New York has one of the densest clusters of consulates in the world, and that makes it easy to end up in the wrong queue. This page is for non-Americans who live in the city or across the river in New Jersey: green card holders in Queens, H-1B engineers in Jersey City, F-1 students in Manhattan, nurses and drivers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and Nigeria. Your passport needs visas for Europe, the UK or Canada, and you have to apply from here. We go through who takes your file, what each official list says about flights, which US documents prove your status, and which airlines leave from JFK. We work online only, with no New York office.
New York at a glance
| Item | Official position (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Airports | JFK and LaGuardia in Queens; Newark Liberty in New Jersey |
| Germany | Consulate General New York covers New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Fairfield County in Connecticut, and Bermuda.[1] Schengen files go through BLS International.[2] |
| Italy | Consulate General New York: New York State, Connecticut, 13 named New Jersey counties and Bermuda; appointments on Prenot@mi.[4] |
| Netherlands | VFS Global centre in New York, for people who live in the US.[6] |
| United Kingdom | VFS Global UK visa centre in New York, part of the network opened on 15 July 2025.[8] |
| Canada | Biometrics at a USCIS Application Support Center or VAC, only if you are legally in the US.[11] |
| Our price | $9 per passenger; card payment through Razorpay |
Which office handles you depends on your county
Germany and Italy draw different maps around New York, and New Jersey is where they split.
Germany's New York consulate takes all of New Jersey, along with New York State, Pennsylvania, Fairfield County in Connecticut and Bermuda.[1] Italy's New York consulate takes New York State and all of Connecticut, but only these New Jersey counties: Bergen, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, Warren, Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Hunterdon, Mercer and Somerset.[4]
So someone in Hoboken (Hudson County) is a New York applicant for both countries. Someone in Cherry Hill (Camden County) belongs to New York for Germany, yet does not appear on Italy's New York list at all. If your county is missing, look up Italy's consulate finder before going near Prenot@mi.
Germany also does not take Schengen files at the consulate door. Its US pages say all Schengen visa applications go through BLS International, the only provider authorised in the US, while the decision stays with the German mission.[2] The Netherlands uses VFS Global in New York and accepts you only if you live in the United States.[6]
Which US status documents do New York consulates accept?
Germany's US checklist, dated May 2024, is precise. It asks for a "US alien registration card or valid US resident visa (type A, E, F plus endorsed I-20, G, H, I, J plus J1 document, L, O, R)" and proof of address such as a driver's licence, utility bill or lease.[3]
Italy's New York consulate wants non-US citizens to supply a copy of the document that lets them reside legally in the US. Its examples include long-term US visas other than B1/B2, permanent resident cards, the I-20 for F-1 students, and Advance Parole documents.[4]
| Your New York status | Germany's list | Italy NY's list |
|---|---|---|
| Green card | Alien registration card[3] | Permanent resident card[4] |
| H-1B, L-1 | Valid H or L visa[3] | Long-term US visa[4] |
| F-1 student | F visa plus endorsed I-20[3] | I-20[4] |
| Pending green card, Advance Parole | Not in the listed categories; ask BLS or the consulate | Advance Parole named[4] |
| B1/B2 visitor | Not listed | Excluded[4] |
One New York quirk: many H-1B holders have a valid status but an expired visa stamp, because they extended inside the country. Germany's wording refers to a valid US visa, so read it carefully and ask before you rely on an I-797 alone.
What do the New York lists say about flights?
- Germany (US-wide list): "Confirmed flight (roundtrip)/travel reservations with the name of passenger".[3] The noun is "reservations". A held booking that shows as confirmed in the airline's system, in your passport name, fits it.
- Italy, New York: the visa page lists "FLIGHT RESERVATIONS" for short stays, and adds a hotel reservation for tourism. It also warns that an application missing any required document will not be accepted at the appointment.[5]
- Netherlands: a booking in your name in and out of Schengen; "You do not need a paid travel ticket".[7]
- United Kingdom: flight bookings appear among documents of limited value unless you are transiting; legal residence proof is what matters for non-nationals.[9]
- Canada: IRCC suggests showing your travel plans, which can include flight details.[12]
If any list you are handed asks for a paid or ticketed flight, a held reservation might not meet it. Then a refundable fare protects you better. None of the lists above say that today.
