Entry Visa

Depending on your country of origin, you may or may not require a visa for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany. Using our chart below, you can verify whether or not you will need to apply for an entry visa prior to your departure.


CAUTION: ENTRY VISA does not mean RESIDENCE PERMIT An entry visa grants you permission to enter the country and reside for up to 3 months; whereas a residence permit allows you to extend your stay beyond 3 months.


No Visa required	Visa required
EU-Nations, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Liechtenstein, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea and the United States of America	All other Nations

All non-European Union citizens wishing to reside in Germany longer than 3 months are required to apply for a residence permit within 3 months of their arrival. http://www.auslaenderbehoerden.de

Information regarding your visa

You may apply for your entry visa at the German Consulate General or the German Embassy in your home country.

In order for you to arrive on-time for the start of your studies, please take care to apply for your visa about 2 to 3 months before your planned departure!


IMPORTANT: DO NOT attempt to enter the country with a tourist visa! It CANNOT be changed into a student visa, which means you will be required to return to your home country and apply for a new (student) visa!

You can apply for one of the following visas:

Student visa
Only if you have already been accepted into a German university or institution of higher education and have the notification of acceptance (der Zulassungsbescheid) in your possession.

Preparatory language course visa (Sprachkursvisum für Studienzwecke)
If you wish to enroll in a German language course in preparation for studying at a German university, you may apply for such a visa. With this visa you are granted a time frame of up to 2 years to improve your German, after which point you will be required to sit the DSH language assessment test (die DSH), or an equivalent exam, and begin your studies or return home.

Visa for university applicants (Studienbewerber)
Only if you have already applied to a German university or institution of higher education, yet are still waiting to receive your notification of acceptance (der Zulassungsbescheid). When applying for your visa, be sure to bring your confirmation of application (die Bewerbungsbescheinigung) with you. You will need it to prove you have actually applied to the university and intend to study during your stay in Germany.

The following documents are to be presented upon visa application:

Your notification of acceptance (der Zulassungsbescheid) into the university, or a confirmation of application (die Bewerbungsbescheinigung) at a German university or preparatory school (Studienkolleg)
Your passport
Proof of health insurance coverage
A passport photo (possibly more than one)
Proof of sufficient funds for your stay in Germany

Further requirements can occur; hence you should ask at the German Consulate or the German Embassy if you fulfil all criteria.


Attention:With your arrival in Germany you will need to have your visa changed into a student residence permit.

More information about visa regulations for study purposes and about residence permit for Germany can be found here: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/index.de.html

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