Germany's Federal Foreign Office has published a comprehensive list of 62 countries outside the European Union and Schengen zone whose nationals can enter the country without a visa for short-term stays in 2026. The list, released as part of a 190-country reference guide on the office's official website, details on a passport-by-passport basis which nationalities require a visa and which do not for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
Which Countries Are on the Visa-Free List?
The 62 eligible nations span North America, East Asia, Latin America, the Western Balkans, the Pacific, and a handful of island states. They include Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Macao, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, and Venezuela.
EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens are not covered by this list, as they benefit from freedom of movement rights that operate independently of the visa exemption framework.
What Does Visa-Free Access Allow?
Nationals of the listed countries may enter Germany for tourism, family visits, and business purposes without obtaining a visa in advance. The exemption does not extend to employment, and travellers are limited to 90 days on German soil within any given 180-day window. A smaller group of countries within the list enjoy an added benefit: citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States may not only arrive without a visa but are also permitted to apply for a German residence permit from within the country after arrival, rather than having to seek one before travelling. For nationals of countries not on the exemption list, including most African nations, a Schengen visa remains a prerequisite before entering Germany.
Background and Context
This announcement follows a similar release by Japan, which earlier published a list of 74 countries allowed visa-free entry, with permitted stay durations varying by nationality (15, 30, or 90 days depending on the country of origin).