BLS or Prenot@mi slot coming up?
A $9 reservation with every traveller's passport name, ready to print about ten minutes after payment.
Visiting Canada from New York
It depends on your green card. IRCC's rule for green card holders arriving by air: carry your national passport and your valid green card, and no visitor visa is needed.[10] If that is you, buy the trip and skip the paperwork.
Everyone else with a visa-required passport, such as an Indian on H-1B or a Nigerian on F-1, applies online for a visitor visa and gives biometrics. IRCC lets you book that at a USCIS Application Support Center, free of charge, but only if you are already legally in the US.[11] For the travel part, a held reservation for a Toronto or Montreal weekend shows the plan without spending money on fares you might not use.
Which airlines leave from JFK?
The JFK airline directory lists most of the carriers our New York customers mention: Air India, Philippine Airlines, Kuwait Airways, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad and Turkish Airlines, plus Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, ITA Airways, Iberia, LOT, Aer Lingus and British Airways.[14]
That gives you plenty of believable shapes for a visa itinerary. A German file might show JFK to Frankfurt; an Italian one, JFK to Rome; a Dutch one, JFK to Amsterdam. A Bangladeshi or Pakistani family planning Europe and then home often routes through a Gulf hub. Consulates are used to that; the Schengen entry and exit dates are what they check. Newark and LaGuardia work too; pick the airport you would really use.
Example: an H-1B couple in Hoboken going to Berlin
An illustration. Arjun works for a bank in Jersey City on an H-1B with a valid visa stamp; his wife Neha is on H-4. They live in Hoboken, Hudson County, so Germany's New York consulate is theirs, through a BLS appointment.[1][2]
The appointment is on 9 March for a trip from 10 to 18 April. On 6 March they order one reservation for both, Newark to Berlin and back. Into the folder go Arjun's visa stamp and approval notice, Neha's H-4 papers, a lease as proof of address, an employer letter, hotel bookings and insurance issued in the US with at least €30,000 cover, which the German list specifies.[3] They check the PNR on the airline's site that evening and print it.
Example: a Queens green card holder visiting Italy
Another made-up case. Rahima is a Bangladeshi citizen with a green card, living in Jackson Heights. She wants two weeks in Rome and Naples. Queens is in New York State, so Italy's New York consulate handles her.[4]
She books on Prenot@mi, which Italy notes is free, and confirms the slot 3 to 10 days before, as the consulate requires.[4] In that window she also orders the round-trip reservation, JFK to Rome, and attaches her hotel bookings, because Italy's tourism list wants both.[5] Her green card copy covers legal residence. If she later adds a week in Dhaka on the way home, she buys the real ticket after the visa and keeps her Schengen dates unchanged.
In New York on a visitor visa or ESTA? Read this first
Short answer: you will struggle to apply for Schengen or Italian visas here. Italy's New York page excludes B1/B2 visas from the documents that prove legal residence.[4] Germany's list names resident categories and the green card, and B status is not among them.[3] The Netherlands accepts applications in the US only from people who live there.[6]
So a cousin staying with you in Edison for three months on a tourist visa normally applies from their home country before or after the US trip, not from New York. Planning a combined US and Europe holiday? Sort the Schengen visa at home first, and let the reservation show both legs in order.
Newly arrived on a work visa but still waiting for a lease or bank account? Gather proof of address before booking BLS, because the German list asks for it alongside your status papers.[3] A recent utility bill or a signed lease usually solves it.
What to have in your folder on appointment day
- The reservation printout, with every passenger's name and the airline's booking reference visible.
- Your green card or visa page, plus the approval notice or I-20 that goes with it.
- Proof of address in the consulate's area: lease, utility bill or driver's licence.
- Hotel bookings that cover the same nights as the flight dates.
- US-issued travel insurance for a German file.
On the eve of the appointment, open the booking on the airline's website again. A retimed flight is better discovered in your Astoria kitchen than at the BLS window.
How to order from New York
- Find your consulate by county, especially if you live in New Jersey.
- Check the US status document your list asks for and that it is still valid.
- Book BLS, Prenot@mi or VFS as your destination requires.
