student-visa for Germany
english > German Aliens Law in English
Visa for students
Visa for students (Section 16b Residence Act)
Foreign students who have been accepted by a German university or a preparatory college (Studienkolleg) can apply for a visa to
study in Germany. You are advised to secure your admittance or acceptance from the university as early as possible.
During your studies, you can take up student jobs to help cover your expenses.
Upon completing your studies, you will have the opportunity to look for a job.
Use the following checklist to make sure your application documents are complete. Please
make sure to prepare two complete sets of the following documents collated in the order
listed below and bring them to your appointment. Incomplete documentation may result in
the rejection of your application.
Visa application checklist
The following documents will have to be submitted at the Germany Embassy / Alien´s Authority:
- Proof of admittance to the study course/preparatory college including information on the language of instruction
- Where available: Certificates of other academic qualifications. If your university degree does not state the courses you studied, please also submit your transcript.
- and / or - acceptance for preparatory language course or internship
- Curriculum vitae
- Letter of motivation
- When not confirmed by the university in the admittance notification: Proof of the language skills in the language of instruction for the study course or the preparatory course (without a preparatory language course as a rule at least B2 in the language of instruction)
- Proof of adequate financial means: To stay in Germany the applicant must have at their disposal at least 861 Euro per month (2021). Proof must be submitted with the application of financial means for at least one year that is at least 10,332 Euro. In the case of financing in the form of a blocked account: Open the blocked account in good time before you apply for a visa. When applying for a visa, only the official confirmation of the opening of the account including information on the amount paid in and the amount available per month will be accepted. A confirmation, which does not include this information, is not sufficient.
- Proof of adequate health insurance cover
