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Study Visa Germany
How to apply for a visa to study at a university or college in Germany
... under which conditions the study visa is issued in Germany
... how to apply for a visa to study in Germany and which documents you need
... whether and in which positions you are allowed to work as a foreign student in Germany
... whether you are allowed to change your degree programme and which visa you need to apply for after your studies
HERE YOU LEARN ...
Written by: Lawyer (Assessor)
Publication date: 25.03.2024
Estimated reading time: 13 min.
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1. Studyvisa for Germany
The right to study in Germany is guaranteed under constitutional and European law. This applies not only to German students, but also to (third) country nationals. The opportunity to study in Germany is therefore not a privilege granted by the authorities, but a right of every person in the world (entitlement). The authorities are therefore obliged to admit foreigners to study if the relevant requirements are met. This has even been confirmed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) (ECJ, judgement of 10/09/2014, C-491/13 ("Ben Alaya")).
The proportion of foreign students in Germany is also rising steadily due to the favourable admission requirements. Every year, around 450,000 foreign students study at German universities. Most foreign students come from India, China and Turkey, i.e. mainly from third countries or non-European states.
In order to study in Germany, foreign students need a residence permit that allows them to stay in Germany. In principle, it is possible to study with any type of residence permit and also with permits or tolerations. So if you already have a residence permit (e.g. to work), you can also study without changing your residence permit (unless the prohibition is explicitly noted on the card (so-called ancillary provision)).
2. Study-Visa requirements
To apply for a study visa for Germany, you must fulfil the following requirements:
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Admission and relevant letter of admission to accredited university,
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Blocked account and proof of livelihood,
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Proof of language skills, if applicable,
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Residence for the purpose of study,
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parental consent, if applicable.
The requirements are explained in more detail below.
2.1 Admission and letter of admission to an accredited university
The most important requirement for studying in Germany is admission to a state college/university, a state-recognised college/university or a comparable educational institution. In order to prove this admission to the embassy, you must submit the letter of admission or at least a confirmation of admission from the university at the embassy appointment. A final notification from Uni-ASSIST is also usually sufficient. When applying, you should also make sure that the university is recognised in Germany. You can find out whether your college/university is recognised or accredited in Germany at the so-called "Hochschulkompass".
2.2 Blocked account and subsistence
In order to apply for a visa, every foreigner in Germany must prove that they can secure their livelihood or that they have sufficient financial resources for their stay in Germany (Section 5 (1) No. 1 AufenthG). In the case of labour migration, this usually takes the form of an employment contract. However, as students usually do not (only) secure their livelihood through work, there are some special requirements for students when it comes to providing proof of financing their stay.
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How much money do I need as a student?
How much money you need for a visa in Germany depends on how long you need to study. In principle, you must provide proof of the so-called BAföG rate for each month you need to study. The BAföG rate is currently 934 euros per month or 11,208 euros per year (§§ 13, 13a para. 1 BAföG). There are various ways to prove to the authorities that these funds are actually available:
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Blocked account for students (blocked account),
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Proof of parents' income and financial circumstances,
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scholarship,
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bank guarantee and declaration of commitment.
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Proof of funding must always be provided for one year in advance. For Blocked Accounts, proof of 11,208 euros must therefore currently be provided. A very regularly used provider of blocked accounts is Fintiba (no affiliate link).
In the case of a scholarship, the funding must come from German public funds or from a funding organisation recognised in Germany. If the scholarship was arranged by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the scholarship must be financed by public funds from the country of origin. Proof of this must be provided to the embassy.
2.3 Language requirements
In principle, a study visa in Germany requires that the applicant has sufficient knowledge of the German language. However, it is not the embassy that checks whether this knowledge is present, but the universities or colleges. Proof of language proficiency is therefore only required from the embassy if the university/university of applied sciences has not already checked whether the applicant fulfils the language requirements at the time of admission.
