1. Visa validity period. In general, it should be noted that the validity period of short-term visas in Germany is consistent with the duration of stay, that is, the expiration date of visas is the last departure date, and the duration of stay is not counted from the entry date. In short, those who come to Germany on a short-term visa must enter or leave the country within the validity period of the visa. Otherwise, it is overstaying.

2. Visa type. The visa type must be consistent with the actual entry purpose. German border guards have a strict review of this during entry inspection. Many China business delegations have been repeatedly blocked because the visa type does not match the actual entry purpose. For example, a city delegation came to Germany with a business visit visa. Because there was no commercial activity in the actual itinerary, it was purely a tour. His visa was revoked by the German border guards, and he was refused entry and fined. Here, the German Embassy specially reminds all visiting delegations to strictly abide by the relevant regulations of the German side that "the type of visa must be consistent with the purpose of entry" so as to avoid adverse effects at home and abroad.

(3) Customs regulations

Passengers from EU countries can bring their personal belongings into Germany duty-free; The value of duty-free goods brought into Germany by passengers from non-EU countries shall not exceed 58.8 euros.

The quantity of imported duty-free goods shall not exceed the following provisions:

Tobacco products: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigars; 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco.

Alcoholic products: 1 liter contains alcohol above 22 degrees; Or 2 liters of wine containing alcohol below 22 degrees; Or 2. Raise sparkling wine or alcoholic wine; Or two liters of regular wine. 500g coffee or 200g espresso. 100g tea or 40g concentrated tea essence. 50 grams of perfume or 0.25 liters of eau de toilette. It is particularly important to note that everyone should carry alcohol and tobacco separately, otherwise it will be regarded as an item carried by one of them.

Note: Only people aged 17 can bring duty-free tobacco and alcohol into the country, and coffee must also be brought by people aged 15.

Second, the security situation and public security situation

The overall security situation in Germany is good, and there have been no terrorist attacks against civilians, but the possibility of being threatened by terrorist attacks is not ruled out. Germany has a stable domestic political situation and good public security in most areas, making it one of the countries with high safety factors in the world.

(1) Common Cases

1. Like most European countries, theft is also a long-standing problem in German public security. Theft cases account for nearly half of all kinds of cases, and it is on the rise. Cases such as pickpocketing and carrying bags are public security problems that are harmful to my short-term citizens in Germany. It usually happens in busy business districts, airports, railway stations and hotel lobbies with complex personnel. Thieves are highly mobile, and most of them commit crimes by gangs. Therefore, the detection rate of such cases is very low, and stolen items are generally unrecoverable.

2. In Germany, the incidence of robbery against pedestrians or tourists is lower than that of other European tourist countries, but in recent years, such cases have also occurred frequently. Although the number of violent wounding cases in public places is small, we should pay attention to the violent criminal tendency of German teenagers. Recently, there have been many attacks on foreigners (including China citizens) by xenophobic forces represented by "neo-Nazis" in eastern Germany.

There are a large number of legal and illegal immigrants in Germany, and the problem of foreigners' crimes is more prominent. In cases of gambling, theft, organized smuggling, illegal drug smuggling and organized fraud, foreign suspects account for more than half of the total number of criminal suspects, mainly Turkish nationals and immigrants from former Eastern European countries. Usually, there are many security problems in the areas where foreign immigrants live.

(2) Preventive measures:

1. Strengthen prevention. When traveling abroad, you should take good care of your documents and other valuables, especially in places with complex personnel and high incidence of theft.

2. Don't bring cash. It is recommended to bring a check or credit card. If you have cash, you should try to keep it in the safe of the bank or hotel to prevent it from being stolen and robbed.

3. Pay attention to safety. When traveling, avoid going to remote places, such as narrow alleys or dark streets. It is best not to go out alone at night, and pay attention to avoid unfriendly elements and drunken people to prevent personal injury.

4. Enhance legal awareness. German citizens living and studying in China must abide by the local laws and order, should take the initiative to understand and learn the laws and regulations related to their own interests, and learn to use the law to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. When the legal expediency is damaged, you should consult a professional lawyer and seek to safeguard your personal rights and interests through legal channels.

