Germany is part of the Schengen area. This includes 26 states as full members and a few more associated states that also apply the Schengen rules. The area covers 4,312,099km² and is inhabited by approx. 420 million people. Citizens of a country in the Schengen area can enter Germany, as well as travel to other countries in the Schengen area without a visa and border controls. Students from countries that do not belong to the Schengen area need a visa to start studying.
The first step in the visa process is to identify whether and if so, which visa you need. On the website of the German Federal Foreign Office, you can find a list with detailed information about the visa requirements for each country. Moreover, you can also use the Visa Navigator of the German Federal Foreign Office, which is a helpful tool that indicates you the needed visa after answering a few questions.
For students there are two different types of visa, which are important. On the one hand there is the prospective student visa („Visum zur Studienbewerbung“) and on the other hand the student visa („Visum zu Studienzwecken“). The type of visa you need to apply for depends on whether you have already received your notification of admission from a German university. You should not enter Germany as tourist. A tourist visa cannot be converted to a student visa or prospective student visa.
The prospective student visa:
This visa meets the requirements for admission to a German higher education institution and you should apply for it if you have not yet received a notification of admission to a university or foundation course. It is valid for three months and can be extended by up to six months if you need more time. If you are admitted to a higher education institution or foundation course during this period, you can apply for a student residence permit.
The student visa:
If you already have your notification of admission to university or a foundation course, you should apply for a visa for study purposes. This student visa is valid for three months, in which you have to apply for an extended residence permit at the Alien Registration Office in your university town.
In general, you submit the visa application in person at the German diplomatic mission or at the competent German agency in your place of residence. There you will be told what exact documents you need to submit but usually you need the following documents:
- Valid passport
- Certificate of health insurance coverage
- Proof of financial resources
- Certificates of past academic work and achievements
- Certificate of German language skills or proof that you will attend a German language course or certificate of English language skills for a programme taught in English
- For a prospective student visa: university entrance qualification recognized in Germany
- For a student visa: letter of acceptance from your German university (or a statement from the university confirming that you have a good chance of being admitted).
- perhaps a health certificate
When applying for a visa it is important that you apply early enough. The process can take several months and you will not be able to enter Germany without a valid visa. It is also essential to apply for the correct visa. Assure yourself that you apply for a student visa. As mentioned a tourist visa cannot be converted and will force you to leave Germany after it is expired. If possible, plan your arrival in Germany so that you have enough time to take care of the administrative formalities. Make sure your passport is valid for the length of your stay. If your passport/ID documents expire while you are in Germany, you will have to return to your home country and extend them there.
After obtaining the visa and moving to Germany there are some more steps that need to be accomplished. After finding accommodation in Germany, you need to register with the local residents' registration office. In Berlin, the responsible offices are the Bürgerämter. You should register within one or two weeks (varies depending on the requirements of the local residents' registration office), or you could have to pay an administrative fine (Bußgeld). In Berlin, it frequently takes longer than one or two weeks to get an appointment for the registration. The important thing is that you booked an appointment within the first two weeks. You can arrange an appointment online.
Documents for the registration at the Bürgeramt:
- a passport (possibly with visa) or personal identification card and
- a completed and signed housing confirmation from your landlord,
- a registration form from the Bürgeramt
- possibly marriage certificate and possibly birth certificates of children as originals and an officially verified translation (if needed)
For housing confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung), search for and download a form. Afterwards, you send this form to your landlord, who has to fill it out. If you live in a dormitory, student services will fill out the form for you. The registration form from the Bürgeramt can be found here under “Formulare” (forms).
The residents' registration office will give you a registration confirmation when you register with them. Be sure to keep this document. You will need it when you apply for a residence permit at the foreigners’ registration office. The registration at the Bürgeramt is free and has to be repeated after moving within Germany and even if you move within the same city.
If you are not a citizen of a country from the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland and would like to study in Germany for more than 90 days, you also have to go to the foreigners’ registration office in the city where you are studying. In Berlin, the responsible office is the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA). You have to apply for your residence permit at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) within the first three months.
Documents required
- Valid passport
- 1 current biometric photo: 35mm x 45mm, frontal shot with neutral facial expression and closed mouth, looking straight into the camera, light background
- Form "Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels" (Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit) only required for first-time application
- Proof of secure livelihood
- For the initial issue: e.g. blocked account (Sperrkonto) at a German bank with 9,936 euros / submission of a declaration of commitment by a third party on an official form / scholarship / notarized declaration from parents securing the livelihood for the duration of the studies with proof of the income of the parents in the last six months
- For the extension: bank statements of the last six months
- Health insurance
- Proof of a secure livelihood must also include sufficient health insurance. Those with statutory health insurance are sufficiently insured. Those with private health insurance must consider the type and extent of their health insurance. For more information, please read the leaflet "Information on adequate health insurance".
- Certificate of enrolment or conditional approval for studying
- Proof of main residence in Berlin
- Certificate of registration at the main residence or
- lease and written confirmation of occupancy from the landlord
The fees for the residence permit are 100.00 euros for the initial issuance and 93.00 euros for each extension. It is mandatory that you apply for the extension before your current residence permit expires. The average time to process your request amounts around 5–6 weeks. A personal visit four to six weeks before the existing temporary residence title expires is therefore strongly recommended. If possible, you should book an appointment for this. This procedure can only be conducted at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), Keplerstraße 2, 10589 Berlin.
The residence permit is issued in the form of a so-called “electronic residence title“ (elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel). That’s a card with an integrated chip that holds certain data, for instance your passport photo and your fingerprints. After four to six weeks you can personally pick up your residence permit from the foreigners’ registration office. It is initially issued for at least one year and no more than two years, but it can be extended. The extension depends on your studies progressing “regularly” (meaning you should adhere to the standard period of study). You need documentation from your university to show this.
For further information, check the following websites:
