa purpose. Those facts allow a practical discussion of document preparation and organisational support.
Where to apply in ten countries in the region
The following overview reflects published instructions checked on the stated date. If your category or circumstances are not covered, clarify them with the visa section. The absence of a fixed residence period on a page does not mean tourists may apply freely.
Russia
National visa jurisdiction is centralised at the German Embassy in Moscow, including applicants from the former districts of St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. Residence in Russia must be demonstrated. Do not rely solely on an old consular district map. See the national visa page.
The employment, EU Blue Card and spousal reunification checklists reviewed require foreign nationals to provide a Russian temporary residence permit, RVP, or residence permit, VNZh. The employment checklist is one example. Those sources do not state a universal minimum period of prior residence. A Russian passport also does not settle jurisdiction if its holder has actually lived abroad for a long time.
Kazakhstan
The national visa FAQ associates the centre of a person's life with residence of at least six months. Citizenship is not decisive. Travelling to Kazakhstan solely because the appointment queue is shorter is expressly excluded as a basis for applying.
Within the country, the districts of Astana and Almaty matter. Check your actual address against the current regional allocation, rather than choosing by flight convenience. Registration alone does not prove that you have genuinely moved the centre of your life. Following a recent move, clarify the applicable procedure before booking an appointment or paying for travel.
Belarus
The embassy in Minsk describes habitual residence as either an existing stay of at least six months or an intention to remain for at least six months, supported by registration, for example for work or study. This should not be turned into a compulsory six-month wait for every applicant.
A separate restriction applies: since 1 April 2025, Minsk has stopped accepting national visa applications from people habitually resident in Russia. The restriction concerns residence, not every Russian passport holder who has genuinely settled in Belarus.
Armenia
The current Yerevan checklists for the EU Blue Card, study and spousal reunification require foreign nationals to demonstrate habitual residence in Armenia for at least six months through a valid Armenian residence permit. The study and family checklists expressly refer to a Residence Card.
Russian citizens are specifically included among those subject to the requirement. Visa-free entry is not an automatic substitute, and more flexible wording in Schengen guidance cannot simply be transferred to a national visa. Other categories and unusual statuses need separate checking.
Azerbaijan
Baku's general national visa checklist links jurisdiction to habitual residence in Azerbaijan. Such residence is presumed after a stay of at least six months. A valid Azerbaijani residence permit is specified for foreign nationals.
Azerbaijani citizens living abroad are directed to the mission responsible for their residence. The document is dated July 2025 and was linked from the active national visa page on the review date. Check the latest version and the instructions for your category before applying.
Kyrgyzstan
The Bishkek national visa page provides for two situations: you have already lived in Kyrgyzstan for at least six months, or the circumstances make it highly likely that you will remain for at least six months. Appropriate evidence must be supplied if there is doubt.
Your last entry date therefore does not provide the whole answer. A recent move for long-term employment and a brief tourist stop require different assessments. The reviewed page does not contain an exhaustive general list of residence documents. Clarify whether your evidence is sufficient for your circumstances.
Uzbekistan
The Tashkent national visa instructions specify a local residence permit or registration and a copy of the passport page with the entry stamp for foreign nationals habitually resident in Uzbekistan. The reviewed instructions do not set a universal six-month period.
The embassy website also describes a narrow exception for certain Russian citizens for whom returning to Russia to apply would be unreasonable because of threats to their safety. This is an individual possibility, not permission for all Russian visitors to apply while travelling through Tashkent. Discuss its applicability with the mission.
Tajikistan
Applications in Dushanbe require consideration of habitual residence in Tajikistan. The skilled worker checklist requires foreign applicants to demonstrate habitual residence and lawful stay. No single six-month rule for all national visa categories was found on the pages reviewed.
The submission channel is particularly important here. Since 20 September 2026, several categories must be submitted through the Consular Services Portal, Auslandsportal; others retain a waiting list. The categories are listed in the current national visa notice. Waiting-list registrations made before 20 September remain valid and do not need to be repeated. Compare older instructions with the newer notice before using them.
Moldova
National visa instructions in Chișinău refer to residence or lawful settled stay in Moldova. The checklists for study, skilled employment and spousal reunification require a valid Moldovan residence permit from foreign nationals.
The wording does not limit this to one particular subtype of permanent residence permit. Those checklists do not state a fixed mandatory period of prior residence. A Moldovan passport and the right to make short visa-free visits to Germany do not automatically resolve the long-term visa question either.
Turkmenistan
The embassy in Ashgabat accepts national visa applications on the basis of habitual residence in Turkmenistan. The stay must be settled rather than merely temporary; this is presumed after six months.
That is a presumption and should not be rewritten as an unconditional prohibition on applying earlier. The embassy also explains that Turkmen citizens habitually living elsewhere should use the mission responsible for their place of residence. The reviewed page does not provide a universal evidence checklist for every case.
Documents to prepare when checking where to apply
First save the checklist for the specific mission and your visa category. Then put together a short residence timeline with entry dates, addresses and the basis of each stay. An initial assessment may require:
- your passport and pages showing border crossings;
- a local residence permit, temporary residence permission, registration or other status document;
- the document's validity period and evidence of a pending extension where applicable;
- a rental agreement or another record of your actual address;
- an employment contract, study records or other documents explaining long-term residence;
- residence information for your spouse and children if family applications are planned.
