Germany - Country Information

Film Commissions

Berlin Brandenburg Film Commission
Tel: 331 743 87 31 Fax: 331 743 87 99
E-mail: location@medienboard.de
Website: www.bbfc.de
Film Commissioner: Christiane Raab

Film Commission Bavaria
Tel: 89 54 46 02 16 Fax: 89 54 46 02 24
E-mail: location@fff-bayern.de
Website: www.film-commission-bayern.de
Film Commissioner: Anja Metzger

Film Commission Nordrhein-Westfalen
Tel: 211 93 05 00 Fax: 211 93 03 05
E-mail: andreabaaken@filmstiftung.de
Website: www.locationnrw.de
Film Commissioner: Andrea Baaken

Film Commission Region Stuttgart
Tel: 711 25 94 430 Fax: 711 25 94 43 33
E-mail: film@region-stuttgart.de
Website: www.film.region-stuttgart.de
Film Commissioner: Marianne Gassner

Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein Film Commission
Tel: 40 398 37 15 (Hamburg office), 431 22 00 930 (Kiel office) Fax: 40 398 37 10
E-mail: scholz@ffhsh.de
Website: www.fchsh.de
Film Commissioner: Christiane Scholz

Nordmedia
Tel: 511 12 34 560, 421 17 83 151 Fax: 511 12 34 56 29
E-mail: location@nordmedia.de
Website: www.nordmedia.de
Film Commissioner: Anette Unger

Film Commission Hessen
Tel: 69 13 88 66 50 Fax: 69 155 45 14
E-mail: mail@filmcommission-hessen.de
Website: www.filmcommission-hessen.de, www.filmland-hessen.de
Film Commissioner: Kathrin Ahrens

Coordination Office Baden-Wurttemberg
Tel: 711 90 71 54 00 Fax: 711 90 71 54 50
E-mail: walter@mfg.de
Website: www.mfg-filmfoerderung.de
Film Commissioner: Katja Walter

Filmcommission Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Tel: 385 55 15 770 Fax: 385 55 15 772
E-mail: info@filmland-mv.de
Website: www.filmcommission-mv.de
Film Commissioner: Antje Nass

MDM Film Commission
Tel: 341 2 69 87 16 Fax: 341 2 69 87 65
E-mail: bea.woelfling@mdm-online.de
Website: www.mdm-online.de
Film Commissioner: Bea Woelfling

Permits/visas
General shooting permits are available. Contact the police for motorway shooting. Special permits required for aerial shooting.

Tax breaks/incentives
There are subsidies at national level plus regional aid. Private investors can offset their investment for tax purposes.

General Information

Location: Europe
Local Time: GMT+1
From 25 Oct 09 to 28 Mar 10 GMT +1
From 28 Mar 10 to 31 Oct 10 GMT +2
From 31 Oct 10 to 27 Mar 11 GMT +1
From 27 Mar 11 to 30 Oct 11 GMT +2
Capital City: Berlin
Population: 82 million
Area: 357,021 square km, 137,846 square miles.
Language(s): German
Dialling Code: 49
Emergency: Police: 110. Fire & Ambulance: 112
Directory Enquiries: 10
TV Standard: PAL
Driving: Driving is on the right. National or EU licence required. Minimum driving age is 18 (17 for holders of a full UK licence)
Electricity: 220V AC 50Hz

Business & Currency

Currency: Euro (EUR 1 = 100 Cents)
Notes: EUR: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500
Coins: EUR: 1, 2. Cents: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50

Credit Cards/Travellers Cheques: Credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted in larger retail outlets, petrol stations, hotels & restaurants

Opening Hours
Bank: 0830-1300 & 1430-1600 Mon-Wed & Fri, 0830-1300 & 1430-1730 Thur
Office: 0900-1700 Mon-Fri (many offices close earlier on Fri)
Shops: 0900-1830 Mon-Fri, 0900-1300/1400 Sat (regional shops), 0900-2000 Mon-Fri, 0900-1800/2200 Sat (city shops)

Public Holidays
2010
1 Jan New Year's Day, 6 Jan * Epiphany, 2 Apr Good Friday, 5 Apr Easter Monday, 1 May Labour Day, 13 May Ascension, 24 May Whit Monday, 3 Jun *Corpus Christi, 15 Aug * Assumption, 3 Oct Day of German Unity, 31 Oct * Day of Reformation, 1 Nov * All Saints' Day, 17 Nov * Repentance Day.

Note: * These are not observed in all areas.

