The process is not 100% online: you fill in the VIDEX form online, print it, sign it and submit it in person at the German Embassy in Buenos Aires on the day of your appointment. VIDEX is available in several languages (you can change the language at the top right). Always choose the NATIONAL VISA / long-stay form (langfristiger Aufenthalt), not the short-stay Schengen visa form.
Application platform: VIDEX (Auswärtiges Amt) — national visa / long-stay application form, plus an in-person appointment at the German Embassy in Buenos Aires.
🪜 Step by step
1
Go to VIDEX and choose national visa
Open
videx.diplo.de and select the 'national visa' or 'long stay' form (langfristiger Aufenthalt). Do not use the short-stay Schengen form: the Working Holiday is a national type D visa.
2
Change the language if you need to
At the top right you can choose Spanish, German or English. The labels are translated, but you have to enter your details in Latin characters, exactly as they appear in your passport.
3
Personal details (Angaben zur Person)
Enter your surname, first names, date and place of birth, citizenship (Argentine) and marital status EXACTLY as they appear in your passport. Any difference can delay the process.
4
Passport details
Passport number, type (ordinary), issuing authority, issue and expiry dates, exactly as they appear in the document.
5
Purpose of the trip and visa type
State Working Holiday / vacation and work as the purpose. If the form asks you to select the purpose, choose the 'Working Holiday' stay option or 'other', as appropriate, and clarify it in the motivation letter.
6
Duration and dates
State your planned date of entry and a stay of up to 12 months. Remember that you can apply for the visa no more than 6 months before the trip.
7
Address and contact
Enter your address in Argentina, an email address you check often and a phone number. If you already have accommodation in Germany, give those details.
8
Means of support and insurance
Tick how you will finance yourself (own funds) and that you have health insurance. You then back it up with proof of funds and the policy on the day of your appointment.
9
Review, generate the PDF and print
Review everything carefully, generate the PDF, print it and sign it. Write down or save the code/ID that VIDEX gives you. Bring the printed form to your appointment.
10
Book the appointment and show up
Book the appointment through the embassy's online system and show up on the day indicated with the printed VIDEX and all your documents, originals and photocopies.
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
- Filling in the short-stay Schengen form instead of the national visa / long-stay one.
- Entering a name or passport number that differs from the one in the document.
- Showing funds in Argentine pesos: they must be shown in euros or dollars, in your own name (not a third party's).
- Taking insurance with coverage below €30,000 or without repatriation included.
- Going without an appointment or with incomplete documents (missing the A4 photocopy, the motivation letter or the CV).
- Leaving the process to the last minute: appointments are limited and the visa can only be requested 6 months before the trip.
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Abroad, getting sick is more than a bad day. In many destinations public healthcare depends on appointments, queues and availability, and private care is paid upfront. An emergency can cost thousands of USD, right when you are far from home and on a tight budget. That is why I recommend you never leave without travel assistance.
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