If you’re thinking about studying in Germany, you’re going to need to sort out your paperwork. German bureaucracy can be notoriously annoying, so here’s a complete guide on how to apply for a student visa in Germany.
With high-quality and low-cost higher education, German universities and colleges are popular with students from all around the world, and there tends to be a thriving international student community at many German institutions!
Who can apply for a student visa in Germany?
So, first things first, who can apply for a student visa in Germany? If you’re a German citizen, permanent resident, or EU citizen, you may not need to apply for a visa in the first place, because you’re already allowed to study freely in Germany.
However, you should apply for a student visa in Germany if you’re a foreign student who:
- Has been accepted to a German university or college
- Is waiting on a response from your chosen German university or college
- Has to apply for a foundation course before heading to a German university or college
- Has to take a foundation course to prepare for the qualification assessment examination
- Needs to complete a PhD or other doctorate degree
- Is looking to complete a research project in Germany
What kind of student visa do you need?
There are three different types of student visas in Germany, so it’s really important that you apply for the correct one for your situation. After all, if you apply and get rejected, not only have you wasted a ton of time, but you also won’t get your money back at all.
The three types of student visas in Germany are:
- Language Course Visa: This visa is designed for people who want to learn the German language and tends to last between three months and one year. If you’re planning on attending a multi-year course, this isn’t the visa for you.
- Student Applicant Visa, also called Visum Zur Studienbewerbung: This visa is kind of a waiting game visa. If you’re not sure which course is right for you, or you’re still waiting to hear back from your German university of choice, you can apply for this visa so you’re prepared and can start the immigration process.
- Student Visa or Visum Zu Studienzwecken: This visa is if you’ve been accepted to a German university or college. It’s you’re stereotypical student visa that exists pretty much all around the world.
Where should you apply for your student visa?
You need to apply for your German student visa at the German Embassy or Consulate in your home country. You can get your application form online but you do need to show up for your appointment in person at the consulate or embassy.
How to apply for a student visa in Germany?
Okay, so now you know which kind of student visa you need to apply for to attend school or university in Germany, let’s get into what you need to do to apply.
Book an appointment
You can’t do anything without booking an appointment at your local German embassy or consulate. Due to this, you need to go through the online portal and pick a date that works for you. Remember your nearest consulate might be in a different state or a city that’s hours away, so give yourself plenty of time to get there!
I’d recommend booking your appointment as far in advance as possible and three months tends to be the sweet spot. You need plenty of time to gather all of your documentation together, after all. Of course, you don’t want to do it too far in advance and waste part of your approved visa not actually being in Germany!
Go to your interview
The second step is to actually attend the interview. This will have to be in person so be prepared to travel domestically for it.
Once you’re here, you’ll have to present all your documentation to be assessed and you’ll have to answer some questions about your application and why you want to live and study in Germany.
Registration at the Resident’s Registration Office
Once you’ve been approved and arrived in Germany, you need to head to the Resident’s Registration Office. Here you’ll register your address, bank details, and all that good stuff so you can gain your resident’s permit. When you have your resident’s permit you’ll be able to access social services like your local doctor’s surgery and things like that.
All expats and immigrants have to get a resident’s permit within the first 90 days of being in Germany so that they’re eligible to stay long-term.
What documentation do you need for a student visa in Germany?
When you apply for a student visa in Germany, you’re going to need a whole host of documents proving who you are, whether you can support yourself, and what you’re planning on doing while you’re in Germany.
So, here’s a list of the different kinds of documentation you’re going to need during the student visa application process in Germany.
- Two completed visa forms
- Your valid national passport
- Two copies of your passport in addition to the original version
- Your birth certificate
- A marriage certificate if you have one
- Your child’s certificate if you’re bringing dependents with you
- Two biometric photos
- Copies of any previous German visas or residence titles, including Schengen Visas or Resident Permits
- Proof of finances, through either a blocked bank account, a letter of commitment where someone in Germany vouches for you or covers your accommodation costs, a letter of declaration showing that your parents will financially support you, or proof of a scholarship with the awarded amount.