(3) accident notification

1. If you are unfortunately stolen, please immediately report it to the police station where the case occurred and ask it to issue a more detailed report of the loss, so that you can apply for a replacement certificate from our embassy or consulate abroad and explain the situation when you leave the country; Short-term visitors to Germany who really can't leave the country before the visa expires due to the loss of their passports must show the police's report of loss to the local immigration bureau or visa authority in time to avoid unnecessary troubles when leaving the country or applying for a visa again.

2. If you are detained or sentenced in your country of residence because of a suspected crime, the parties concerned have the right to request to contact our embassy or consulate in Germany to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests and obtain necessary legal advice;

3. If a family member is missing or kidnapped in Germany, please inform our embassy or consulate in Germany of the details as soon as possible, including the name, gender, age, occupation, appearance and foreign address of the missing or kidnapped person, so as to find the missing person or rescue the kidnapped person;

4. When personal safety is threatened or hurt, you should immediately report to the local police and ask the police to arrest criminals or provide protection. If necessary, you can report the situation to our embassy or consulate in Germany and seek assistance.

III. Common Diseases and Medical Conditions

(1) Common diseases

Germany is one of the countries that attach great importance to environmental protection in the world. Germany has less air and water pollution, strict food hygiene measures and few malignant infectious diseases. Influenza and pollen allergy (mostly in spring) are the most common diseases in Germany. The prevention of bird flu in Germany is very strict, and no cases of human infection with bird flu have been found so far.

(2) Medical status

The medical facilities in Germany are very sound, and the medical conditions and standards are very high. There are a large number of specialist clinics and private clinics all over the country. In Germany, it is generally necessary to make an appointment in advance to go to the above clinics (except emergency). Large and medium-sized general hospitals usually only accept critically ill patients or emergency patients. Drug management in Germany is relatively standardized, and both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs are clearly defined. Hospitals and clinics do not sell medicines, and patients go to pharmacies to buy medicines with doctors' prescriptions. Medical expenses and medicines in Germany are very expensive. Without medical insurance, it will be difficult for individuals to bear expensive medical expenses. Therefore, German citizens who go to China for a short time are reminded to go through relevant medical insurance procedures before going abroad.

Four. Local customs and regulations

(1) Religion and festivals

The main religious belief in Germany is Christianity, with more than 55 million followers, of whom about 27.6 million believe in evangelical Protestantism and 27.5 million believe in Roman Catholicism. Protestantism is mainly distributed in the north and east, while Catholicism is mainly distributed in the south and west.

The main festivals in Germany are:

1. New Year's Day (65438+ 10/)

2. Good Friday (Friday, the exact date is undetermined)

3. Easter (Monday, the first Sunday after the full moon at the vernal equinox)

4. Labor Day (May 1 day)

5. Jesus ascensiontide (40 days after Easter, the exact date is undetermined)

6. Pentecost (after ascension 10 days, the specific date is undetermined)

7. German Unification Day (65438+1October 3)

8. Christmas (65438+February 25th and 26th)

(2) Habits and precautions in communication

1. punctual. Germans are punctual, make appointments, and never change easily without special circumstances. When you are invited to visit a German family, you should arrive on time. It is impolite to arrive early or late. When inviting guests, it is usually necessary to send an invitation letter or call the invitee in advance. Whether the invitee accepts it or not, he should reply as soon as possible so that the host can get ready. If you can't keep the appointment, you should explain the reason politely. It is impolite not to keep an appointment without giving reasons. In Germany, official or semi-official invitations usually indicate the dress code. On the occasion of private banquets in Germany, the time for waiting for late guests generally does not exceed 15 minutes. If you are likely to be late for more than 10 minutes due to temporary reasons, you should call the host. If the guest is late, apologize to the host and other guests. Don't be late for the concert. If you are late, you'd better wait until a scene or action is over before taking a seat.

2. obey the law and pay attention to cleanliness. Germans attach great importance to rules and discipline, and they will consciously abide by whatever is expressly stipulated. For example, when crossing the road, even if there are no vehicles on the road, pedestrians rarely run red lights. In normal work and life, Germans pay great attention to cleanliness and neatness. It is considered uncivilized to throw scraps of paper or spit everywhere. As long as guests visit or go out for activities, they will be dressed neatly.

