Find Out the Visa Requirements to Attend oSC19

For people planning on attending the openSUSE Conference 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany, from May 24 – 26, there are certain requirements necessary to receive a visa for those who are not a citizen of a Schengen country.

It’s a good idea to start thinking about getting your visa and this post summarizes the requirements.

Please note: the Travel Support Program has no provisions to cover the cost of a visa, so it’s the travelers responsibility for covering the additional cost.

For citizens who are not a citizen of a Schengen country, you may need a formal invitation letter that fully explains the nature of your visit.

An overview of visa requirements/exemptions for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany can be found at the Federal Foreign Office website.

Alphabet Nation

You must apply for a Schengen visa through the German embassy or consulate in your country if you are from one of the following countries:

• **A – **Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan

• **B – **Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi

• **C – **Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China (People’s Republic), Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Congo (Republic of the Congo), Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cuba

• **D – **Democratic Republic of the Congo, DPRK, Djibouti, Dominican Republic

• **E – **Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia

• G –Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana

• **I – **Ivory Coast, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq

• H - Hong Kong

• **J – **Jamaica, Jordan

• **K – **Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic, North Korea), Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan

• **L – **Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya

• **M – **Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma)

• **N – **Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria

• **O – **Oman

• **P – **Pakistan, Palestinian territories, Papua New Guinea, Philippines

• **Q – **Qatar

• **R – **Russian Federation, Rwanda

• S –São Tomé and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria

• T –Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan

• **U – **Uganda, Uzbekistan

• V - Viet Nam

• **Y – **Yemen

• **Z – **Zambia, Zimbabwe

• Palestinians also require a visa.

Information about submitting an application for a visa can be found on the Federal Foreign Office website.

If you plan to attend oSC19 and are coming from one of these countries, you will need to have an invitation letter from an organization in the Germany.

If you fall into one of these categories and need the invitation letter, please email ddemaio (@) opensuse.org with the email subject “oSC19 Visa”.

Other requirements for a visa state you must:

• have a valid passport;

• have enough money for each day of their stay);

• be able to demonstrate the purpose of your stay to border officials;

• pose no threat to public order, national security or international relations.

For more information, visit Germany’s Federal Foreign Office website.