1. Visa to study in Germany

The right to study in Germany is guaranteed by the constitution and European law . This applies not only to German students, but also to (third-party) foreigners. The opportunity to study in Germany is therefore not a privilege granted by the authorities, but a right of every person in the world (case of entitlement). The authorities are therefore obliged to allow foreigners to study if the relevant requirements are met. This was even confirmed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) (ECJ, judgment of 10 September 2014, C-491/13 (“Ben Alaya”)).

The proportion of foreign students in Germany is constantly increasing, partly due to the good admission conditions. Every year , around 450,000 foreigners study at German universities . Most foreign students come from India, China and Turkey, i.e. mainly from third countries or non-European states.

In order to study in Germany, foreign students need a residence permit that allows them to stay in Germany . In principle, you can study with any type of residence permit and also with permission or toleration. So if you already have a residence permit (e.g. to work), you can also study without changing your residence permit (unless the ban is explicitly noted on the card (so-called secondary condition)).

2. Study Visa Germany Requirements

To apply for a study visa for Germany, you must meet the following requirements:

• Admission and corresponding admission letter at an accredited university,

• Blocked account and livelihood security,

• if necessary, proof of language skills,

• stay for the purpose of studying,

• if necessary, parental consent.

The requirements are explained in more detail.

2.1 Admission and admission letter at an accredited university

The most important requirement for studying in Germany is admission to a state college/university, a state-recognized college/university or a comparable educational institution. To prove this admission to the embassy, you must submit the admission letter or at least a certificate of reservation of a place at the university when you come to the embassy. A final notification from Uni-ASSIST is usually sufficient. When applying for a course, you should also make sure that the college/university is recognized in Germany. You can find out whether your college/university is recognized or accredited in Germany using the so-called “university compass” .

2.2 Blocked account and livelihood

In order to apply for a visa, every foreigner in Germany must prove that he or she can support himself or herself or that he or she has sufficient financial resources to stay in Germany (Section 5, Paragraph 1, No. 1 of the Residence Act). In the case of economic migration, this is usually done through an employment contract. However, since students usually do not (only) secure their livelihood through work, there are a few special requirements for students when it comes to proving that they will finance their stay .

How much money do I need as a student?

How much money you need for a visa in Germany depends on how long you need to study. Basically, you have to prove the so-called BAföG rate for each month you need to study. The BAföG rate is currently 934 euros per month or 11,208 euros per year (§§ 13, 13a para. 1 BAföG). There are various ways to prove to the authorities that these funds are actually available:

• blocked account for students ( blocked account ),

• Proof of parents’ income and assets ,

• Scholarship,

• Bank guarantee and declaration of commitment.

Funding must always be proven one year in advance. For blocked accounts, proof of 11,208 euros must currently be provided. A very regularly used provider of blocked accounts is Fintiba (not an affiliate link) .

In the case of a scholarship , the funding must come from German public funds or from a funding organization recognized in Germany. If the scholarship was arranged through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the scholarship must be financed from public funds in the country of origin. This must be proven to the embassy.

2.3 Proof of language skills

In principle, a student visa in Germany requires that the applicant has sufficient knowledge of the German language . However, whether this knowledge is present is not checked by the embassy, but by the universities or colleges. Proof of language skills to the embassy is therefore only required if the college/university has not already checked whether the applicant meets the language requirements when admitting them. Language skills are usually proven by one of the following tests (no affiliate links):

• German language skills: “ Test German as a Foreign Language ( TestDaF ) ” or “ German Language Examination for University Entrance for Foreign Applicants ( DSH ) ”

• English language skills: “ Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL ) ” or “ International English Language Testing System ( IELTS ) ”

2.4 Purpose of stay: study (abuse test)

The purpose of entering and staying in Germany with a student visa must actually be to study in Germany. In many cases, the embassies suspect abuse because they think that the studies are just an excuse to stay in Germany permanently. When applying for a student visa for Germany, you should be extremely careful not to give the embassy the impression that you do not actually plan to study in Germany . This is especially true for visa applications from African countries. The embassies usually become suspicious if one of the following indications is present:

• poor school performance in the home country or dropping out of studies in the home country,

• Financing not sufficiently proven (blocked account),

• submit multiple visa applications (especially if, for example, family reunification has been attempted previously),

• no knowledge about the desired course of study or the course of study does not match the school's main interests,

• It is not clear from the CV what professional advantages the applicant could gain from studying in Germany.

If one of the above-listed factors applies to your case, it is advisable to seek advice from a lawyer specializing in migration law before applying for a visa. Embassies in countries with high "migration pressure" (e.g. Africa and Southeast Asia) are often very prejudiced and reluctant to issue study visas . A lawyer specializing in visa law can use his or her legal skills to help you overcome the resistance of the authorities . In this respect, many rejections by embassies in these countries are unlawful. Carrying out a remonstration procedure or a lawsuit before the Berlin Administrative Court can often still lead to the visa being issued.

3. Documents and application procedure for a study visa in Germany

3.1 Apply for a study visa for Germany at the embassy

If you want to apply for a visa to study in Germany from abroad at the embassy, you must read the guides on the website of the respective embassy to find out how the procedure works. For India, China and Turkey, for example, you can find the relevant guides for applying for a study visa for Germany here:

• Apply for a German study visa in India (checklist) ,

• Apply for a German study visa in China ,

• Apply for a study visa for Germany from Turkey (Guide) .