Australia to Germany visa requirements

No visa needed for ordinary short visits. Australian ordinary passport holders can visit Germany visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day Schengen period; ETIAS is not required yet and EES biometrics now apply at the border. Germany is part of the Schengen Area, and Australia is a visa-exempt nationality for short stays. As of 20 June 2026, an Australian ordinary passport holder may enter Germany for tourism, business visits, family visits, medical treatment or transit without a visa for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen Area, provided they do not take up paid employment. The passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended date of departure from the Schengen Area and must have been issued within the previous 10 years. Germany also recognises the 1952 German-Australian visa-waiver agreement: after using the normal Schengen 90/180 allowance, an Australian citizen may be able to leave the Schengen Area and re-enter Germany only for a further Germany-only stay of up to 90 days, but this is not a licence to keep travelling around Schengen and should be planned with border documentation. For residence, work, study or other long-stay purposes, Australians need German residence authorisation; German guidance marks Australia as a nationality that may apply for a residence permit after visa-free entry, but employment cannot start until the permit or a prior national visa authorises it. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, so first short-stay entries normally require fingerprints and a facial image and passport stamping has largely been replaced by a digital record. ETIAS is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026, is not open or required yet, and the official direct application fee will be EUR 20 for applicants aged 18 to 70 once it becomes mandatory.