DE51.0°N · 9.0°EPhoto: Lencer and NordNordWest · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsWestern Europe travel guide
Germany
Castles, beer halls and buzzing cities
Germany mixes Berlin's history and nightlife with Bavarian castles, Rhine river towns and Christmas markets. Excellent trains make it an easy multi-city trip.
Places worth your time
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons Neuschwanstein Castle
Bavaria
The fairytale castle that inspired Disney. Book timed tickets.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Brandenburg Gate and Berlin Wall memorials
Berlin
East Side Gallery keeps a long painted stretch of the wall.
Photo: Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Cologne Cathedral
Cologne
Gothic cathedral next to the main station.
Photo: Holger Weinandt · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons Rhine Valley
Mainz to Koblenz
Castles and vineyards seen best by river cruise.
Know before you go
- Many shops close on Sundays.
- Carry some cash; smaller places may not take cards.
Key facts
- Official name
- Federal Republic of Germany
- Capital
- Berlin
- Currency
- Euro (EUR €)
- Languages
- German
- Calling code
- +49
- Area
- 3,57,114 km²
- Region
- Western Europe
Who can get in easily
93 of 198 passports can enter Germany without arranging a visa in advance.
- Visa-free
- Visa on arrival
- eTA
- eVisa
- Visa required
Visa requirements for Germany by passport
IndiaVisa required
United StatesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomVisa-free90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
ChinaVisa required
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
PakistanVisa required
BangladeshVisa required
Sri LankaVisa required
NepalVisa required
NigeriaVisa required
PhilippinesVisa required
CanadaVisa-free90 days
AustraliaVisa-free90 days
Pick any passport above to see the full requirements, or use the selector at the top.
Nearby countries
Austria
Belgium
Czechia
Denmark
France
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Poland
SwitzerlandSources: Wikipedia's "Visa requirements for … citizens" articles (CC BY-SA 4.0) for 199 passports; Passport Index Data (imorte), scraped from passportindex.org, published 17 Feb 2026 for the rest. Last checked 11 Oct 2026. Cover photo: Photo: Lencer and NordNordWest · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons.