The number of international students choosing Germany for study abroad purposes qraudruple each year. What’s interesting is that most international students will likely have to apply for and obtain a German student visa at a German consulate in their country before they are able to travel to Germany for their studies.
Based on the country you hail from, you may not need a visa to study in Germany, but you may be required to apply for and obtain a residence permit for academic or vocational programs lasting more than 90 days, once you are in Germany.
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Do You Require a Visa To Study In Germany?
- For programs that last for a period of up to 3 months, you will need a Schengen visa.
- For programs that last beyond 3 months, you will have to apply for a German national visa
Assuming you travel to Germany with a national visa you will have to extend your stay by submitting an application for a German residence permit for courses at the Foreigner’s Office. Do well to do this while your initial entry visa is valid.
The ideal thing is to connect and find out if you require a visa to study in Germany as a foreign student, and if yes, what type of visa you should go for, considering the duration and nature of your planned program.
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What the are the Types of Germany Study Visas?
Generally, you may be given a Germany visa for academic programs for a range of courses and degrees. This covers the following: undergraduate, exchange, graduate, or postgraduate courses. This will be good enough to cover participation in a pre-academic measure or in a non-academic German language program.
Find below three types of Germany student visas you can apply for:
- German Student Visa. This is the normal student visa for international students who have obtained admission into a German university and are ready to begin their programs at a full-time university in Germany.
- German Student Applicant Visa. You require this visa if you want to be in Germany to apply for university admission personally.Note that this visa will not allow you to study in Germany, it works only for the university application process.
- German Language Course Visa. You should apply for this type of visa to study for a German language preparatory program in Germany.
What are German Student Visa Requirements?
Some of the most important requirements during your Germany student visa process are as follows:
- Visa Application Documents.
- You will have to hand in a duly filled out and signed national visa application form.
- Your valid national passport.
- Two photocopies of your international passport.
- Your birth certificate.
- Your marriage certificate. (If available).
- Your child’s certificate of birth. (If available and applicable).
- Your recent passport-style photographs. (Up to 3).
- Photocopies of past German residence titles. (If applicable and available).
- Copies of previous Schengen visa.
- Past German resident permit if available.
- Proof of Sufficient Finances “Finanzierungsnachweis”. (You’ll need to submit one of the following)
- You’ll need to do a €10,236 deposit at a German blocked bank account.
- A Letter of commitment and evidence of your parent’s income records and financial assets.
- You’ll also need Letter of commitment by a German resident “Verpflichtungserklärung”. This letter will be required and taken at the Alien’s Registration Office, by the German resident who will be responsible to cover your expenses during your program.
- If you have received a scholarship, you’ll need to submit a scholarship awarding certificate.This document must show the amount of costs the scholarship will cover.
- Lastly, a bank guarantee. This will be prepared and released by a recognized German bank.
When should I Apply For a German Student Visa?
The most appropriate time to apply for a German student visa is shortly after you’ve received the university letter of admission and obtained required funds to live and study comfortably in Germany.
Germany Student Visa Processing Time
Typically, it takes a period of 25 days for your German student visa application to be processed and approved. The processing time depends on the country and the German embassy you apply at.
Every other German visa applications for programs are processed and either approved or rejected within 3 months
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