3. like quiet. Germans prefer a quiet life, except for special occasions, they don't like to make loud noises. For example, you can't play musical instruments from 8 pm to 8 am the next day or on Sunday, and you can't make loud noises. If you want to have a party at night, try not to make noise. It's best to explain the situation to the neighbors in advance, ask them to understand and try to arrange it on the weekend. Otherwise, the disturbed neighbors will be very angry and may protest in person, and some people may even ask the police to intervene.

4. Pay attention to manners. In Germany, shaking hands is the main way for friends to meet, and so is farewell. Good friends I haven't seen for a long time can hug each other when they meet or leave for a long time. In the process of communication, most people often use "you" and surname beginning with "Mr" or "Ms" (also called "Mrs") as honorifics. Only friends, relatives and young people call each other "you" and names. For women, regardless of marriage and age, they can be called "Ms. XXX", but for married women, they should be called by their husband's surname. When talking with people, you should avoid personal problems such as age and income. When invited to other people's homes, you should prepare gifts such as flowers, picture books or books, and wrap the gifts with gift paper in advance. Germans are not used to giving heavy gifts. Most of the gifts they give are inexpensive but memorable items to express their condolences, congratulations or thanks. After receiving the gift, you should open it and thank the giver.

5. Pay attention to dress. Participate in formal activities, such as dinners, dances, concerts, etc. , and wear formal clothes. The most important thing to pay attention to when attending a funeral is to try to wear black clothes. A man should wear a black tie without flowers. If you don't have black clothes, wear dark clothes and avoid bright clothes.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) price and supply

Germany is one of the countries with the highest consumption level in the world. The current currency is Euro, and the exchange rate with RMB is basically 1: 10. However, compared with Switzerland, Britain and Nordic countries, Germany's overall price level is still low, and basic living expenses such as food and clothing account for a small proportion of total consumption expenditure.

Germany has developed commerce, complete goods and sufficient supply. Chain supermarkets are located in various residential areas, making life convenient. However, it should be noted that most shops in Germany are closed on Sundays and holidays. The business hours are usually 10: 00-20: 00, Saturday to 16: 00, and four Saturdays before Christmas to 18. Banks and post offices close at the latest 18. The number of shelves for single items in the store is limited. If a customer buys a lot of goods, he needs to make a reservation with a merchant.

Land, transportation and travel

(1) The climatic characteristics of Germany and the off-peak season of German tourism.

Germany is located in the warm and humid westerly belt, which belongs to the transitional climate between the maritime climate in western Europe and the continental climate in eastern Europe. Northwest China has a maritime climate, which is cool in summer and mild in winter. The continental climate in the east and southeast is remarkable. Leng Xia is hot in winter, with the lowest temperature reaching-10 degrees and the highest temperature exceeding 30 degrees. In recent years, with the global temperature rising, some cities in Germany have also experienced rare high temperature weather, with the highest temperature reaching 40 degrees Celsius. A stable and mild climate is a common feature of Germany, and there are few cases where the temperature fluctuates greatly. The average temperature in winter is between 1.5 degrees (lowlands) and -6 degrees (mountains), and the average temperature in summer is about 18 degrees (plains) and 20 degrees (southern valleys).

April is usually the most unpredictable month for climate change in Germany. Rainstorm, hurricane, snow and hail come alternately. You'd better take rain gear when you go out this month. May, June, September, 65438+1October,165438+1October are good seasons for Germans to engage in various exchange activities, and various activities are generally arranged in these five months; July and August are the holiday season for Germans and the tourist season in Germany. In Germany, the sunset time is earlier in winter, rainy and snowy, and later in summer, generally 2 1-22.

(2) Traffic conditions and related travel suggestions

Urban public transportation in Germany is very developed, especially in some big cities such as Frankfurt, which is composed of subway (U-Bahn), light rail (S-Bahn), bus and tram (Stra? Enbahn) and taxis form an efficient urban three-dimensional transportation network, which can reach every corner of the city. There are timetables and traffic maps at the station. You can get a traffic map book specially prepared for tourists at the information desk of the station for free. All public transport tickets are universal, and there is no conductor on the bus. Tickets can usually be bought at bus stops or ticket vending machines. Most ticket vending machines only accept coins, and some ticket vending machines also accept paper money. Don't forget to insert the ticket into the ticket machine after getting on the bus. Failure to do so will be regarded as evasion. In order to prevent ticket evasion, the German public transport system adopts spot checks, so it is necessary to keep tickets for future reference, and evasion will be fined several times. It is generally necessary to call a taxi in advance, and it is only possible to take it directly in front of hotels, taxi stations, airports and railway stations.

