Do I need a Verpflichtungserklärung, or can my parents just show their own funds?

Either can work on its own, but pairing both is the strongest case: a Verpflichtungserklärung from you (the sponsor in Germany) shows the trip is fully funded, while your parents' own property, business or bank balance shows they have a reason to go home. A consulate weighs both when it decides whether to grant single, double or multiple entry.

How much does a Verpflichtungserklärung cost, and where do I get one?

You apply in person at your local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' registration office) in Germany. As of 2026 it costs €29 per adult traveller (€14.50 per minor), payable by the sponsor, non-refundable even if the visa is later refused. Bring your ID, your Meldebescheinigung, proof of income (payslips or a contract), and your rental contract.

What is the minimum travel insurance coverage required?

A minimum of €30,000 medical coverage, valid across the entire Schengen area for every day of the trip, including medical repatriation. Buy it for the exact travel dates on the application, not a rough estimate; a gap of even one day can get an application queried.

How long does the visa actually take once it is submitted?

The EU Visa Code sets a standard processing window of up to 15 calendar days for a Schengen visit visa, extendable to 30 or, rarely, 45 days in individual cases. Our own application from Islamabad took about two weeks. The appointment wait beforehand is usually the longer part; book it as soon as you have your German residence permit.

Can I request a multiple-entry visa, or does the consulate just decide?

You cannot simply ask for one and get it. Article 24 of the EU Visa Code gives consulates discretion to issue a multi-entry visa without being asked, once an applicant shows both a genuine reason to travel repeatedly (visiting family in Germany) and reliability (a clean travel record, sufficient means, ties back home). We never applied for multiple entry specifically; it was granted because the underlying evidence supported it.

What happens if the visa is refused?

The Verpflichtungserklärung fee and the visa fee are not refunded. A refusal comes with a written reason, which is worth fixing directly before reapplying rather than resubmitting the same file. The most common fixable causes are a vague invitation letter, insurance dates that do not match the trip, or financial evidence from only one side of the application.

A Real Application, Walked Through

How I Got My Parents a
Multiple-Entry Visit Visa, First Try

I'm a German-Pakistani dual national. In November 2024 I applied for a Schengen visit visa for my parents at the German embassy in Islamabad. It came back approved, multiple entry, in about two weeks, on the first attempt. Here is exactly what we submitted and why.

My Story Build Your Checklist The Invitation Letter Mistakes to Avoid FAQ

Start Free Moving to Germany Guide

How this application looked

Applied fromIslamabad embassy

AppliedNovember 2024

Financial proofVerpflichtungserklärung + own assets

Decision timeAbout 2 weeks

Result: multiple entry, granted without asking for it

Every application is judged on its own evidence. This is what worked for one family, not a guarantee for yours; use the checklist below to build your own case.

€90

Schengen visa fee per adult traveller

€29

Verpflichtungserklärung fee, flat per family

€30,000

minimum travel insurance coverage required

≤15 days

standard processing window (EU Visa Code)

Verified · Updated August 2026EU Visa Code Art. 16 Auswärtiges Amt

What we actually did

The appointment

My parents are Pakistani, based in Pakistan. I hold both a German and a Pakistani passport.
I applied for their visit visa through the German embassy in Islamabad in November 2024.
Appointment waiting times there run long, and the same is true at many embassies. Apply as soon as you get a residence permit title in Germany, not once you've picked a travel date.

The invitation and the sponsorship

The core of the application was a formal Einladungsschreiben (invitation letter) I wrote myself in German, laying out the exact itinerary: who was visiting, the dates, where they would stay, and my relationship to them.
Alongside it I got a Verpflichtungserklärung, the formal declaration of commitment, from my local Ausländerbehörde. It cost a little over €25 at the time; as of 2026 the standard fee is a flat €29 for one declaration covering the whole family.

The financial proof

This mattered more than anything else. My father owns his own house, and my mother had a bank statement showing a comfortable balance.
Being able to show they had assets and a life to return to in Pakistan, on top of my sponsorship, is what I think made the difference.
If you take one thing from this guide: make sure your parents can show ties to home (property, a business, or savings) alongside whatever you sponsor.

The documents and the outcome

On my side: payslips, rental contract, employment contract.
On theirs: travel and health insurance, a reserved (not purchased) flight itinerary, copies of their old visa history, and a signed letter stating they intended to return to Pakistan.
We never applied for multiple entry specifically; it was granted automatically.
The visa came back within about two weeks of submission. The appointment itself had been booked roughly two weeks before the date we actually attended.

