A Verpflichtungserklärung is a formal German guarantee that a host signs at the local foreigners office, the Ausländerbehörde, promising to cover a visitor’s living costs, health care and return travel. The fee is €29 per declaration, or €14.50 when the visitor is a minor, and the host has to appear in person to sign it.
This guide is for people in Germany who want to invite a parent, sibling, cousin or friend on a Schengen visit visa, and for the visitors who will present the finished paper at a German embassy or consulate. It covers the fee, the documents the host brings, how long the declaration lasts, and what the visitor submits abroad.
The most common confusion is between three different papers. A plain invitation letter says who is coming and why. The Verpflichtungserklärung is the legally binding guarantee that the host will pay. A blocked account (Sperrkonto) is money the visitor deposits, an alternative way to show funds. The German foreign ministry says a simple written invitation only proves the purpose of the stay, and that a formal Verpflichtungserklärung is needed in most cases, especially when the guest cannot pay alone.
Cities run the process in slightly different ways. Berlin starts with an online application and sends an appointment later, which its own page says can take several weeks. Stuttgart takes bookings through its Servicepoint and publishes a leaflet for hosts, the Merkblatt Einladung von Besuchern aus dem Ausland. Check your own city’s page before you plan dates, because the host must apply where he or she lives.
Because the declaration makes the host liable for public money spent on the guest, the authority checks the host’s income before it signs off. A host who cannot show enough income can still get the declaration, but Berlin marks it as creditworthiness not proven, and German missions do not accept that version. Everything below is based on the foreign ministry FAQ, the Berlin and Stuttgart service pages and the text of Section 68 of the Residence Act (AufenthG), checked in November 2026.
If you only need a letter to go with a visa application, our Schengen visa invitation letter guide and invitation letter templates cover the general case. This page is the German-specific layer on top of them.
Decide which paper you need
Germany does not ask every visitor for a Verpflichtungserklärung. It is used when a host in Germany will carry the visitor’s costs instead of, or in addition to, the visitor’s own funds. If the visitor can prove enough money alone, an invitation letter and the usual bank evidence may be enough. Your German mission has the final say on what it wants, so read its checklist first.
| Invitation letter | Verpflichtungserklärung | Blocked account | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Personal letter from the host | Official, signed liability form | Money deposited by the visitor |
| Legally binding | No | Yes, Section 68 AufenthG | No guarantee from a host |
| Issued by | The host, at home | Host’s local Ausländerbehörde | A bank |
| Proves | Purpose and dates of the visit | Host will pay costs of the stay | Funds are available |
| Fee | None | €29 (€14.50 for minors) | Bank charges vary |
The invitation letter and the Verpflichtungserklärung are not rivals. Most family visits use both: the letter explains the visit, the form carries the money guarantee. A blocked account is mainly a student and long-stay tool, see our note on the student blocked account figure.
Check that the host qualifies
The host signs at the Ausländerbehörde of the place where he or she lives. German citizens can do this, and so can foreign residents with a secure status. Stuttgart says non-EU hosts need a settled status such as a settlement permit, or a residence permit that runs beyond the planned visit. Berlin requires the host’s main residence to be in Berlin. A company or association can act through an authorised representative.
Income is the part that trips people up. Berlin and Stuttgart assess it against the garnishment exemption limits (Pfändungsfreigrenzen) in Sections 850 ff. of the Code of Civil Procedure, which are adjusted every 1 July. Stuttgart says it follows the federal interior ministry leaflet updated on 1 April 2026 but prints no euro threshold on its page, so we cannot give you a single number. Ask your office for the figure that applies to your household size. Hosts who live on basic social benefits normally cannot show enough income.
Gather the host’s documents
The lists below come from Berlin and Stuttgart. Other offices differ in detail, so treat them as a strong guide and confirm yours.
