Invitation Letter for Applying German Visa: Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long to arrange the invitation letter?

The invitation letter will be issued around 10 working days upon the integrity of all application materials. The draft letter will be delivered within 3 working days upon the reception of all application materials, while the formal one will be issued within 7 working days upon the reception of draft confirmation.

2. What kinds of invitation letter application could Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. provide?

There are two kinds of invitation letter --for exhibitors and for trade visitors.

3. What kind of visa can be applied for with the invitation letter from Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd.?

Business visa.

4. What kinds of material are required for the invitation letter applications?

For exhibitors:  
A. Dispatch letter: printed on paper with letterhead including company address, telephone and fax number, with contents of the exhibition name, personnel name, position, working age, monthly salary, trip purpose, departure & return date, and also the statement that the company will undertake the travel and medical expense of employees dispatched and promise that they will return for original post on time; in German or English; with signature and seal of your company principal  
B. Exhibition expense invoice issued by the organizer  
C. Bank remittance slip to the organizer  
D. Booth confirmation letter issued by the organizer  
 
For visitors:  
A. Copy of business license  
B. Dispatch letter: printed on paper with letterhead including company address, telephone and fax number, with contents of the exhibition name, personnel name, position, working age, monthly salary, trip purpose, departure & return date, and also the statement that the company will undertake the travel and medical cost of employees dispatched and promise that they will return for original post on time; in German or English; with signature and seal of your company principal 
C. Company profile
D. Copy of electronic entrance ticket

5. How to fill in the “departure and return date” in the dispatch letter?  

Exhibitors should departure on the 4th day before the exhibition and return on the 4th day after that. Visitors should departure on the 2nd day
before the exhibition and return on the 2nd day after that (except drupa).
This is the longest duration permitted by German consulate. Please abide by it strictly.

6. How to choose the visa-issuing place in dispatch letter?

There are one German Embassy and four German Consulates General throughout China. To choose Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong according to your resident registration authority location.
German Consulate General in Guangzhou for Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan and Guangxi
German Consulate General in Shanghai for Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai
German Consulate General in Chengdu for Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing
German Consulate General in Hong Kong for Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR
German Embassy in Beijing for other provinces in China

7. How many free Invitation Letters can exhibitors apply for at most?

Because each exhibition different for details, please call (0086)4008873363 for enquiry.

8. If Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan or foreign companies participate in the exhibition, can their companies in mainland China apply for invitation letters as well?

A. Branch companies in mainland China can apply for an exhibitor invitation letter, but a relationship certificate of the exhibitor concerned and its branch company in mainland China must be provided.
B. Workers of factories in mainland China can only apply for a visitor invitation letter.
C. The co-exhibitor can apply for an exhibitor invitation letter by presenting a co-exhibition booth confirmation.

9.Are originals required for application materials?

Online application:Application documents should be uploaded. Acceptable file types are JPG and PDF. Each file should be under 500KB. Please contact us if upload problems are encountered.
How to submit the application form: Application documents sent by fax or email are all acceptable.

10.If the employee of the applicant company does not have a passport yet, can he or she apply for an invitation letter?

The application could be processed, if in emergency. But according to the embassy provisions, the passport number should be contained within the invitation letter, therefore a modification will be needed, and which will cost RMB 100.

11.When could the applicant apply to German consulate or embassy for visa?

The visa application can be preordered three months before the exhibition.

12. Will the visa application appointment be available for the company which has not gotten the original copy of the invitation letter?

In Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, the application appointment can be made in advance without the original copy of the invitation letter. In Guangzhou, it should be applied with the original copy.

13.How could a visa application appointment be made?

German Embassy in Beijing
Online appointment:http://www.peking.diplo.de/Vertretung/peking/zh/01__Willkommen/Visabestimmungen/__Visabestimmungen.html
Service time:
Service time: 08:00-12:00 and 13:00-17:30 from Monday to Thursday; 08:00-12:00 and 12:00-15:00 for Friday
Schengen visa: 8:00-11:30 from Monday to Friday
Long term visa: 13:30-16:30 from Monday to Thursday
Note: Appointment should be made in advance for both kinds of visa application.
Add: 17 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
Post code: 100600
German Consulate General in Shanghai
Consular office (General consul office, Commercial service, Public affairs and Administration):
Add: No.181 Yongfu Road, Shanghai, China
Post code: 200031
Tel: 021 3401 0106
Fax: 021 6471 4448 Tel time:
From 1st October to 31st May, Monday toThursday: 7:45-16:45, Friday: 7:45-15:45
From 1st June to 30th September, Monday toThursday: 7:45-16:00 , Friday: 7:45-13:30

Consulate visa section (passport, visa, specification, certificate,etc ):
Add: 8F, SOHO Donghai Plaza, No. 299 Tong Ren Road, Shanghai, China
Post code: 200040
Tel: 021 6032 6500 Tel time:
From 1st October to 31st May : 7:45-16:30 from Monday to Friday
From 1st June to 30th September: 7:45-15:30 from Monday to Friday

Delegations of German Industry and Commerce Shanghai
Consultation Tel: 021-5081 5964/5081 5572
Fax: 021-6875 2653
Add: 20/F LJZ Plaza, 1600 Century Avenue, Pudong, Shanghai, China
Post code: 200122
E-mail: info@sh.china.ahk.de
German Consulate General in Guangzhou
Switchboard: 020-8313 0000
Fax: 020-8516 8133
Add: 14F, Teem Tower, No.208 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Pos t code: 510620
Office hour: 8:30 -11:30 from Monday to Friday. Individual appointment is also available.

