Traveling with the crew visa

 

You need a so-called crew visa if you are traveling to a country requiring a visa as an employee of an airline, ship transport or rail company. The same rule applies to captains and pilots who cross the border in their own boat or private jet. Depending on which stopovers are on the itinerary, visas may be required not only for entry into the destination country but also for transit stops.

The visa for crew members is also an option for some drivers who carry out cross-border transportation. The crew visa should not be confused with the visa by invitation of a crew member, which is an option for accompanying family members and friends. Strictly speaking, it is a special form of work visa.

If you apply for a visa for crew personnel, you are of course required to provide proof of your profession. You will only receive a visa if, for example, you are a train driver, stewardess or steward, pilot or member of a ship's crew and meet the country-specific conditions for entry. When applying for a visa, the responsible consulate of the country of travel in Germany will require a number of documents from you. In China and other countries, these include all or some of the following documents:

• completed visa application
• colored passport photo
• valid passport
• official invitation from the employer for the destination country
• if multiple entry is intended: Proof of previous stays
• if the visa is valid for an extended period (usually 1 year): official invitation

• Valid passport
• Colored passport photo
• Confirmation page of the application
• Confirmation of payment
• Confirmation of appointment

The invitation letter from your employer (e.g. shipping company or airline) must contain details of the purpose and duration of the trip as well as the company's full contact details and the applicant's personal details. It must also be signed and stamped. If you are traveling privately, you will receive the invitation from a business partner or authority in the destination country, for example.

Employees of some transportation companies, mostly airlines, have the opportunity to take their family or friends on a business trip. Like the crew, the guests check in at the crew hotel. As the fellow travelers usually do not have a hotel voucher or any other type of invitation letter, they have the option of being invited by a relative or friend of the crew member.

The invitation includes biographical data of the accompanying person, the contact address of the hotel and information about the flight details. The inviting person's ID card is also required. The lawful use of the visa is subject to the condition that the applicant travels on the outward and return flight together with the inviting person. In addition, accommodation in separate accommodation is prohibited.

The period of validity of the visa depends on the regulations of the entry authorities in the countries requiring a visa and on your personal travel intentions. In China, for example, you will receive visas that entitle you to enter the country once or twice for 90 days from the date of issue.

Other variants allow multiple entry within six months or even a whole year. You must cross the border within the period of validity. As a rule, the stay itself may extend beyond the validity of the crew visa, but may not exceed the maximum number of days.