As a student from abroad you may need a visa to study in Germany depending on how long you plan to stay and where you come from. In general, citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or foreigners who already hold a temporary residence permit as a student issued by another EU-country are exempted from the procedure of applying for a visa.
Furthermore, there is a list of Countries outside the EU and EEA whose citizens are not required to apply for a visa either.
These include: Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, South Korea and the USA (last updated May 2019).
For more information on whether or not you need a visa, please have a look at the respective guideline by the German Academic Exchange Service.
Note for applicants with degrees from China, Vietnam and India:
Since November 2022, all applicants with a degree from China, Vietnam or India must present an APS certificate when applying to a German university and for obtaining a German visa.
You can receive the APS certificate by applying for it at the German embassy in your home country. Please note that this may take some time, so you should start the process as soon as possible.
For more information on the APS certificate, you can visit the uni-assist website (https://www.uni-assist.de/en/tools/glossary-ofterms/description/details/akademische-pruefstelle-aps/).

a) Visa
A visa is your permission to enter Germany. You need to apply for it at the responsible embassy/consulate in your country of origin. It is normally valid for 90 days. Some countries have special agreements with Germany to waive the visa requirement. Please find more information about visa types and the application process in the next sections.

b) Residence permit
If you would like to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days to study at a German university, you either need to register yourself or apply for a German residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) after arrival, depending on whether you need a visa to enter Germany or not. Please find more information about visa types and the application process in the section Registration & Residence Permit.

There are two types of visa that allow you to start your studies in Germany. First of all, you can apply for a student visa as soon as you received a letter of admission from the university. A student visa allows you to study at the university of which you bring the admission letter to the visa appointment. It is valid for three months after the start of your studies and will be converted into a student residence permit after your arrival in Germany.
Secondly, some countries offer the possibility to apply for a student application visa. This might be helpful if you are still waiting for acceptance at the university, but you need to apply for a visa soon to make sure you get everything ready before the start of studies. This visa is initially valid for three months to give you time and the opportunity to meet the requirements needed for admission to a German university. If you need more time, it is possible to extend the prospective student visa by up to six months. After being admitted to a University or another higher education institution in this timespan, you can apply for a student residence permit. Please note that an application to a university is necessary to apply for this type of visa and that student application visa aren’t offered in all countries.
A tourist visa, business visa, etc. is not sufficient and it’s not possible to convert them into a student visa after arriving in Germany!

In general, you have to submit your visa application together with all necessary documents in person at the German embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence. You can find the addresses of all German diplomatic missions on the website of the German Federal Foreign Office.
Visa information - Federal Foreign Office (auswaertiges-amt.de)
For detailed information, applicants should consult the website of the respective embassy well in advance of their departure date in order to find out about the visa procedure and the documents needed for your application. Please make sure to inform yourself as early as possible, as visa processes can take several months.
Visa application forms can be obtained from your respective embassy free of charge or can be found as PDF on the German foreign office’s website. Please keep in mind that the submitted documents must be original versions in the native language of your respective embassy.

When applying for a student visa, you will have to present your letter of admission, as well as proof of sufficient funds to pay for your studies and your living expenses in Germany. If you have not received your confirmation or notification of admission to a university yet, you should apply for a student application visa (“Visum zur Studienbewerbung”).

As a rule, there is a number of steps you have to follow to apply for your visa,
regardless of which type of visa you may apply for. These steps include:

• Ask your respective German consulate for a checklist of the required documents for the type of visa you want to apply for
• Fill in the application form and obtain all the required (verified) documents
• Make an appointment at the respective German diplomatic mission in your country of residence.
• Pay the visa fee and keep your receipt for your appointment
• Be on time for your appointment and bring all the required documents.

If you have further questions regarding your visa application, please contact the German diplomatic representation (embassy, consulate) in your country of origin. In addition, you may check the German Foreign Offices' Homepage.

If you need a visa, you have to apply for it at the German diplomatic representation (embassy or consulate) in your home country before coming to Germany. Visa processes can take several months, so please make sure that you apply for an appointment in your respective diplomatic mission well in advance.

If you apply for a student visa, you need to wait for the admission letter of the university before you can apply for the visa appointment.

If you apply for a student application visa, you can apply as soon as you applied for a program of study in Germany. You will only need a document showing for which program and which university you applied.

Please note, that not all countries offer a student application visa for Germany.

Please note: A tourist visa, business visa, etc. is not sufficient and it’s not possible to convert them into a student residence permit after arriving in Germany. Commencing your studies without a student residence permit is not allowed.

Depending on where you come from, the extent of documents you have to include in your visa application may vary. Please make sure to check the information on the homepage of the responsible German diplomatic mission in your country of residence in advance!

In general, required documents for your application include:
• Visa application Form (in the appropriate language of the respective mission)
• Valid passport (issued within the last 10 years and with at least 12 months validity left after the scheduled return)
• 1 copy of your passport’s data page (A4 size copy)
• 3 passport pictures according to biometric specifications
• Cover letter from applicant explaining the exact purpose and duration of stay
• Letter of admission from German university (electronic version) (for a student visa)
• Proof of application to a Study Program in Germany (for a student application visa)
• Proof of payment of study fees, if applicable
• Proof of language proficiency in the language of instruction
• Proof of other academic qualifications
• Proof of financial resources (e.g. confirmation of scholarship, formal obligation letter (“Verpflichtungserklärung”) or blocked bank account)
• Travel health insurance covering the period from your departure to the date of enrolment at the university (mentioned in your letter of admission) (approx. 3 months)

Please prepare two identical application sets with the above-mentioned documents and bring your original certificates along. Please note that the German consulate general reserves the right to ask for additional documents or the verification of certificates.

Tip: Please make sure to check the visa requirements thoroughly. Visa procedures
are very strict and if you happen to miss an appointment or don’t have all required
documents by hand, you risk to wait several weeks for the next appointment.
Tip: All information regarding the required documents, translation and
authentication can usually be found on the web page of your local German diplomatic
representation.

• Make sure to apply for the correct visa. You are only allowed to study with a student visa or student application visa. Short term visa cannot be changed to a student visa!
• Apply as early as possible. Visa procedures can take several months!
• Check the information on the respective diplomatic mission thoroughly. Visa procedures are strict and you risk to wait several weeks for an addition appointment if you don’t have all necessary documents at hand.
• You are a resident of China, Vietnam or Mongolia? Make sure to inform you about the APS certificate needed to apply to a German university.

For more information on visa processes and regulations, please check the following websites or the homepage of the German embassy in your homecountry.

• Study in Germany – visa information
• Federal Foreign Office Germany
• Federal Foreign Office Germany – visa regulations
• Pathway to Germany – Visa and entry procedure