Welcome to the website of the German Consulate General in Vancouver!

The geographic area of responsibility of the Consulate General covers the whole of West Canada: the provinces British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, as well as the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. With around 10 million inhabitants it comprises approx. 27 % of Canada’s population and 41 % of its surface area. This is about 10 times larger than the Federal Republic of Germany. To be able to perform its duties in this vast area, the Consulate General is therefore supported by Honorary Consuls in Edmonton and Calgary (at present there are no Honorary Consuls in Saskatoon and Prince George).

Historically, the relations between West Canada and Germany have been close. Starting in the 19th century, a great number of Germans have immigrated to West Canada. As the second largest immigrant group, Germans have contributed considerably to the development of this part of Canada. Even today, German immigrants come to Canada with its continuing high demand for skilled workers and well-trained experts. The scenic beauties of West Canada attract more and more German tourists.

The main task of the Consulate General is to maintain and further promote the existing close relations between Germany and West Canada in all areas - trade, business, science, education and culture. This includes support of partnerships between schools, universities or other institutions in Germany and Canada. Nothing can replace direct contacts between people of both countries. For this purpose, a special German-Canadian program has been created, the "Youth Mobility Agreement". For young adults of both countries, this program greatly facilitates travelling to the other country for a period of up to one year. You can find detailed information on this website. Please have a look! Those interested in cultural events relating to Germany may find our calendar of culture events useful.

Another important task of a Consulate General is to provide consular services such as issuing passports, witnessing signatures and assistance for German citizens in distress. However, since July 1, 2014 applications for short term Schengen Visa up to 90 days must be addressed to the Consulate General of Switzerland and can unfortunately no longer be addressed to this Consulate General. Since July 1, 2015 all applications for long-term Visa for more than 90 days have to be addressed to the German Consulate General in Toronto. You can find detailed information on consular and legal matters also on this website. Before coming to the Consulate General in a consular matter, I recommend that you closely study this information, thereby possibly sparing yourself repeated visits. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the responsible members of the Consulate General, either by phone or through our contact page.

This website is meant to help all those seeking information on Germany and German-Canadian relations. I do hope that the information and the links provided on this site will serve you as a launch pad for further inquiries. We always welcome additional information or suggestions for improvement.

Yours truly

Josef Beck

Consul General

Curriculum Vitae

Josef BECK

 Born February 1, 1953 in Bärenthal, near Lake Constance

 Married to Gudrun Martina Beck, 2 daughters