To come to Germany as a student, you must:
- be registered or have an invitation to register as a student in an educational institution or to attend language courses;
- obtain a student visa; and
- be granted a residence permit.
You do not need a visa if you are from Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea or the USA.
| Where and how to apply | Student visa You must apply to the embassy or consulate in your country of origin or permanent residence for a student visa. The rules of the Residence Act governing the issue of residence permits are applicable. Residence permit Once in Germany, you must apply for a residence permit for the purpose of study. The residence permit is granted by your local Foreigners Authority. |
| Documents required | You must provide:
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| Duration of validity of permits | Your student residence permit is valid for a maximum of two years. It can be extended if the purpose of the permit has not yet been achieved and is achievable within a reasonable period of time. The duration of the residence cannot exceed ten years. |
| Appeals | Decisions related to residence permits can be challenged before the local administrative courts. Decisions related to visa refusals can be examined by the administrative court in Berlin. The local court is only competent if you are already in Germany. |
| Further information |
| Change of studies | After 18 months of studies, you can change only if it is foreseeable that the total time to complete the studies will not exceed a maximum of ten years. |
| Employment during studies | Employed activities of up to 120 days (or 240 half days) are permitted by law. Further activities need consent from the Foreigners Authority. |
| Employment after studies | After graduation, a residence permit may be extended for a maximum of one and a half year for the purpose of seeking a job that is open to non-EU citizens and appropriate to your qualifications. If you find a job that corresponds to your qualifications, the Foreigners Authority may grant a change of status of your residence for the purpose of working. If necessary, the Foreigners Authority will obtain the approval of the Federal Employment Agency. If a project for self-employment is acceptable, the Foreigners Authority may grant a change of status to become self-employed. If the applicant is "highly qualified", the Foreigners Authority may grant a change of status and a permanent residence permit. |
| Permanent residence | German law makes a distinction between a settlement permit and the EC long-term residence permit. |
| Settlement permit | |
To obtain a settlement permit, you must prove the following:
Your application may be rejected if you threaten public policy or public security. | |
| EC long-term residence | |
To obtain an EC long-term resident status, you must provide the following:
Your application may be rejected if you threaten public policy or public security. |
If you have a permit/visa for studies in an EU country and are covered by an EU or multilateral programme or an agreement between universities, you may carry out part of your studies and work (in addition to your studies) in Germany if you fulfil certain requirements. You may reside and study in Germany for up to 360 days.
If you are not covered by a programme or agreement, you can apply for a new permit/visa in Germany (please see here and here).
A foreigner shall not require a residence title for stays for study purposes not exceeding 360 days, if the host educational institution in the federal territory has notified the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees that the foreigner intends to carry out part of his/her studies in the federal territory, submitting the following at the same time:
evidence that the foreigner has a residence title for study purposes from another Member State of the European Union which is valid for the duration of the planned stay and falls within the ambit of Directive 2016/801,
evidence that the foreigner wishes to carry out part of his/her studies at an educational institution in the federal territory, because he/she is taking part in a Union or multilateral programme that comprises mobility measures or because he/she is covered by an agreement between two or more higher education institutions,
evidence that the foreigner has been accepted by the host educational institution,
the copy of the foreigner’s recognised and valid passport or passport substitute, and
evidence that the foreigner’s subsistence is secure.
The host educational institution must make the notification when the foreigner applies for a residence title in the ambit of Directive (EU) 2016/801 in another Member State of the European Union. If, at the time of application, the host educational institution is not yet aware of the foreigner’s intention to carry out part of his/her studies in the federal territory, it must make the notification as soon as it becomes aware of this intention. If the residence title has been issued by a non-Schengen state, and if the foreigner enters the federal territory via a non-Schengen state, the foreigner must carry a copy of the notification and present it to the responsible authorities at their request.
If the foreigner is not denied entry and residence, the foreigner may enter the federal territory at any time during the validity of the residence title issued by another Member State and stay there to study. The foreigner shall be entitled to take up employment totalling no more than one-third of the period of residence, and to take up spare-time student employment.
The foreigner and the host educational institution shall be required to inform the foreigners authority of any changes to the requirements.
- "Make it in Germany" Portal
- Federal Ministry of the Interior
- Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration
- Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
- Federal Foreign Office
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research
- Federal Office for Migration and Refugees
- Public Employment Service
- Diplomatic missions abroad