E-2 Visa for German Nationals: Requirements and How to Apply
Germany is the fourth-largest source of E-2 treaty investors, with 3,902 E-2 visas issued in FY2024, under a treaty that has been in force since 14 July 1956.
Every German E-2 case goes through one post. The U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt runs the E-visa unit for the whole country, and it publishes the tightest document rules we cover anywhere: 30 pages of evidence, a 5 MB file, and a business plan capped at five pages including both appendices.
U.S. Embassy in Germany
View submission details, binder requirements, and processing information.
Why every German case goes to Frankfurt
Germany has several U.S. consulates, but E-visa adjudication is consolidated at the Consulate General in Frankfurt. Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Leipzig handle other visa categories; treaty trader and treaty investor cases do not go to them.
That consolidation is why Frankfurt’s published rules matter so much. There is no second German post with a looser page limit to file at instead.
E-2 Visa Requirements for Germany Nationals
Treaty Nationality
As a Germany national, you meet the treaty nationality requirement for E-2 visa eligibility.
Substantial Investment
Invest a substantial amount of capital in a bona fide U.S. enterprise. The investment must be sufficient to ensure the business's successful operation.
Active Business
The business must be a real, operating commercial enterprise — not a paper entity. It must produce goods or services for profit.
Managerial Control
You must own at least 50% of the business or have operational control through a managerial position or other corporate mechanisms.
Thirty pages, and no buying them back
Since 4 July 2024 Frankfurt has not accepted E-visa applications exceeding 30 pages. Two formatting rules come with the cap and exist to stop applicants recovering space: pages may not be printed double-sided, and several miniature pages may not be pasted onto one sheet. Thirty pages means thirty readable pages.
Tabs 1a to 1d — the forms, the cover letter and your background documents — sit outside the count, so the 30 pages are entirely for evidence. Tax returns and profit-and-loss statements filed in Tab 2a also fall outside the separate five-page business plan limit.
Application Process
Complete DS-160 Online
Fill out the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application on the CEAC website.
Pay MRV Fee
Pay the Machine Readable Visa fee through the ustraveldocs.com portal.
Schedule Interview
Book your visa interview at your chosen U.S. embassy in Germany.
Prepare Evidence Binder
Assemble your business plan, financial documents, and supporting evidence according to your post's specific requirements.
Attend Interview
Present your case at the consular interview. Bring your evidence binder and all original documents.
Bringing your family on an E-2 visa from Germany
Spouses and unmarried children under 21 may receive E visas to accompany the principal applicant, and they are not required to hold the same nationality as the principal.
Dependants are not authorised to work on arrival, but a spouse may apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for work authorisation once in the United States. Children may attend school.
Frankfurt’s tab structure
The package is assembled to a fixed set of tabs. The first four are exempt from the page count:
- Tab 1a — Photo, DS-160 confirmation, MRV fee receipt, passport bio page
- Tab 1b — DS-156E, and Form G-28 where an attorney is on record
- Tab 1c — Cover letter addressing every FAM eligibility requirement
- Tab 1d — CV, organisational chart, essentiality evidence
- Tab 2a — Business plan and financials (plan capped at 5 pages)
- Tab 2b — Proof of treaty-country ownership and controlling interest
- Tab 2c — Evidence the applicant has invested or is actively investing
- Tab 3a — Evidence the investment is substantial
- Tab 3b — Evidence the enterprise is more than marginal
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Germany nationals apply for an E-2 visa?
Yes. Germany has an active treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States, making its nationals eligible for E-2 Treaty Investor visas. Applicants must invest a substantial amount in a U.S. business and maintain operational control.
How long does E-2 visa processing take from Germany?
Processing times vary by consulate and time of year. After submitting your application, most embassies in Germany schedule interviews within 2-8 weeks. The visa is typically issued within a few days of a successful interview.
What documents do I need for an E-2 visa from Germany?
You'll need a completed DS-160, valid passport, DS-156E, proof of investment (bank statements, wire transfers, contracts), a business plan, evidence of business ownership, and supporting documents. Requirements vary by consulate — check the specific post page for format and page limit details.
What is the minimum investment for an E-2 visa?
There is no fixed minimum investment amount. The investment must be "substantial" relative to the total cost of the business. For small businesses, investments of $100,000+ are generally considered sufficient, though amounts vary by business type and industry.
How long is the business plan allowed to be for a German E-2 application?
Five pages maximum, and Frankfurt states explicitly that the five pages include Appendix A and Appendix B. That is the tightest published plan budget of any post we cover. Tax returns and the year-to-date profit-and-loss statement go in Tab 2a alongside it and do not count toward the five pages.
Do I submit my German E-2 application by email or on paper?
Both, and simultaneously. Frankfurt requires a printed paper application, posted to the E-Visa Unit at Gießener Straße 30, 60435 Frankfurt am Main, together with a scanned PDF copy of the same application kept under 5 MB. These are not alternatives.
How long does the Frankfurt E-visa unit take?
The consulate publishes an approximate 60 days to process a company registration or a renewal of that registration and schedule an interview, while noting that times vary with the season and its workload. That figure covers the registration step rather than the whole journey, so apply well ahead of any planned travel and allow for delay.
Is the process different for larger German companies?
Yes. Companies renewing an E-visa registration that have 25 or more full-time employees at their U.S. company follow a separate, streamlined route rather than the new-case package. Companies with fewer than 25 employees use the standard procedure described here.