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I'm excited that my Schengen C type tourist visa got approved and I will be able to visit the Schengen area as a tourist soon. Specifically, I will arrive in Germany by plane.

I had to submit so many documents to the embassy for the visa application and following the proper guidelines. So now I'm anxious about making a mistake at the border. All I have is the visa sticker in my passport. Do I need to bring anything else? Will border agents ask questions? What procedures should I expect?

Unfortunately I don't know anyone who could speak from personal experience as a non-EU citizen. But I have heard from friends traveling back home (on an EU passport) that the non-EU citizen queue at the airport border control is usually a mess and it takes a long time to get processed and they get asked a lot.

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    Are you planning to follow the itinerary you presented in your visa application? If there have been any changes, you should be prepared to justify them so the passport inspector doesn't conclude that your visa application was deceptive. Such changes are allowed to a certain degree, but if you applied saying you want to go to a certain museum in Berlin and you arrive with plans to spend the entire visit at a conference in Munich, you will have more trouble than you would if you simply changed your accommodation to a different hotel.
    – phoog
    Mar 9 at 8:45
  • @phoog I didn't have to fill out a full itinerary for the visa application. Only the hotel booking confirmation for the first stay. Will the border agent have all this information available to them?
    – Canned Meat Lover
    Mar 9 at 10:29
  • You should assume that they do. I don't think you have much to worry about, though, unless you've made some drastic change that you haven't mentioned.
    – phoog
    Mar 9 at 17:19

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You will be asked for the purpose of your visit. Beyond that the questions will be as deemed needed by the border control officer talking to you.

You may be asked all the same questions you've already answered in your visa application and interview, and you may be asked to prove your ability to provide for yourself for the duration of your visit and your intention to leave at the end of it (including explaining where you'll be staying, how you'll be paying for it, and when and how you'll be leaving).

Whether or not you'll be asked for any of that depends on a variety of factors, some determined at the initial encounter with the border agent. For example, if you look stressed or concerned (or alternatively, too chill and relaxed for a first time traveler) and give a vibe to the interviewer that you may not be truthful - expect more questions.

Remember, having a visa doesn't guarantee you the right to entry, it only guarantees you the right to approach.

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    They do not usually turn people with a valid visa back, unless the visitor does stupid things like saying that he wants to overstay. Basically two questions: Are you the person who is listed in the visa? They might ask for your name and birthdate when they have your passport in hand and you do not. And seeing you at the border, does it seem that your application was truthful? They might ask what you want to do in Europe, and check if the answers match with your appearance.
    – o.m.
    Mar 9 at 6:21
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    @om They do not usually turn people with a valid visa back, unless the visitor does stupid things like saying that he wants to overstay. - not necessarily saying, but not being able to answer "where are you staying" and "how are you paying for that" would most definitely put the visitor on the next flight back. And I have been asked that myself, numerously in multiple different countries, so yes, they do ask.
    – littleadv
    Mar 9 at 6:26
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    Yes, the visitor should be prepared for check questions like that.
    – o.m.
    Mar 9 at 6:29
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    @CannedMeatLover you missed the point of my answer. You may be asked for all of these things, none of them, or anywhere in between. We cannot know ahead of time what will be asked of you specifically.
    – littleadv
    Mar 9 at 16:57
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    @CannedMeatLover you're coming to visit friends/family. You have (supposedly) their phone numbers and addresses readily available to be verified. You have your return flight booked. You have some credit cards and cash that would be enough for you to enjoy your travel (how much is enough? Don't know - 100EUR/day?). You can show all that if asked. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight.
    – littleadv
    Mar 9 at 17:18
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Partial answer regarding the question if passport/visa is enough: No.

See European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2020-08/frequently_asked_questions_en.pdf

16 Do I have to present any other document at the Schengen external borders apart from my travel document with the Schengen visa?

The short-stay visa does not automatically entitle you to enter the Schengen area. At border (or during other controls) you may have to show the visa but also provide additional documentation, for example information on that you have sufficient means to cover the stay and the return trip. It is therefore recommended that you carry with you copies of the documents, which you presented when applying for the visa (e.g. letters of invitation, travel confirmations, other documents stating the purpose of your stay).

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