If you are planning to study at a university in Germany, you will need to know how to get a student visa for Germany. Germany is a great place to study, with many excellent world-class educational institutions and a wide range of courses to choose from. There is also a high quality of student life and students attend universities here from all over the world. In this article, you can find out everything you need to know about eligibility criteria for a German student visa and how to make your application.
Do I Need A Student Visa For Germany?
Not everyone who studies at a German university needs a student visa as only students from certain countries must apply. If you are from an EU country, there is no need to apply for a student visa before entering the country. If you are applying from within any of the following countries: South Korea, Japan, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Canada or the United States, there is also need to apply for a German student visa, however once you arrive in the country, you have 2 weeks in which to register with your local Ausländeramt which is the Alients' Registration Office and the local Residents' Registration Office in your area in order to get an Aufenthaltserlaubnis (or residence permit). Any applications from Taiwan, San Marino, Monaco, Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil or Andorra must only apply for a student visa for Germany if they want to work in the country either before commencing their degree or after the course has ended. To apply in these circumstances, you must apply from within your home country by applying to your local German consulate or embassy. You must also then apply for a residence permit within 2 weeks of arrival in the country. If you are from Taiwan, you must ensure your passport includes a valid identity card number. Anyone from any other country in the world must apply to their local German consulate or embassy in their home country for a German student visa. The visa costs around €60.
How to Apply for a German Student Visa
If you must apply for a German student visa, it is important that you make your application as soon as you can, and a minimum of 3 months before you plan to relocate to Germany. In order to apply, you must contact your local German consulate or embassy in your home country.
You will require the following documentation to apply:
A completed application form
Your passport, which must be valid
2 passport photographs
A letter from your university in Germany to prove that you have been accepted onto an eligible course of study
A transcript of your academic record
A certificate proving that you are proficient in the German language, or proof that you will be attending an eligible language course in the country.
Evidence to show that you can support yourself financially while you are living in Germany. You must be able to provide documentation to show that you have a minimum of €8,000 per year.
A certificate to show you have adequate health insurance to cover you while in the country
A declaration of authenticity for all submitted documentation.
Depending on which embassy you are contacting, it is also possible that you will be required to show evidence that you have a clean criminal record. One way by which you can demonstrate that you can support yourself financially while studying in Germany is to deposit a security payment into a blocked account. By doing this, you will be unable to access that money until after you have arrived in the country.
Anyone who intends to come to Germany for educational purposes for a period of longer than 90 days must apply for a National Visa for the purpose of study instead of a Schengen Visa. A Schengen Visa is only valid for a period of three months and will therefore not be long enough to cover the length of most university courses.
What Is The Student Applicant Visa?
If you are interested in studying at a university in Germany but have not yet been accepted for a place, you can apply for a student applicant visa instead. This permits the holder to remain in Germany for a period of 3 months to find a university program that they would like to attend. If you do not enroll in an institution before the end of this period, it is possible to extend your visa for another 6 months, although the visa authorities may decide not to grant this. After you have joined a university course in Germany, you can then convert your student applicant visa into a national visa by providing proof of your application.