Business/Social Hints: English is widely spoken. Smoking is banned in restaurants bars and the majority of public places unless a separate dedicated smoking room is provided. On social occasions, eg invitation to restaurants, be punctual and dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated. The minimum drinking age is 16 years

Tipping: If a service charge has been added to the bill, tips are not necessary, additional discretionary tips are around 10%

Health

Reciprocal health: Participant of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC scheme) which allows visitors on short-term stays to other member countries to use the public health care sector for free or reduced-cost medical treatment and emergency care.

Compulsory vaccinations: None.

Recommended immunisations: Tick-borne encephalitis*
* recommended in some circumstances, travellers making 3 or more visits per year, stays of more than 3 months in a rural area, high-risk occupational groups & backpackers staying more than 1 month.

Risks:

Airports

Passport & Visa

The following details relate to holders of adult normal passports (requirements for children may be different), if any other type of passport or travel document is held, entry requirements should be checked with the relevant embassy or consulate

Passports

Required, but NOT by the following:

1) Holders of valid National Identity Cards issued to nationals of Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & United Kingdom

Passport Validity: 1) Where a visa is required passports must be valid for at least 3 months from the expiry of the visa

2) Expired passports can be accepted (maximum of 5 years) issued to nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain & Switzerland

Passport Notes: 1) Passports or temporary passports are not recognised to nationals of South Africa (Temporary), Somalian (passports issued after 31st Jan 1991), Iraqi passports (issued or renewed after 9th Apr 2003), Guinea Rep (passports models 1995 and 2002)

2) Please note that where a passport is required, it must be signed by the bearer, otherwise permission may be refused.

Visas

The following DO NOT require a visa:

1) Nationals of Germany

2) For an unrestricted length of stay by:

a) Holders of passports issued by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland Rep, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & United States

b) Holders of British passports endorsed British Citizen

3) For stays up to 3 months by:

a) Nationals of Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (S.A.R. passports only), Macao (S.A.R. passports only), Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Singapore, St Kitts & Nevis, Uruguay, Vatican City & Venezuela

Notes: Visitors must hold confirmed return or onward tickets, all documents required for their next destination and sufficient funds for maintenance during their stay.

Return or onward tickets are not required by Nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Ireland Rep, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & United Kingdom

Air Transit

Required by all except those as noted above and:

1) Persons continuing their journey to a third country by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours without leaving the airport transit area.
There are conditions to this and this should be checked with embassy or consulate

Notes: 1) Transit without a visa is not available if any of the subsequent destinations or transit locations are a Schengen country requiring a visa. Therefore, as the passenger is entering the Schengen territory, which is a borderless territory, those nationals of countries requiring a visa for any Schengen state, which they are entering, require a visa at all times

2) The above facility is not generally available to persons making more than one intermediate stop in Germany. Where granted, in exceptional circumstances only

3) Transit is only possible at certain airports in Germany, please check

Exit Permits

Special Notes

All visitors must hold onward/return tickets, documents required for next destination & sufficient funds for length of stay, except EU nationals

Climate

Weather can be changeable throughout the year. Eastern Germany and South East (Bavarian Alps) tend to have colder winters with more frequent snow and frost. Rainfall is fairly evenly spread throughout the year although less in summer

Clothing

Light or mediumweights for the summer and medium or heavyweights for winter, with rainwear all year round

Charts for Berlin

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max Temp (C) 2 3 8 13 18 21 24 22 19 13 6 3 Min Temp (C) -3 -3 0 3 8 11 14 12 9 5 1 2 Humidity am (%) 89 87 87 83 79 78 79 86 90 92 91 90 Humidity pm (%) 81 73 63 56 50 53 55 58 60 68 79 84 Rainfall (mm) 46 39 33 41 49 64 72 69 48 48 46 43

Temperature (C) Rainfall (mm) Humidity (%)

Representative

UK Tourist Office
German National Tourist Office
P.O. Box 2695
London, W1A 3TN
tel: +44 20 7317 0908
fax: +44 20 7317 0917
e-mail: gntolon@d-z-t.com
website: www.germany-tourism.co.uk

Embassy
Embassy of Germany
Passport & Visa Section
23 Belgrave Square
London, SW1X 8PZ
tel: +44 20 7824 1300, 0906 550 8922* (visa enq)
fax: +44 20 7824 1449
e-mail: info@london.diplo.de
website: www.london.diplo.de
hours: 0900-1200 (Mon-Fri)
* calls cost 1 per minute