- The host’s original ID card or passport
- Proof of lawful residence if the host is not a German citizen (residence permit)
- A copy of the visitor’s passport (Berlin asks for it with the online application)
- The office’s own leaflet and application printout, plus the appointment confirmation
- Employees: the latest net salary slip, or the last three slips (Berlin) or bank statements showing three months of pay (Stuttgart) when income varies
- Self-employed: the latest tax assessment, or a tax adviser’s net-income certificate that is no more than two weeks old (Stuttgart) or 14 days old (Berlin)
- Pensioners: the current pension notice
- Unemployment benefit I (ALG I): the current award notice
- Savings: Berlin counts balances at German banks, for short-term Schengen visas only
Book the appointment and pay the fee
The fee is set per declaration. Berlin takes payment online by card or PayPal before you submit. Most other cities collect it at the counter. Stuttgart states that the fee is charged even if the host’s income turns out to be insufficient, so a weak income file costs money without a usable result.
| Declaration for an adult visitor | €29.00 |
| Declaration for a minor visitor | €14.50 |
Stuttgart’s Servicepoint takes the bookings for this service, and the neighbourhood citizen offices do not. Berlin sends the appointment after you finish the online application, and its page warns that waiting times can run to several weeks. Start before the visitor’s travel plans are fixed.
Do not buy non-refundable flights until the declaration is in the visitor’s hands and the visa is decided. The foreign ministry says it cannot guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Sign in person and know what you are signing
The host must appear in person, because the officer certifies the signature. Section 68 of the Residence Act allows the declaration in writing or in electronic form, but we found no city that completes the signing step fully remotely. Berlin’s online process still ends with an appointment.
The declaration covers all costs arising from the visitor’s stay in Germany. That includes food, housing and clothing, medical treatment and, if needed, the cost of sending the visitor home. The law gives no right to cancel it. Under Section 68, the host reimburses public money spent on the guest for five years, and that period starts with the entry that the declaration made possible.
The liability can outlast the visit. If the visitor falls ill and a German hospital or social office pays, it can bill the host. Consider whether the visitor has travel health insurance before you sign.
How long it is valid
Two clocks matter, and people mix them up. The first is the liability period: five years from the entry that the declaration enabled, as Berlin, Stuttgart and Section 68 describe it. The second is how fresh the paper should be when the visitor applies. The foreign ministry says that generally no more than six months should pass between the declaration and the visa decision, because the host’s finances can change. After that a new declaration is usually needed.
| Liability period after entry | 5 years |
| Expected age at visa decision | About 6 months |
Send it and apply at the German mission
The host sends the original, certified declaration to the visitor abroad, by tracked courier. The foreign ministry says the visitor presents that original to the German mission. A scan will not do.
The rest of the visa file follows the mission’s checklist for a Schengen visit visa. Missions usually ask for the application form, passport, photos, travel insurance, proof of the planned trip and the invitation letter. Because lists vary by country and by mission, use the one on your embassy or VFS page. Our Schengen cover letter samples help with the visitor’s own letter.
- The original Verpflichtungserklärung from the host’s Ausländerbehörde
- The invitation letter from the host (samples below)
- A copy of the host’s passport or ID, and residence permit if the host is a foreign national
- Proof of relationship for family visits, such as birth or marriage certificates
- Travel health insurance valid for the Schengen area
If the trip includes a layover, see whether you need a transit visa at Frankfurt or at Munich. A visa for a visit to Germany covers the transit, so this only matters for onward trips.
Sample letters and wording
The Verpflichtungserklärung itself is an official form, so you do not write it. You fill in the boxes at the office. What you do write is the invitation letter that travels with it. The three samples below show the structure in practice. They are illustrations: use your own facts, and do not copy phrases word for word, because consular staff read many letters.
[Host full name]
[Street, postcode, city, Germany]
[Phone and email]
[Date]
To the Visa Section, German Embassy / Consulate General in [city]
Subject: Invitation for [visitor full name], passport no. [number]
I invite my [relationship] [visitor full name], born on [date] in [place], to visit me in Germany from [arrival date] to [departure date]. The purpose of the visit is [family visit / tourism].
[Visitor] will stay at my home at the address above. I have signed a formal Verpflichtungserklärung at the Ausländerbehörde [city] on [date], and I will cover all costs of the stay, including health care and return travel. The original is enclosed.
