Where to file your E-2 Visa application?
An E-2 Visa is applied for at a U.S. consulate abroad. In German-speaking Europe, three posts handle it: Frankfurt for Germany, Vienna for Austria, and Bern for Switzerland. Your passport or place of residency controls where you need to apply. The law is the same regardless of where you file. However, each consulate has its own filing formats, customs, and expectations. We guide you through each.
The three posts compared — checked 29 August 2026
- Frankfurt
- Paper bundle by post + PDF ≤ 5 MB by e-mail · 30-page cap 5-page business plan · about 60 days to process · visa valid up to 60 months
- Vienna
- Electronic filing only · ≤ 7 MB (about 100 pages) · initial review 2–4 weeks, proof of investment first · visa valid up to 60 months
- Bern
- Electronic filing only · review within 2 months · visa valid up to 48 months
Who files where
German nationals — Frankfurt. The Consulate General's E visa unit handles company registration and renewals for Germany. Frankfurt in detail.
Austrian nationals — Vienna. A smaller E visa unit that works entirely by e-mail. Vienna in detail.
Swiss nationals — Bern. Electronic dossier, two-month review, four-year visas. Bern in detail.
How the three posts differ
| Frankfurt | Vienna | Bern | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who files and what it costs | |||
| Who files here | Germans and residents of Germany | Austrians and residents of Austria | Residents of Switzerland |
| Extra fee for nationals | None | None | $125, once approved |
| The file | |||
| How it goes in | Paper by post plus the same file as one PDF · tabs 1a–3b | E-mail, set subject line · tabs A–F, contents page first | E-mail, set message body · attachments A–D2 |
| Forms | DS-156E for the investor; G-28 if represented | DS-156E only for managers and key staff, not the investor | DS-156E and DS-160 confirmation |
| Cover letter | Goes test by test through the FAM, with a paragraph on intent to depart | How the business qualifies and your skills; intent to depart signed separately | Describes the business and you against each requirement |
| Business plan | 5 pages, including a one-page 5-year profit and loss; companies up to 2 years old | No plan named; evidence you will earn more than a living within 5 years | Executive summary with a 5-year forecast |
| Tax returns (existing business) | Last 2 years, plus a year-to-date P&L | First 2 pages, last 2 years, plus this year's P&L | First 2 pages, last 3 years |
| Proof of investment | Invested or investing; only staff on the payroll count | Invoices matched to transfers; no photos or brochures | Proof of payment; photos and catalogues count; idle money doesn't |
| Family, renewals, interview day | |||
| Spouse and children | Book their own appointments | Go inside your file | Attend with you; tell the post if they come later |
| Renewals | Full file again; shorter route at 25+ staff | Letter on the business, proof it is trading | 3 years' US tax returns, 4-year forecast |
| Interview at | Gießener Straße 30 | Parkring 12a, not the embassy | Sulgeneckstrasse 19 |
| Passport back | Free pick-up or DHL | Free pick-up or DHL | Swiss Post only, to a Swiss address |
At all three: $315 per person, and every applicant is interviewed in person, children included. Visa length and fee follow your passport, not the post.