Germans often choose cars when traveling at close range. The driving speed in Germany is relatively fast, and many sections can reach 50 kilometers per hour. Vehicles usually park on both sides of the road. Pay special attention to pedestrians and bicycles when overtaking and turning. German has the most developed expressway network in the world. Expressway suggested that the driving speed should be 130km/h, with no speed limit in some sections. Most Germans have the habit of driving fast, so when overtaking or driving on the express line, you must be careful, fasten your seat belt (whether in the front seat or the back seat) and ride safely. Be sure to take the sidewalk when crossing the road, and don't take shortcuts to avoid danger. Germans generally obey traffic rules and rarely run red lights. Look at the traffic lights on the sidewalk when crossing the intersection, and don't run the red lights even if there is no car. In case of car accident, you can call the emergency number 1 10 or 1 12, or get in touch with the nearest China embassy or consulate abroad.

(3) Direct flights with China and modes of transportation to international airports.

1. There is no direct flight from Berlin to China. From China to Berlin, you need to transfer from Frankfurt or Munich.

Frankfurt Airport is the most important passenger and cargo hub in Europe and even the world, and the largest airport in Germany. At present, the route from Frankfurt to China (including Air China and Lufthansa) has developed from 4 flights a week more than 10 to 42 flights a week now. Among them, Frankfurt-Beijing has three passenger flights every day (Air China 2, Lufthansa1); Frankfurt-Shanghai passenger transport runs twice a day (Air China, Lufthansa1); Guangzhou-Frankfurt carries/kloc-0 passenger trains every day (Lufthansa).

Frankfurt Airport is located in the southwest of Frankfurt 16 km, next to No.3 and No.5 expressway ... The whole building is in the shape of a dinosaur. The two terminals of the airport are connected by the skyline, so passengers can commute between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 for free. After landing at Frankfurt airport, no matter where you transfer or change trains, you need to go through passport control first. Passengers holding China passports and HKSAR passports should queue up at the entry checkpoints of non-EU countries. You don't need to fill in the immigration form, but please have your boarding pass or transfer ticket ready.

Passengers can take Regionalzug or Fernzug from the airport to their destination, and there is a train platform under Terminal 1. If you take S-Bahn (light rail train), it takes 1 1 minute to drive from Frankfurt airport to Frankfurt main station. In addition, there are taxi stops under Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and it takes about 25 minutes to drive from the airport to the center of Frankfurt.

There are direct flights between Munich Airport and China Pudong Airport and Beijing Capital Airport. Among them, Munich-Shanghai passenger transport runs every day (Lufthansa); Munich-Beijing passenger service runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (Air China and Lufthansa) and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays (Lufthansa). Munich Airport is located in the northeast of Munich, 27 kilometers away from the city center and close to No.92 expressway, with convenient transportation. From downtown to the airport, you can take the light rail S 1 or S8 (every 20 minutes), and you can reach the airport in 40 minutes.

(four) the main tourist cities and scenic spots in the consular area.

1. Main attractions in Berlin: Brandenburg Gate, Parliament Building, Bodhi Street, Berlin Wall, Nikolai Community, Museum Island and Charlottenburg Palace.

2. Main attractions in Potsdam: Worry-Free Palace, Potsdam Proclamation Memorial Hall (Ceji Kremlin), etc.

3. Main attractions in Dresden: Semipal Opera House, Zwinger Palace, Women's Church and Little Swiss Scenic Area in Saxony.

4. Main attractions in Leipzig: Bach Museum, Old Political Hall and Thomas Church.

5. Main attractions of Weimar: Goethe's former residence, Schiller's former residence and Buchenwald concentration camp.

6. Lugen's famous resorts and beaches.

Nine. Contact information of embassies and consulates in Germany (country code: 0049)

1. Chinese Embassy in Germany

Address: Berlin 54, 10 179

Tel: 030-27588555

Fax: 030-2758822 1