L-Visa experience from Frankfurt VAC

Hi All,

I want to share my experience applying for the L Visa at the Visa Application Center in Frankfurt. It was a very smooth and fast process.

First of all, I am not European, but I do have an EU Blue Card in Germany.

Here is the timeline:

20 November: I submitted my documents online in the morning, and the online review was completed around 4 PM the same day. I only submitted the required documents; nothing else was requested.

21 November: I handed over my passport to the Visa Application Center as instructed on their website. Note that only EC cards are accepted for payment—Mastercard and Visa are not. I received a passport pickup form with an expected collection date of 24 November (I used the regular service). The employee told me that as long as I didn’t hear from them, I should come to pick up my passport at that date. Note that you will not get an email when your passport is ready. However, there is a way to track it: on the VAC website, go to My Account → Track My Application. Initially, it will say “no data,” but if you press Search, you can find your passport tracking information. The night before the expected collection date, the status changes to “Passport ready for collection.”

24 November: I picked up my passport with the visa!

I also submitted a photograph at the VAC, but they didn’t use it—they used the one I uploaded online. There is also a photo booth at the center.

Overall, it was a fast and pleasant experience, and the employees were really nice and helpful.