Where you can travel visa-free with a German passport in 2026
186 destinations without a prior visa, the right to live and work in 27 EU countries, and since 2024 the right to keep a Russian passport too. We cover the destinations, EU citizen rights and the path to German citizenship.
In short
A German passport gives entry without a prior visa to 186 of 227 countries and territories: the EU and Schengen are open for living and working, Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and all of Latin America are visa-free, and the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia need an electronic travel authorisation. Russia requires an e-visa.
| Without a prior visa | 186 of 227: 142 visa-free, 27 on arrival, 17 with an electronic travel authorisation |
|---|---|
| Visa needed in advance | 40, of which 26 by e-visa |
| Schengen and the UK | Schengen area - free movement, United Kingdom - electronic travel authorisation |
| USA and Canada | USA - electronic travel authorisation, Canada - electronic travel authorisation |
| How to get it | naturalisation after 5 years of residence, marriage or German descent |
| Checked | October 2026 |
A German passport opens 186 of 227 destinations without a prior visa: 142 fully visa-free, 27 with a visa on arrival and 17 with an electronic travel authorisation. That is 72 more than the Russian passport and one of the strongest passports in the world. A visa in advance is needed for 40 countries, and 26 of those issue it online.
But travel is only half the value. A German citizen is an EU citizen and lives, works, studies and runs a business in any of the 27 EU countries, as well as in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, without visas or permits. And since 27 June 2024 Germany has allowed dual citizenship, so a Russian passport no longer has to be surrendered on naturalisation.
We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.
Where you can go visa-free with a German passport
Entry regimes differ in how much preparation the trip needs. Visa-free means the passport is enough and the permitted stay is set at the border. A visa on arrival means a fee and a stamp at the airport or checkpoint. An electronic travel authorisation is a short online form and fee before departure. An e-visa is also online but involves a check and a consular decision. A regular visa means a form, documents, often a personal visit to the consulate and waiting for a decision.
| Region | Visa-free or with an electronic authorisation | Visa on arrival or e-visa | Visa needed in advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Schengen area (live and work), United Kingdom (online authorisation), Ireland (live and work), Cyprus (live and work), Belarus, Moldova, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia | Russia | - |
| Caucasus and Central Asia | Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan | Azerbaijan | - |
| Asia | China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines | Indonesia, India, Maldives | - |
| Middle East and Africa | UAE, Israel (online authorisation), Oman, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya (online authorisation) | Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Tanzania | - |
| Americas | USA (online authorisation), Canada (online authorisation), Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Uruguay | - | - |
| Oceania | Australia (online authorisation), New Zealand (online authorisation) | - | - |
The German passport is visa-free for the Balkans, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, the UAE, Oman, Morocco, South Africa and all of Latin America - from Mexico to Argentina and Chile. An electronic travel authorisation is needed for the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Kenya. A visa on arrival is issued in Indonesia, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Tanzania. An e-visa is needed for Russia, India and Azerbaijan.
The table shows the main destinations for travel, living and business, not all 227 countries and territories. An electronic travel authorisation is issued online within minutes or days; an e-visa is also applied for online, but it is a separate consular decision. Entry rules change several times a year: check with an expert for your trip.
Schengen, the UK, the USA and Canada
The EU and Schengen. A German citizen needs neither a visa nor a travel authorisation: they live in any EU country indefinitely, work without a work permit and register as residents under the general rules for EU citizens.
United Kingdom. No visa is needed, but since April 2025 EU citizens need an electronic travel authorisation before the trip: an online form and fee, usually decided within a few days.
USA. Germany is in the Visa Waiver Program: tourist and business trips of up to 90 days with an electronic travel authorisation. Anyone who has visited certain countries or was previously refused needs a regular visa.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand. With an electronic travel authorisation obtained online before departure.
Asia. Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong are visa-free, Vietnam admits German citizens without a visa for 45 days, and China temporarily for up to 30 days. India requires an e-visa.
What else a German passport gives
EU citizen rights. Freedom to live and work in the 27 EU countries and the European Economic Area, university study on EU citizen terms and the right to vote in local elections in the country of residence. Where Germany has no embassy in the country of travel, any other EU country's embassy provides protection.
Dual citizenship. Since 27 June 2024 Germany has not required giving up a previous citizenship, and Germans do not lose theirs when acquiring a second one. The Russian Interior Ministry must be notified of the second passport within 60 days.
Taxes. The passport alone does not make you a German tax resident: residence starts with a home in the country or a stay of more than 6 months in a row. Residents pay progressive income tax from 14% to 45%, while a citizen living abroad pays no German tax on foreign income.
Children. A child of a German citizen is German by birth. A child of foreigners born in Germany becomes German if one parent has lived lawfully in the country for 5 years and holds a permanent right of residence.
How to get a German passport
The main route is naturalisation. The citizenship law requires 5 years of lawful residence, German at B1 level, a knowledge test, income without welfare benefits and commitment to the democratic order. The three-year fast track for the especially well integrated was abolished from 30 October 2025, so the minimum is again 5 years for everyone. Spouses of German citizens need 3 years in the country with a marriage of at least 2 years.
The fee is €255 per adult, about $290, and €51 for a child included in a parent's application, about $60. Descendants of ethnic Germans from the former USSR follow a separate late repatriate procedure: they must prove German descent and conversational German. The path to citizenship can also start with work: an EU Blue Card, a skilled worker visa or the opportunity card for job seekers.
Requirements, timelines and documents are on the page German citizenship.
Since 2024 a German passport no longer means giving up a Russian one, but every year of residence is checked
The law does not forbid applying for German citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: residence on a permit that does not count, a break in residence, income records that include benefits, a language certificate at the wrong level, a missed notice to the Russian Interior Ministry. Murblz specialists check your residence and grounds before filing, gather the documents and see the application through to the naturalisation certificate.
The cost of support depends on the grounds and the family; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
This topic in other countries
Visa-free travel with other passports:
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- Visa-free countries with a Serbian passport in 2026
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- Visa-free countries with a Bulgarian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Moldovan passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with an Armenian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with an Israeli passport in 2026
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- Where you can travel visa-free with a Greek passport in 2026
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- Visa-free countries with a Sao Tome and Principe passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Nauru passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with an Egyptian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Jordanian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Mexican passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Uruguayan passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Paraguayan passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Brazilian passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Kazakh passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a St Kitts and Nevis passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with a Dominica passport in 2026
- Where you can travel visa-free with an Antigua and Barbuda passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Grenadian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Saint Lucian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Kyrgyz passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a Sierra Leonean passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a North Macedonian passport in 2026
- Visa-free countries with a US passport in 2026
- What an Argentine passport gives
- What a Vanuatu passport gives
More on this country:
- How much German citizenship costs
- Germany and Russia dual citizenship
- Taxes in Germany
- Berlin city guide
- Moving to Germany
Compare passports of different countries in our 2026 passport overview.
FAQ
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