- Enter route, dates and names on our booking page.
- Pay $9 per traveller by card.
- Save the emailed PDF, usually there within 10 minutes.
- Look the booking up on the airline's site; our verification walkthrough helps.
Follow an order on the tracking page, compare currencies on the price page, and add a hotel reservation if your list needs one.
When should you order?
Inside the week of your appointment, ideally two or three days before. A hold survives for up to 2 weeks, and the airline picks the precise end date. Italy's confirmation window of 3 to 10 days is a handy reminder: when you confirm the slot, order the flight too. Brussels sets the outer limits: no earlier than six months before the trip, and ideally 15 days or more before it.[13]
What New York applicants get wrong
- Applying to Italy's New York office from a county it does not list.
- Walking into the German consulate instead of booking BLS.
- An F-1 I-20 without a travel endorsement when Germany asks for an endorsed one.
- Insurance from outside the US or Germany on a German file.
- Paying for flights that no checklist here demands.
New York FAQ
Can I hand my German visa file to the New York consulate directly?
No. Germany's US pages say every Schengen application goes through BLS International, its only authorised provider in the US; the consulate still decides. The New York consulate's district covers New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Fairfield County in Connecticut and Bermuda, so book the BLS centre that serves that district.
I live in South Jersey. Is Italy's New York consulate mine?
Only if your county is on its list: Bergen, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, Warren, Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Hunterdon, Mercer or Somerset. Counties such as Camden or Atlantic are not named, so use Italy's consulate finder to see which office covers you before booking on Prenot@mi.
Will Germany accept a reservation rather than a paid ticket?
The German list for US applicants wants round-trip flight or travel reservations, confirmed and in the traveller's name. A held booking showing as confirmed in the airline's system, in your passport name, matches that wording. The checklist is dated May 2024; download the current version, because the mission decides.
Do green card holders in New York need a visa for Canada?
Not when flying in with a valid passport and a valid green card, according to IRCC. Other foreign nationals living in New York usually need a visitor visa and biometrics, which IRCC allows at USCIS Application Support Centers for people legally in the US.
Can I give UK visa biometrics in New York?
Yes. VFS Global opened a network of UK visa application centres across the US on 15 July 2025, with New York among the cities. You book, attend, give biometrics and present your passport at the same centre. Leave the flight booking out unless you are transiting.
Should the reservation start at JFK, Newark or LaGuardia?
Whichever airport you would genuinely fly from. Consulates look at dates, names and the Schengen entry and exit, not at which New York airport you picked. JFK's airline directory includes most European and Gulf carriers, and Newark suits many New Jersey residents. Choose the realistic option so the plan reads naturally.
What does it cost, and can I pay in dollars?
Yes: $9 a traveller in US dollars, charged to a card through Razorpay, whether one way or return. Multi-city plans cost $9 per pair of legs. We are an online service, so there is no office in Manhattan to visit.
How long does the reservation stay valid?
Up to 2 weeks; the airline fixes the precise expiry. Order a few days before your BLS, VFS or consulate appointment, and order again if the appointment moves.
Applying from New York or New Jersey?
$9 per traveller, card payment, PNR you can check yourself.
One reminder: nothing on this page buys a visa. Label the document a reservation, match it to your other papers, and let the consulate make its call.
For the national picture, read Indians living in the US; for the Midwest, see Chicago. Destination guides: Germany, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Canada and Schengen. By passport: Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Nigerian travellers. Basics: home, flight reservation for visa, requirements by country, onward tickets.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- German Missions in the United States, Consulates and their districts.
- German Missions in the United States, Business, tourism and visitor visa.
- German Missions in the United States, Schengen visa checklist, May 2024 (PDF).
- Consulate General of Italy in New York, Visas: general information.
- Consulate General of Italy in New York, Visas to enter Italy.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in the US.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Schengen tourism checklist.
- VFS Global, 38 new UK visa application centres in the United States (14 July 2025, PDF).
- GOV.UK, Supporting documents for UK visitors.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Entry requirements by country or territory.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Where to give your biometrics.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Apply for a visitor visa.
- European Commission, Schengen visa applications.
- JFK International Airport, Airlines.