- Original education certificates
- CV or resume
- A motivational letter that shows why you’ve chosen this particular degree programme and what you want to do in the future
- Proof of travel health insurance which covers the time from when you arrive in Germany to when you start university. This is normally around three months. There are plenty of free travel health insurance offerings for students who are 29 or under. You can also get affordable insurance if you’re a student who’s 30 or older through EDUCARE24.
- Proof that you’ve paid your visa fee
- Proof of German language proficiency if you’re attending a German or mixed-language course
- Proof of English language proficiency if you’re attending an English or mixed-language course
If you’re applying for a student visa and have to show that you’ve been accepted into a German university or school, you need to provide at least one of the following with your application.
- University admission letter
- Letter of admission in foundation/propaedeutic/German language course
How much does a student visa in Germany cost?
A German student visa costs 75 Euros and it doesn’t get reimbursed or refunded if you’re rejected, so make sure that all your paperwork is in order before you apply.
You’ll need to pay by bank transfer as credit and debit cards aren’t accepted, so give yourself enough time for the payment to be processed. Of course, keep a copy of the payment confirmation because you need to show proof of visa payment as part of your documentation.
How long does it take to apply for a student visa in Germany?
On average, long-stay student visas in Germany take anywhere from six to 12 weeks to be processed from the day you apply. This can vary depending on the time of the year and how busy your particular embassy or consulate is when it comes to appointments. Especially around university acceptance letter send-out time, appointments can get booked up quickly!
If you’re applying for a short-stay student visa in Germany, for a language course or foundation course, the application is much shorter. On average, you can expect to hear back within 15-30 days, so it’s a much shorter timeline.
Things that you need to know before you apply
Okay, so to round out this complete guide to applying for student visas in Germany, here are some final things that you should know before you apply.
Passport validity
Not only does your passport need to be valid when you apply for your student visa, but you also need to make sure that it’s valid for the entirety of the course you’re applying for. That means that if you’re applying for a three-year course, you need to have three years and around six months left on your passport.
Essentially, whenever you travel around Europe you need either three or six months left on your passport before you travel to ensure that you can get home again if something happens.
It’s also worth noting that the original copy of your passport will stay with your local consulate or embassy throughout the application process, so you may be without ID and unable to travel internationally while you’re waiting to hear in advance.
Show up in person
Many people think that you’d be able to do your interview over Zoom, especially following the pandemic, but German student visa interviews have to be done in person. That’s predominantly because you have to hand in a lot of original versions of your documentation and obviously you don’t necessarily want to be posting them if you don’t have to.
If you’re rejected, they’ll tell you why
If for some reason your student visa gets rejected, the consulate or embassy will tell you the main reason why. This means that you can fix your application and reapply if you have the time and funds before your course starts.
You won’t get your visa overnight
Of course, the lead times on visas are not quick at all. With the wait time between your interview and visa response being as long as 3-4 months, with no guarantee that you’ll be accepted, it can be difficult to plan for the future.
You’ll need to bring all your original documents with you
Let’s be honest, there’s a huge list of documentation that you need to bring to your visa appointment. Some of those documents can be photocopies, but many of them have to be the original version.
Especially when it comes to things like birth certificates, it can take time to find them at your parent’s house or get a copy from your local government office, so check which documents need to be originals and plan enough time to source them!
Make sure you set up a blocked account for your financials
To move to Germany as a student, you need to prove that you can support yourself. The most recent minimum amount that you need to have in your bank account is €934 euros per month, which works out to a total of €11,208 for the entire year.
Having this in a blocked bank account means that you can only access a set amount each month for your living expenses so you don’t accidentally blow all your living expenses for the year on nights out and travel!
You’ll need to show your proof of funds at your visa appointment, so make sure you have the funds ready. Of course, if your parents plan to support you, you’ll need a letter stating this with the amounts they plan on sending you and when.
If you’re staying with a German resident and they’re covering accommodation, you’ll need a letter from them. If you’re receiving a scholarship from your university or college, you’ll need a letter from them displaying how much you’ll be receiving and when.