Visa information

Do I need a visa?

If you wish to attend the Berlin 2022 conference in Germany, you may need a so-called Schengen visa if you are a citizen of a non-EU country. A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any members of the Schengen Area, per stays up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. For visa information on Germany please visit the Foreign Office website.

I need a visa. How do I proceed?

A visa is a permit to travel to and stay in a country for a limited period. To be granted a visa, you need a Letter of Invitation from the EPH Conference organisation. The following rules are very strict; we do not make exceptions.

It is the delegate's responsibility to investigate the visa requirements for Germany and to apply for a visa, if necessary. Delegates who require an entry visa must allow sufficient time for the application procedure. Delegates should contact the nearest German embassy, consulate or representing consular Schengen office to determine the appropriate timing of their visa applications.

Delegates must first register for the conference, pay in full and submit any required supporting documents (if applicable) before a letter of invitation is issued. EPH Conference Office will issue the letter of invitation, which must be submitted to the embassy when applying for a visa.

In case the visa could not be granted, the registration fee minus a handling fee will be refunded after the conference. This will only be done if the visa was applied for in time and proof is given that the visa could not be granted even though all requested documents were submitted. Refund requests must be made in writing and sent together with the required proof to the Registration Officer, no later than 15 November 2022. Refund requests received after that date cannot be accepted.

The Letter of Invitation does not financially oblige the EPH Conference Office in any way. All expenses incurred in relation to the conference are the sole responsibility of the delegate. The Letter of Invitation does not guarantee an entry visa to Germany.

Delegate registration details may be shared with the immigration authorities to assist in the visa application process. However, EPH Conference Office will not directly contact embassies and consulates on behalf of delegates.

The deadline for requesting a letter of invitation is 15 October 2022.

In short, if you need a visa, you should proceed as follows:

1. Register for the main EPH Conference and pay the registration fee.
2. Send the paid for invoices of your registration with your request for a Letter of Invitation to registration@ephconference.eu.
3. With the letter of invitation, contact the embassy where the visa can be requested.