Whether or not you’ll need a visa before arriving in Germany depends on where you’re from. EU passport holders don’t need any kind of visa at any time. Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the US and Switzerland can enter without a visa. However, they must apply for a residency permit after arrival if they plan on staying longer than three months. If you’re not from one of these countries, you’ll need to get the necessary visa or permit from your local German embassy before boarding the plane. The German government recommends you apply for one at least three months before departing and warns that, in some cases, processing visas can take even longer.

Temporary visas generally cost €60 and allow you to travel in all European countries that belong to the Schengen treaty. This includes most of western and central Europe, as well as Scandinavia, and was expanded in March 2008 to include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. If you only want a visa for Germany, it will cost €30.

If you do get a visa or residency permit before arriving, be sure to mention or point it out to the border guards. They’re likely to discover it after scanning in your details and add a disappointed scowl to your first moments in Europe’s biggest country.