I enclose a copy of my [passport / residence permit] and my latest income proof. I confirm that [visitor] will return to [home country] at the end of the visit.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Host full name]
Hiermit lade ich [Name des Gastes], geboren am [Datum], für die Zeit vom [Datum] bis [Datum] zu einem Besuch bei mir in Deutschland ein. Die dem Aufenthalt entstehenden Kosten übernehme ich im Rahmen der beigefügten Verpflichtungserklärung. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, [Name]
I am inviting my parents, [father’s name] and [mother’s name], to stay with me in [city] for four weeks from [date] so that they can meet their grandchild, born in [month, year]. They have never visited Germany. I live in a [number]-room flat where they will have their own room.
My parents are retired in [country], receive a pension, and own their home there. They will return on [date]. Copies of our birth certificates are enclosed to show our relationship, and I have signed the Verpflichtungserklärung for both of them.
Short German version:Ich lade meine Eltern, [Name] und [Name], für vier Wochen zu mir nach [Stadt] ein, damit sie ihr Enkelkind kennenlernen. Sie wohnen bei mir und reisen am [Datum] zurück.
I invite my friend [name], whom I met during my studies in [city, year] and who works as a [job] in [country], to visit me from [date] to [date] (ten days). We plan to see [Berlin and Dresden / other places], and [name] will stay in my spare room.
[Name] has a job to return to, and the employer’s leave letter is enclosed. I have signed a Verpflichtungserklärung for the visit and will cover accommodation, meals and any medical costs. [Name] has also bought travel health insurance for the Schengen area.
Short German version:Ich lade meinen Freund [Name] vom [Datum] bis [Datum] zu einem Besuch ein. Er wohnt bei mir. Die Kosten übernehme ich laut beigefügter Verpflichtungserklärung.
Common mistakes
The fee is charged either way, and a declaration marked as creditworthiness not proven is not accepted by German missions. Check the income rules before you pay.
A declaration that is older than about six months at the visa decision may be refused as stale, and you pay again.
The mission wants the original certified document, so use a tracked courier.
The host must apply at the office for the host’s own place of residence, not where the visitor will travel.
After the visa decision
If the visa is issued, the visitor travels on it and the five-year liability clock runs from entry. Keep a copy of the declaration. If the visa is refused, ask the mission whether the same declaration can be reused for a new application or whether you need a new one, and check the six-month freshness point first. For refusal reasons, see our Schengen refusal appeal letter samples. The official source for the rules is the German Federal Foreign Office FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Verpflichtungserklärung for Germany?
It is a formal declaration a host signs at the Ausländerbehörde promising to pay the guest’s living costs, health care and return travel. Under Section 68 AufenthG, the host reimburses public money spent on the guest for five years.
How much does a Verpflichtungserklärung cost?
The fee is EUR 29 per declaration and EUR 14.50 when the visitor is a minor, according to the Berlin and Stuttgart service pages. Stuttgart charges it even if the host’s income proves insufficient.
Where do I sign a Verpflichtungserklärung?
The host signs in person at the Ausländerbehörde of the city where he or she lives. Berlin starts with an online application and sends an appointment later, while Stuttgart books appointments through its Servicepoint.
What documents does the host need?
The host brings an original ID or passport, residence permit if not a German citizen, and income proof such as the latest net salary slip. Self-employed hosts bring a tax assessment or a certificate no older than two weeks.
How long is a Verpflichtungserklärung valid?
The host’s liability runs five years from the entry it made possible. The foreign ministry also advises that generally no more than six months pass between signing and the visa decision, or a new declaration may be needed.
Is a Verpflichtungserklärung the same as an invitation letter?
No. An invitation letter only shows the purpose of the stay, while the Verpflichtungserklärung is a legally binding promise to pay, certified by the Ausländerbehörde. Many family visits need both.
Do I still need a blocked account if the host signs?
Usually the host’s declaration replaces the visitor’s proof of funds, but each German mission sets its own checklist. A blocked account is a separate way to show money and is mainly used for students.
What does the visitor submit at the German embassy?
The visitor presents the original certified Verpflichtungserklärung sent by the host, plus the usual Schengen file and the invitation letter. The foreign ministry says the declaration does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