German Visa Application Centre in Guangzhou
Consultation Tel: 020-3879 8400
Email: infocan.gercn@vfshelpline.com
Service time: 8:00-15:00 from Monday to Friday
Add: Room 220, Chengjian Building, 189 Tiyu West Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China Post code: 510620
German Consulate General in Chengdu
Online appointment: https://service2.diplo.de/rktermin/extern/choose_realmList.do?locationCode=cheng&request_locale=en
For Visa Application Appointment
Tel: 028-8528 0838
Service time: 13:30–14:30 from Monday to Thursday
Service time for visa consultation: 14:30–16:00 from Monday to Thursday
Visa Handling
Visa application: 09:00–12:00 from Monday to Friday (only accept the application with an appointment)
Add: 25/F Weisidun Lianbang Mansion, No.19 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, China
Post code: 610041

14. If the applicant company wants to apply for both exhibitor invitation letter and visitor invitation letter, how should they prepare the application form and the guarantee letter?

Please refer to the Question No.4 “What kinds of material are required for the invitation letter applications”. Two sets of materials are needed, one for exhibitor and one for visitor.

15. What information should be checked when applicants receive the invitation letter draft?

Please check whether the visa-issuing place, personal information, company name, exhibition name and date, and the returning date are correct. Other items are fixed templates which can not be changed.

16. What shall the applicant company or personnel do if errors are discovered after the original copy of the invitation letter is received?

Please contact via telephone 4008873363. RMB 100 will be charged for the modification of each invitation letter.

17.Are official invoices provided for the payment of tickets and the modification charge of the invitation letter?

Receipts could be issued accordingly.

18. This is about the methods of payment. Could the applicants pay through remittance, instead of paying at the office?

Online payment will start soon; and before that payment is only acceptable by cash at our branch offices.

19. How to apply for a visa?

Please refer to websites of local consulates or relevant organizations for any questions about visa.
German Embassy in Beijing
http://www.beijing.diplo.de/
German Consulate General in Shanghai
http://www.shanghai.diplo.de/
German Consulate General in Guangzhou
http://www.kanton.diplo.de/
German Consulate General in Chengdu
http://www.chengdu.diplo.de/
German Consulate General in Hong Kong
http://www.hongkong.diplo.de/
China Citic Bank
http://www.ecitic.com/bank/personal/chuguo/33.htm

20. How to book hotels and air tickets?

Please contact the Customer Service department of our company.
Contact Person: Ms. Didi Zheng
Tel: (8621) 6169 8358
Fax: (8621) 6169 8301
E-mail: didi.zheng@mds.cn
Add: Room 307-308, Building 1, German Centre for Industry and Trade Shanghai, 88 Keyuan Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai, China
Post code: 210203

Contact Person: Ms. Lauren He
Tel.: (8623) 6232 8021
Fax: (8623) 6232 8001 / 6232 8302
E-mail: lauren.he@mds.cn
Add: Room 263, Chongqing International Convention & Exhibition Center, 2 Jiangnan Avenue, Nan'an District, Chongqing, China
Post code: 400060

21.How to purchase visitor’s ticket?

The ticket will be available on the official website of exhibition. And the quantity is unlimited.

22.Does the visitor have to buy a ticket?

Yes. But, it is not necessary for visitors who have already had free tickets. For such visitors, please show the free tickets and pay RMB 450 yuan for each one when handing in the application materials for the invitation letter.

23.If the visitor’s ticket can be refunded?

Yes. The deadline of ticket refund is 2 working days before the opening day of the exhibition. After that, it can not be transacted any longer.

24.Any prearranged schedules can be provided?

A unified schedule without travel or client visit will be provided by Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. for the exhibitor with Passport for Public Affairs. While, trade visitors should arrange their schedule by themselves.

25.Would the visa applications of companies or personnel be denied?

Only the German embassy or consulate can decide if the visa is approved or denied. In order to reduce the risk of being denied, preparations as follow are suggested for both exhibitors and visitors:
A. Learn in detail the name, time, exhibits, etc of the exhibition.
B. Answer the questions honestly during the interview.
C. Provide all necessary materials, especially the real property certificate, detailed travel schedule and booking records of hotels and air tickets.
D. Please consider a substitute if the applicant is under 21 or above 60 without visa record or has denial record by other countries.

26.Can a second invitation letter be applied for if the visa application is denied?

Please prepare a visa denial statement with your company letterhead, elaborating the name of the exhibition which you are heading for, the time of application delivery and that of denial notification, the city rejecting your application (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Chengdu), applicant identity (as an exhibitor or a visitor), applicant passport type (for business/private purpose), type of application delivery (submitted by yourself, entrusting someone to submit for you, submitted by way of the foreign affair office, submitted by an agent like a travel agent); denial reasons by the embassy (if informed), denial reasons (your explanation). Fax the statement with your official seal to our company together with the visa denial letter. Our company will determine on issuing another invitation letter according to actual conditions. Reapplying the invitation letter is subject to an additional charge of RMB 100 yuan each.