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Visa for Germany
You need different documents to get the permission to enter Germany. The most important on is the visa. You should apply for it way in advance, because the processing of your documents takes a while.
Depending on which country you are from and the purpose of your stay in Germany, you will need a visa for entering Germany. You can apply for it at the German embassy or consulate in your home country. You can find the addresses of the German embassy and the consulate in your home country at www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Generally, there are two different types of visas:
Schengen-Visa:
It is issued for a short stay (for example, tourism, participation in a summer language course) of up to three months per half-yearly period. Beware: Holders of a Schengen Visa must leave the country again after three months at the latest. This means the Schengen Visa is not a suitable instrument if you wish to study, do a doctorate or complete a research stay in Germany.
National Visa:
is issued for stays lasting longer than three months (for example, to attend a preparatory course at a Studienkolleg or to study a full programme). If you wish to study or do a doctorate, you must make sure right from the beginning that you apply for a national visa for the purpose of studying (student visa). As a rule, you will have to present the following papers and documents to the relevant German mission abroad (e.g. embassy or consulate in your country):
Tip: Ask the responsible authorities way in advance which documents you will need to apply for a visa and also how long it will take until your visa is issued. It would be too bad, if a time delay would keep you from studying in Germany.
Visa and residence regulations in Germany
No visa, no residence permit
Students from EU countries, as well as Lichtenstein, Norway and Iceland don't need a visa or residence permit.
Entry Visa: Not required
Residence permit: Not required
ID papers: Valid passport or ID card
Obligations on arrival: You must report to the registration authority (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt) within the first two weeks. The registration office will automatically issue a certificate confirming that you hold a residence permit for the purpose of studying. For this, you must prove that you have health insurance and are able to finance your studies from your own resources.
No visa, maybe residence permit
Students from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland and the U.S. don't need a visa but maybe a residence permit.
Entry visa: Not required
Residence permit: If you do need a residence permit, you can apply for it after arriving in Germany.
ID papers: Valid passport
Obligations on arrival: You must report to the registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt) within the first two weeks. You must apply for a "residence permit for the purpose of studying" from the relevant foreigners authority within three months of arrival.
Visa only for a job after your studies
Students from Andorra, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino only need a visa, if they want to work in Germany after completing their studies.
Entry visa: Only required if you want to work in Germany before or after your studies.
Residence permit: If you do need a residence permit, you can apply for this after arriving in Germany.
ID papers: Valid passport
Obligations on arrival: You must report to the registration authority (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt) within the first two weeks. You must apply for a "residence permit for the purpose of studying" from the relevant foreigners authority within three months of arrival.
Visa for more than three month
Students from Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Croatia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, Singapur, Uruguay, Vatican city and Venezuela need a visa if they intend to stay longer than three month.
Entry visa: If you are only staying in Germany for up to three month, you don’t need a visa, but definitely have to leave the country when those three month are over. If you are planning to stay longer either for studies or work, you need a national visa.
Residence permit: Is required, if you are planning to stay longer than three month
ID papers: Valid passport
Obligations on arrival: You must report to the registration authority (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt) within the first two weeks. You must apply for a "residence permit for the purpose of studying" from the relevant foreigners authority within three months of arrival.
International students from a third country must – with a few exceptions – obtain a visa for entry into Germany. They can get this visa from the relevant German mission abroad. Basically, the process differentiates between two types of visas.
The Schengen Visa is issued for a short stay (for example, tourism, participation in a summer language course) of up to three months per half-yearly period. Beware: Holders of a Schengen Visa must leave the country again after three months at the latest. This means the Schengen Visa is not a suitable instrument if you wish to study, do a doctorate or complete a research stay in Germany.
A national Visa is issued for stays lasting longer than three months (for example, to attend a preparatory course at a Studienkolleg or to study a full programme).
If you wish to study or do a doctorate, you must make sure right from the beginning that you apply for a national visa for the purpose of studying (student visa). As a rule, you will have to present the following papers and documents to the relevant German mission abroad (e.g. embassy or consulate in your country):
- letter of admission from the German university,
- health insurance policy,
- proof of any academic credits gained or examinations passed,
- proof of any German language skills you may have or of your plans to take a language course in Germany,
- documents that prove how you intend to finance your living expenses while you are studying (proof of sufficient financial resources).
Tip: Student applicants who have not yet been admitted to a German university or Studienkolleg can apply for a Student Applicant Visa. It is valid for three months and can be converted into a residence permit for the purpose of studying once you have been admitted to a higher education institution.
Another type of visa is the Language Course Visa. But beware: This is only valid for the length of the language course. It cannot be converted into a student visa. If you plan to take a language course in connection with your academic studies, this must be stated when you apply for your visa. You have to apply for a student visa or a student applicant visa if the purpose of your stay is to study in Germany.
Most foreign students – except nationals of EU and EEA countries – must, after arriving in Germany and having reported to the registration authority, go to the foreigners authority in their university town to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studying.
German missions abroad : This database is run by Germany's Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) and tells you exactly who to contact with any questions regarding visas and entry.Visa regulations : The websites of the Federal Foreign Office also contain detailed information on the visa process and on entry to Germany as well as application forms in various languages for downloading.
Erfahrungsbericht
Manoni Kitsmarishvili from Georgia, studying German linguistics
Questions, questions and more questions
"In the first few weeks of my stay in Berlin, I spent more time at the foreigners authority than studying in my preparatory course. I was surprised about how many papers and documents I had to present. I had already informed myself back home in Georgia. But the information I had was inadequate, especially as far as the formal criteria were concerned. Today, I know that practically all the documents need to be authenticated and stamped. The rules on this are very precise, for example on which authority can issue and authenticate which papers. I had to have some papers sent from Tbilisi. This included proof that my parents were able to finance all my living expenses in Germany. That all took a lot of time and the foreigners authority slowly became impatient. What made it worse was that I had problems understanding things at first. So I had to pull myself together and keep on asking. That was good training. Because my experience in Germany is: No matter whether foreigners authority, residents authority or the university registration office: Don't let yourself be put off and be persistent and ask a hundred times. In the meantime, however, I know I could have saved a lot of time if I had first informed myself at the International office, the World University Service or the student council."
© 2010 Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst e.V. (DAAD), Kennedyallee 50, D-53175 Bonn
Quelle: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/deutschland/leben-in-deutschland/06166.en.html
Stand: 2010-03-20