Language proficiency is usually proven by one of the following tests (no affiliate links):
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German language proficiency: "Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (TestDaF)" or "Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber (DSH)"
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English language skills: "Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)" or "International English Language Testing System (IELTS)"
2.4 Study purpose and visa abuse control
The purpose of entering and staying in Germany on a study visa must actually be to study in Germany. In many cases, the embassies sense abuse, as they think that studying is just a pretext for staying in Germany permanently. When applying for a student visa for Germany, you should therefore be very careful not to give the embassy the impression that you are not actually planning to study in Germany. This applies in particular to visa applications from African countries. The embassies usually become suspicious if one of the following indications is present:
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Poor school performance in the home country or cancellation of studies in the home country,
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insufficient proof of funding (blocked account),
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multiple visa applications (especially if, for example, a family reunion was previously attempted),
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No knowledge of the intended degree programme or degree programme does not match the main areas of interest at school,
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it is not clear from the CV what professional advantages the applicant could gain from studying in Germany.
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If any of the above-mentioned indications are present in your case, it is advisable to seek advice from a lawyer specialising in migration law before applying for a visa. Embassies in countries with high "migration pressure" (e.g. Africa and South East Asia) are often very prejudiced and reluctant to issue study visas. A lawyer specialising in visa law can use their legal skills to help you overcome the authorities' resistance. In this respect, many refusals by embassies in these countries are unlawful. A remonstration procedure or an action before the Berlin Administrative Court can often lead to a visa being granted.
3. Documents and application procedure for a study visa for Germany
3.1 Apply for a study visa at the embassy
If you want to apply for a visa to study in Germany from abroad at the embassy, you need to consult the guides on the website of the respective embassy for information on the procedure. For India, China and Turkey, for example, you can find the relevant guides for applying for a study visa for Germany here:
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Apply for a study visa Germany in India (Checklist),
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Applying for a study visa for Germany in China,
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Apply for a study visa for Germany from Turkey (Guide).
The processing time for student visa applications varies depending on the country. However, according to the REST Directive, visa applications for study visas must be approved as quickly as possible, but at the latest after 90 days (Art. 34 para. 1 REST Directive).
3.2 Applying for a residence permit to study in Berlin (Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA))
If you are already in Germany and wish to apply for a study visa, you must do so at the immigration office in your place of residence. In Berlin, the State Office for Immigration (LEA) is responsible for issuing residence permits for the purpose of studying. To apply for a residence permit to study in Berlin, you must submit the following documents to the State Office for Immigration (LEA) using the online contact form:
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completed and signed form "Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels" (PDF),
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valid passport,
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biometric photo,
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Blocked account with credit balance (or confirmation of parental assets or scholarship certificate),
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Health insurance certificate,
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Certificate of enrolment,
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Confirmation of registration from Berlin.
The first application for a residence permit to study costs 100.00 euros in Berlin. The renewal costs 93.00 euros.
4. Working with a student visa Germany
Many students ask themselves how long they are allowed to work in Germany with a student visa and what activities they are allowed to carry out. In principle, students from third countries who have a residence permit for the purpose of studying (Section 16b AufenthG) may be employed for up to 140 full days or 280 half days per year without the approval of the Federal Employment Agency. Working hours of up to four hours count as half a working day if the regular working time is eight hours. Anything in excess of four hours counts as a full working day (Section 16b (3) AufenthG). Alternatively, students from third countries, just like students from EU/EEA countries or Switzerland and German students, may work up to 20 hours per week during lecture periods. During the semester holidays, they can earn money without restriction.
5. Expiry of study visas and change of purpose student visa
A residence permit for study purposes is often issued with a so-called "condition subsequent", e.g. "Expires upon completion of studies in history at Humboldt University". If this condition is met, e.g. because you change your degree programme or university or are exmatriculated, the residence permit expires automatically, even if the validity date has not yet expired. You must then submit an application for a residence permit for the new degree programme and have it approved before you change your place of study.
6. Post-study visa Germany
As a graduate of a German university, you will receive a residence permit for an initial period of 18 months to look for a job after successfully completing your studies, § 20 Para. 3 No. 1 AufenthG. During the job search period, you may work as a Bildungsinländer. The 18 months should also be utilised (even if you have a job offer), as the employment contract can still be terminated during the probationary period, for example. If you are still within the 18 months, you will still have a valid residence permit despite the cancellation. However, if you already have a skilled labour immigration permit (e.g. EU Blue Card) at that time, you can no longer apply for a visa to look for a job in accordance with Section 20 (3) AufenthG.
7. FAQ
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