Study and research in Germany

Entry generally only possible with a visa

Scout Mai is really happy that she managed to go onto the web and book the Service Set for Foreign Students offered by student services at her German university, even before she arrived in the country. Besides health insurance, the set includes a room in a student hall of residence and support and advice from hall of residence tutors. "It was good to have a hall of residence tutor. He helped me with all the formalities at the authorities that you need to complete at the beginning of your stay," reports Mai.

After entry immediately report to the registration authority and foreigners authority: After arriving in Germany, Mai first had to go straight to the registration authority (Einwohnermeldeamt) to give them her address in Germany and then to the foreigners authority (Ausländerbehörde). Mai is Vietnamese, which means that she comes from a so-called third country. So she needed to get a visa before she could enter Germany at all. The German Embassy in Hanoi issued it to her. The foreigners authority at Mai's new place of residence has now converted her visa into a "residence permit for the purpose of studying" (Aufenthaltserlaubnis für Studienzwecke). The residence permit is initially valid for just two years. Since Mai's international degree programme is scheduled to last three years, she will have to have her residence permit extended before the two years are over. To get the extension she has to prove that she is progressing in her studies as expected – i.e. that she has gained all the required credits and passed all the required exams.

No visas required for EU and EEA citizens: It was easier for Mai's fellow scout Tomás. He's Czech and, as such, is an EU citizen. This means he doesn't need a visa for entry. Nor did he have to report to the foreigners authority. Tomás only had to go to the registration authority to advise them of his address in Germany. One of the papers he had to present was the rent contract signed by the property owner. "Since I had forgotten to take it along, I had to return to the registration authority." So, his tip for all newcomers in Germany is: "Once you arrive in Germany, go straight to the International Office or the Student Advice Service to find out which papers and documents you have to present to the authorities. And really important: don't miss the registration deadlines."

All about residence legislation

Whether or not you need a visa and a residence permit for entry to Germany depends on your nationality and on the purpose of your stay. Please contact the relevant German mission abroad (the addresses of the embassies and consulates can be found on the website of the German Federal Foreign Office www.auswaertiges-amt.de) to find out whether you need a visa. The staff will also tell you which papers and documents you need for the visa application and whether you possibly need a residence permit. The following provides an overview of some key facts to give you an initial idea of how it all works.

Visa obligation

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).

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.

From my personal experience

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."

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