Appointment-System of the German Foreign Office — Houston
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Please note: Admittance to the Consulate will be by appointment only.
Appointments can only be booked for a few weeks in advance. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Make sure you have booked your appointment in the correct category, otherwise you will have to come again.
If you are unsure which category to book, please check beforehand with: info@hous.diplo.de
Appointments to pick up passports or certificates are not required. You will be informed by the consulate when and at what times you can pick up your documents.
We recommend using desktop computers or laptops when making online appointments. Mobile devices may result in wrong bookings or reduced funtionality.
Kindly refer to our website to get all the necessary information to apply for a German passport, e.g. all documents that have to be provided (e.g. birth certificate, passport pictures, fee).
Please check the information provided thoroughly before you make an appointment for the passport application.
Make sure to have a proof of your name according to German law.
Passport applications, especially for children for whom the name is not yet clear, can not be accepted.
Please only proceed with the appointment booking if you are sure that you do not need to submit a name declaration. Information about name law can be found here.
In case you have any question, please contact the passport section by email: pass@hous.diplo.de.
The Consulate General in Houston is no longer accepting applications for Schengenvisa. All such applications have to be submitted through the service provider BLS International.
To book an appointment or for questions regarding Schengen visa applications, please contact BLS International. Schengen visa appointments are not taking place at the consulate.
Applications for long term/national visas still have to be submitted to the consulate directly.
Please make sure before booking your appointment that you can submit all required documents. Information on visa procedures and all necessary documents can be found on our website.
Please be advised that applications can only be accepted from applicants who reside in the Consulate General's area of jurisdiction which covers Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Proof of residency can be your driver´s license, state ID or utility bill.
Please note that a visa is not a guarantee that you will be allowed to enter Germany as this is at the discretion of the German border police.
As US citizen you are allowed to enter Germany visa free and apply for your residence permit at your place of residence within 90 days after arrival. A visa process before entering Germany is recommended but not mandatory.
Detailed information on family matters (birth registrations, name declarations, divorce recognitions, etc.) can be found on the joint website of the German missions in the USA.
Please inform yourself in advance which applications you would like to submit and bring - one - completed form as well as all documents requested on the website as originals and one set of copies.
The appointment at the Consulate General serves as the necessary certification of signatures as well as the certification of copies. Please be advised that copies for applications in family matters will be certified during your appointment. A separate appointment in the category "certification of copies" is not necessary.
The application will be processed exclusively by the registrar´s office (Landesjustizamt in the case of divorce recognitions) in Germany that is responsible for you.
As explained on our website, provided that the competent registrar´s office has given you its prior consent, you can also certify the documents/signatures via a Notary Public and send the documents directly to the registry office.
Please note that for notarizations (acknowledgements of paternity, declarations of consent) an appointment is required, but these are not allocated via the online booking system. Please contact the Consulate General by e-mail (info@hous.diplo.de).
You can book an appointment for citizenship matters here. Please read the information provided online carefully beforehand. You can find them on our website and on the website of the Federal Administration Office.
The German Consulate General in Houston can assist you with any further questions concerning German citizenship. We kindly ask you to contact us via the contact form on our website.
If you send the documents to the consulate, please first obtain the required certification of copies by a notary public or a Honorary Consul. Please verify on the website which applications require a personal appearance at the consulate.
You do not have to book an appointment to pick up your certificates. You´ll be informed by the consulate when your certificates arrives and can pick it up anytime from Monday until Friday, between 09:00 and 11:00 am at the Consulate.
You may book an appointment here if you need a certification of your signature for use in Germany (e.g. for Declaration of approval in real estate matters, Renunciation of inheritance, Commercial Register Applications)
Not for Family Matters (Birth and Marriage registrations, Name declarations) or life certificates/certifiying copies - please book in the correct category for these matters!
You can find elaborate information about signature certifications (including an explanation how it differs from a full notarization) on the joint website of the German Missions in the US here.
Please be advised that the German Consulate General is not allowed to certify signatures or perform identity verifications to open a bank account, for loan applications or similar cases.
Certification Photocopies, life certificates (pension) and other consular certificates
-Not for birth and marriage registrations, name declarations or citizenship matters-
You may book an appointment here if you need
- One or more certified true copies of documents (that do not involve a citizenship application or family matter i.e. birth registration, name declaration or recognition of divorce decree) or
- A life certificate or
- Another consular certificate (such as German VAT refund, urn transport certificate, certificates of Good conduct)
You can find elaborate information on the joint website of the German missions in the US.
Signatures cannot be certified.
For certifications of signatures, please book a separate appointment in the category "certification of signature".
For certifications of copies related to an application for citizenship or family matters, please book an appointment in the respective category.