As an international student you may need an entry visa for Germany depending on where you come from and how long you plan to stay here. For more information about visa requirements, contact the German embassy or German consulate in your home country. You can find the address on the website of the German Federal Foreign Office.

When applying for a visa, be sure to keep the following in mind:

  • Submit your application early enough! Visa processing can take several months and you won’t be able to enter the country without a valid visa.
  • Apply for the correct visa! Tourist and language course visas cannot be converted into a student visa. With the wrong visa, you will be forced to leave the country at some point and apply for the correct visa at home.
  • Schedule your trip to Germany so that you have sufficient time to enrolat your university and take care of the administrative obligations. Enrolment is a prerequisite for obtaining the “residence permit for purposes of study”.
  • Make sure your passport is valid for your entire stay! If your passport expires while you are in Germany, you will have to return to your home country and extend the validity of your passport there.

Documents Required:

  • Two Visa Application Forms (please make sure that both forms are duly filled out and signed indicating especially the address of your future residence in Germany – as well as your complete address including telephone No. and E-Mail-address in home country).
  • Signed Declaration on True and Complete Information.
  • Three passport pictures according to biometric specifications.
  • Visa fee to be paid through Demand Draft made out to the “Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany”.
  • Valid passport with a validity of at least 12 months along with two copies of all printed pages.
  • Cover letter from applicant, explaining the exact purpose and duration of your stay in Germany.
  • Letter of admission from the German University.
  • Proof that study fees have been paid, if applicable. In case the fees are not paid or due yet, proof has to be provided that the necessary amount will be at the applicant’s disposal in due course of time.
  • School Leaving Certificate of Secondary School.
  • University Certificates (Degree Certificates and Mark Sheets).
  • Proof of Language Proficiency (TOEFL / IELTS, original and A 4 sized copy).
  • Exemptions do apply in case of a written confirmation from the University that this requirement may be waived, for applicants for PhD / Doctorate studies and Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Holders.