Your checklist

This shows the combination we recommend, and the one that worked for us: sponsorship from you AND your parents' own proof of ties to home, side by side. Tell it how many parents are travelling and their Schengen history, and it fills in the rest.

How many parents are travelling?

Have they held a Schengen visa before?

Estimated official fees

Schengen visa fee (2 travellers × €90)€180

Verpflichtungserklärung fee (flat, covers the whole family)€29

Total (excludes insurance, travel)€209

Your documents (the sponsor)

Formal invitation letter (Einladungsschreiben)
Written by you, in German: who is visiting, exact dates, your relationship, where they will stay, and that you are hosting and/or sponsoring the trip.
Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of commitment)
Applied for in person at your local Ausländerbehörde. One declaration covers you as a single parent or a married couple, plus any unmarried minor children travelling with them, for a flat €29. Legally binds you to cover their costs, including medical treatment, for the whole stay.
Copy of your residence permit or ID
Proof that you are legally resident in Germany, front and back.
Meldebescheinigung
Your German address registration certificate, so the consulate knows exactly where your parents will be staying.
Employment contract
Shows you have a stable position and income in Germany.
Recent payslips (last 3 months)
Confirms the income your contract states is actually being paid.
Rental contract
Proves you have suitable accommodation to host your parents for the trip.

Their documents (the visitors)

Valid passport
At least 2 blank pages, valid for 3+ months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen area.
Visa application form, signed and dated
The standard Schengen short-stay application, completed for each traveller.
Travel and health insurance
Minimum €30,000 coverage, valid across the whole Schengen area, including medical repatriation. Buy it for the exact travel dates.
Dummy or reserved flight itinerary
A booking reference is enough; you do not need to pay for the ticket before the visa is approved.
A fully cancellable hotel reservation
Get one even if your parents are staying with you the whole trip. A free-cancellation booking costs nothing and is extra accommodation proof if the consulate asks for it; cancel it once the visa is granted.
Proof of property, business or income in the home country
Title deeds, a business registration, or a payslip: anything that shows a reason to go home.
Bank statement (last 6 months)
A steady balance over months reads far better than a single recent deposit.
A signed statement of intent to return
A short letter from each parent confirming they will return home when the visit ends.

On a first application, focus on the ties-to-home evidence above. Multiple entry is never something you can request directly; a consulate grants it once it trusts the whole file, and a second clean application only strengthens that trust.

The invitation letter

What made it work is the specificity: an exact itinerary, both sides of the financial proof named in one paragraph, and my parents' ties to home spelled out rather than implied.

Ali Rahman

Musterstraße 12

10115 Berlin, Germany

Phone: +49 176 000 000 00

Email: ali.rahman@example.com

Date: 10.03.2026

The Visa Officer

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Islamabad, Pakistan

Dear Sir or Madam,

I, Ali Rahman, born on 12 April 1996 in Lahore, am a German-Pakistani dual national and currently reside at Musterstraße 12, 10115 Berlin, Germany. I hold a German passport, passport number X1234567, issued by the City of Berlin.

I am employed as a Product Manager at a technology company in Berlin, where I have been working since 2023.

I am writing this letter to invite my father, mother, and sister to visit me in Germany for a short family visit and tourism trip from 5 September 2026 to 21 September 2026.

The invited persons are:

Father: Imran Rahman, born on 12 February 1965 in Lahore, Pakistan, passport number Y7654321
Mother: Sara Rahman, born on 8 June 1970
Sister: Hina Rahman, born on 3 November 2011

They currently reside at: House 14, Street 6, Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan.

The purpose of their visit is to spend time with me and my wife in Berlin, as well as to visit Germany and other nearby European destinations for tourism. During their stay, they will mainly stay with me at my apartment in Berlin. We also plan to travel together, including a visit to Lake Garda, Italy, and possibly Salzburg, Austria.

I will provide accommodation for them during their stay in Germany and will cover their food, local transport, and daily expenses during the trip. Their flight costs will be covered by my parents. They also have their own sufficient financial means, strong bank statements, travel insurance, and return flight bookings. I have also obtained a Verpflichtungserklärung for their visit.

My father is a respected businessman in Pakistan with over 40 years of professional experience. My parents have strong family, financial, business, and property ties to Pakistan. My father has also travelled to Europe multiple times before and has had no visa refusals. My mother is a homemaker and wishes to visit me and explore Germany and Europe with the family. My sister is currently a high school student in Pakistan and will return after the visit, as her school continues shortly after the planned travel period.

This visit is intended only as a temporary family visit and tourism trip. My family will return to Pakistan before the expiry of their Schengen visa and in accordance with all visa rules and regulations.

I kindly request you to consider their visa applications positively. Please feel free to contact me if any further information is required.