This is a preparation list, not a universal consular checklist. Do not order every certificate and translation before comparing the relevant instructions. Establish which evidence concerns jurisdiction, which supports the visa purpose and which may be requested additionally.
If documents come from different countries, check translation, apostille and legalisation requirements separately. Applying for a visa in a country does not turn a foreign certificate into a local document. Do not send a complete family archive to an address found at random: use the official channel and prescribed submission process.
For a work-related move, you can discuss visa preparation support with FIRMDER/RelocationDE, including comparing published requirements, organising the document set and planning the sequence of steps. Having a consultant does not change jurisdiction or give priority in an appointment queue.
Three situations to consider before booking
You live in your country of citizenship. Start with the local German mission and verify the current district. Even here, old instructions may direct you to an office that has closed or no longer accepts national visa applications. Russia illustrates why checking current arrangements matters.
You have genuinely moved to a third country. For example, a Belarusian citizen works in Armenia and holds a local residence permit. Her dates, status and visa category need to be compared with Armenian instructions. It should not be assumed that she must return to Belarus merely because of her passport without examining habitual residence.
You are in transit or travelled solely for an appointment. For example, a Kazakh citizen spends a week in Bishkek and finds a free slot. The appointment does not establish jurisdiction. First determine the basis on which the application could be accepted. The trip and hotel booking alone do not demonstrate settled residence.
These examples illustrate the checks to make; they do not predetermine the outcome of an individual application.
Applying online does not let you choose any consulate
The Auslandsportal allows electronic document submission and preliminary review. However, the Foreign Office expressly states that the portal does not change which mission is responsible. If your category is not yet available online at your mission, you cannot automatically choose a different country. Follow the locally prescribed channel. See the Consular Services Portal guidance.
Distinguish uploading documents, arranging an in-person appointment and receiving a visa decision. An initial completeness check is not visa approval. TLScontact or VisaMetric may help receive documents, but a visa application centre cannot be selected independently of the responsible mission and its rules.
Moving while your application is being processed
Do not assume that your application automatically transfers with your new address. Before changing your country of residence, ask the mission handling the case in writing:
- Can it continue processing after your move?
- What new information or documents must you provide?
- Where and when will you need to attend or present your passport?
- Is coordination with the mission in the new country required?
- What happens to your appointment, preliminary review and original documents already submitted?
Give your file number, old and new addresses, intended moving date and new status. Keep the reply. This is a recommended organisational approach, not a promise that a case can be transferred or that processing time will remain unchanged.
Do not cancel an existing appointment or create a duplicate application until you understand the applicable procedure. Consider local permission-to-stay deadlines, employment, accommodation and whether you can return for necessary steps. A German visa application does not extend your immigration status in the country where you are living.
When spouses and children live in different countries
Each applicant's own habitual residence and documents must be checked. The main applicant's citizenship, residence permit or appointment does not automatically cover the rest of the family.
Create a simple table recording each person's citizenship, country and address, status, expiry date and German visa basis. Then establish which applications can be linked administratively and which file numbers should be quoted. Where different missions are involved, clarify coordination and transmission of shared evidence in advance.
The family immigration basis also needs its own assessment. For an entrepreneur's first move, see our guide to family reunification under section 21. For job seeking, see the Opportunity Card with a spouse and children.
Do not automatically apply this method to ethnic German resettler admission under the BVFG or Jewish immigration. First check the specific programme and stage of the case, including the implications of residence in a third country.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if your habitual residence is there and the responsible mission's rules are met. Special arrangements may apply in individual circumstances. A foreign passport or tourist entry alone does not settle the question.
No. Belarus and Kyrgyzstan expressly take future long-term residence into account. Other checklists refer to six months or require particular documents. Check the wording for your country and visa category, especially after a recent move.
That cannot be guaranteed in advance. The document must fit the local instructions and the actual residence situation. If a residence permit is required, do not assume ordinary registration is an automatic substitute.
The portal does not remove territorial jurisdiction. Uploading documents to a different country does not establish a basis for processing there.
Yes, where jurisdiction and the procedure allow each family member's application to be accepted. If you live in different countries, agree the process in advance. A shared relocation plan does not itself resolve the issue.
No. Jurisdiction determines who examines the application. Work, study, family, financial and other requirements are assessed separately.
What to do now
Before booking, establish the visa basis, country where you actually live, local status and responsible mission. Compare your situation with the current checklist, prepare evidence and clarify points the checklist does not answer. Only then plan application travel and related expenses.
This is general information. Official sources appear alongside the relevant rules. Recheck your mission's current requirements before applying, and obtain qualified legal advice where an individual legal assessment is needed.
Request a document review and help preparing your visa application. FIRMDER GmbH, operating under the RelocationDE brand, supports organisational preparation and relocation. To start, describe your citizenship, country of residence, basis of stay and purpose for moving to Germany. The scope of services is agreed separately. Visa decisions and appointment allocation remain with the authorised organisations.
