As a Kenyan nationality residing out of the EU, you will need a visa when coming to Germany. Be aware of that the rules and regulations change quite often, we give you the most common categories.Nationalities that don’t need a visa for any purpose:EU citizens and those of Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. After three months in Germany you are required to get a residence permit.
Nationalities that don’t need a visa for stays up to three months:Citizens of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland, who may also apply for their residence permit after entering Germany without a visa. You can enter Germany without a visa, as long as you don’t plan to do any paid or self-employed work. If you intend to stay longer or wish to work, you have to apply for a visa in your home country (remember that visas are never issued in Germany), so it’s recommended to get a visa before coming to Germany, even if you can enter without one. If you do not do this you will have to go home and apply for a visa before returning to Germany,
Nationalities that require a visa for any purpose:In this case you will need a visa even for short visits. This is true for most African and many Asian countries.
More information on visas for Germany can be found at
www.auswaertiges-amt.de (German ministry of foreign affairs).
Visas are generally linked to a specific purpose of your stay in Germany (i.e. tourist visas, student visas, business visas, etc.). The type of visa depends on the reasons given for coming to the country and is the same as the different types of residency permits; the only difference that the visa is issued outside of Germany.
Once you have entered Germany, you may be issued a residency permit for the same reasons stated in your visa. The purpose of you stay cannot be changed within Germany, e.g. you cannot enter on a student visa and then get work residence permit. If you wish to change your residency status, you will probably need to first leave the country to then apply for a different type of visa! Consider carefully the reason you give for your visa application as this can have expensive implications later.