Yours faithfully,
Ali Rahman

We also attached a short cover note explaining a delay in the physical Verpflichtungserklärung, since it had to be couriered from Germany to Pakistan and arrived after our visa appointment slot was already confirmed:

Explanation Regarding Original Verpflichtungserklärung

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please note that the original Verpflichtungserklärung issued in Berlin for the visit of Imran Rahman, Sara Rahman, and Hina Rahman is currently being sent from Germany to Pakistan by express courier.

Due to the short time before the visa appointment, the applicants are submitting a clear copy of the Verpflichtungserklärung together with the courier tracking proof. The original document will be provided immediately upon arrival if required.

Thank you for your understanding.

Yours faithfully,
Ali Rahman

If your own Verpflichtungserklärung will not arrive before your appointment, a note like this one, with courier tracking attached, is worth including rather than leaving the gap unexplained.

Guide by

Abdullah

Creator of Ankommo · Based in Germany

I moved to Germany and built Ankommo to help others navigate the same process I went through. We offer 1-on-1 video consultations on visas, Ausbildung applications, citizenship requirements and settling in.

Book a 1-on-1 consultation

Mistakes worth avoiding

Applying too close to the travel date

Appointment waiting lists run long in many countries. Apply for the appointment as soon as you have your German residence permit, not once flights are booked.

A vague or generic invitation letter

A letter with no dates, no address, and no stated relationship reads as an afterthought. Be specific on every point above.

Insurance dates that do not match the trip

A one-day gap between the insurance policy and the stated travel dates is an easy, avoidable reason for a query.

Evidence from only one side

Sponsorship alone, or assets alone, is weaker than both together. Pair your Verpflichtungserklärung with your parents' own proof of ties to home.

A large, recent deposit in the bank statement

A balance that jumped right before the application, with no history behind it, invites more questions than it answers. Consistency over months matters more than the final number.

Skipping the old visa history

If either parent has travelled on a Schengen visa before, include copies. A clean prior record is part of what a consulate weighs before granting multiple entry.

Assuming staying with you means no accommodation proof is needed

Get a fully cancellable hotel reservation anyway. It costs nothing until you keep it, and it is extra proof if the consulate wants it beyond your invitation letter.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Verpflichtungserklärung, or can my parents just show their own funds?: Either can work on its own, but pairing both is the strongest case: a Verpflichtungserklärung from you (the sponsor in Germany) shows the trip is fully funded, while your parents' own property, business or bank balance shows they have a reason to go home. A consulate weighs both when it decides whether to grant single, double or multiple entry.
How much does a Verpflichtungserklärung cost, and where do I get one?: You apply in person at your local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' registration office) in Germany. As of 2026 it costs €29 per adult traveller (€14.50 per minor), payable by the sponsor, non-refundable even if the visa is later refused. Bring your ID, your Meldebescheinigung, proof of income (payslips or a contract), and your rental contract.
What is the minimum travel insurance coverage required?: A minimum of €30,000 medical coverage, valid across the entire Schengen area for every day of the trip, including medical repatriation. Buy it for the exact travel dates on the application, not a rough estimate; a gap of even one day can get an application queried.
How long does the visa actually take once it is submitted?: The EU Visa Code sets a standard processing window of up to 15 calendar days for a Schengen visit visa, extendable to 30 or, rarely, 45 days in individual cases. Our own application from Islamabad took about two weeks. The appointment wait beforehand is usually the longer part; book it as soon as you have your German residence permit.
Can I request a multiple-entry visa, or does the consulate just decide?: You cannot simply ask for one and get it. Article 24 of the EU Visa Code gives consulates discretion to issue a multi-entry visa without being asked, once an applicant shows both a genuine reason to travel repeatedly (visiting family in Germany) and reliability (a clean travel record, sufficient means, ties back home). We never applied for multiple entry specifically; it was granted because the underlying evidence supported it.
What happens if the visa is refused?: The Verpflichtungserklärung fee and the visa fee are not refunded. A refusal comes with a written reason, which is worth fixing directly before reapplying rather than resubmitting the same file. The most common fixable causes are a vague invitation letter, insurance dates that do not match the trip, or financial evidence from only one side of the application.

Related guides

Moving to Germany

Full checklist for your first weeks.

Germany Visa Checker

Find your own visa route in minutes.

Anmeldung Guide

Working in Germany

The payslips and contract a sponsor needs.

Building a life in Germany, one step at a time

Learning German makes every one of these appointments easier, and B1 opens permanent residence.

Start Free

First 5 chapters free · Cancel anytime

How I Got My Parents a Multiple-Entry Visit Visa, First Try