Germany - Student Visa

What is a student visa ?

If you wish to undertake full-time study in a registered institution of higher education in Germany you need to obtain a student visa. The visa, which is granted initially for a period of up to three months by the German Embassy or Consulates General, permits the holder to enter Germany. Your visa will be extended by the competent Foreigner\'s Registration Office ("Ausländerbehörde") when you register within the first three months of your stay in Germany. The extension is done for one year at a time up to the duration of the course. A student visa is valid for multiple-entry. International students return to their home country on completion of their course of study. You are expected to fulfill all requirements and furnish all documents when applying for a visa. The application forms are available free of charge from the Consular Section of the German Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulates General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai. For further questions and details contact the Embassy or Consulate General directly.

Visa Fee: Germany Visa Fee has been changed to Rs.4100/- for Short term & Long term (Rs.4100/- for Adults & Rs.2100/- for Minor) from 7th January 2010.

Application:

After applying for a Student Visa at the German Embassy, you have to submit the following documents with an attested translation into the English language and two identical and arranged sets of copies of each document (copies have to be provided in DIN-A4 size only):

1. Two Visa Application Forms
2. Signed Declaration on True and Complete Information
3. Three passport pictures according to biometric specifications. The size of the face from the bottom of your chin to the hairline must be between 28 mm and 35 mm. 
4. Visa fee to be paid through Demand Draft made out to the "Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi", payable in New Delhi.
5. Valid passport with a validity of at least 12 months along with two copies of all printed pages.
6. Cover letter from applicant, explaining the exact purpose and duration of your stay in Germany.
7. Letter of admission from the German University.
8. Proof that study fees have been paid, if applicable.
9. School Leaving Certificate of Secondary School.
10. University Certificates (Degree Certificates and Mark Sheets)
11. Proof of Language Proficiency (TOEFL / IELTS, not older than 12 months, Original and A 4 sized copy). This document is mandatory for the visa process, even it is not required by the German University. Only exemptions possible: Applicants for Ph.D / Doctorate studies and Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Holders.
12. Proof of financial means to cover the costs for the time of your studies (stay in Germany including university related fees) by one of the following documents:
    
    
    • Confirmation of Scholarship
    • Formal sponsorship letter from a sponsor living in Germany (“Verpflichtungserklärung”)
    • sanctioned study loan indicating address and telephone number of the bank. The amount of the sanctioned study loan should be converted into EURO and indicated in writing by the bank.
    • Savings Account supported by a 12 months bank statement (printed and not handwritten - A4 sized copy), indicating address and telephone number of the bank
    • proof of Term Deposit (indicating address and telephone number of the bank
    • proof of a German Bank Account
13. Students who will neither get a scholarship nor be able to present a formal sponsorship letter from a German sponsor have to submit a Demand Draft for € 7.608,00 in his / her name drawn at a German Bank in order to financially secure the first year in Germany. Information with regard to the procedure of opening a German Bank. Account prior to your departure may be obtained from “ Deutsche Bank AG, New Delhi”, ECE House, 28 K.G. Marg, New Delhi 110 001 or under the telephone number 0049 40 3701 5146 or via email at db.student@db.com
14. From the moment of entering the Federal Republic of Germany you are upon request required to provide proof of a valid Health Insurance. This may be done through a regular Travel Health Insurance bought in India. However, as soon as you formally register and enroll with the German University / begin your studies a regular Travel Health Insurance looses its validity. You are required to get a valid Health insurance from a German Insurance provider. For any question in that regard you have to contact the competent department of the German University and / or the competent Aliens Office.
    

The German Embassy reserves the right to ask for additional documents!

VISA ASSESSMENT - Applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Evidence of enrolment: One of the essential requirements for a student visa application is that the applicant has been accepted or enrolled by a registered institution of higher education in Germany. This is proven by the admission letter ("Zulassungsbescheid") from the German institution.

• Bona fides assessment: The bona fides assessment determines whether an applicant is a genuine student who intends to undertake studies in Germany, abide by visa rules and regulations and depart on completion of the course.

• German Language: Whether the applicant\'s German language skills are adequate for the purpose of the proposed course, the relevance of the proposed course for the applicant\'s current academic and employment circumstances.

• Adequate Financial Resources: This involves an assessment of the applicant\'s or the sponsor\'s ability to finance all cost of living expenses pertaining to the applicant\'s education in Germany. The approximate cost of living for a single person in Germany is EUR 650 per month. Students are not expected to fund their studies and living costs in Germany through part-time employment. Special conditions for student jobs apply.

• Health Certificate: It is essential that the applicant meets the German health requirements. This involves the proof of a recent medical check-up and an X-ray. The medical certificate should clearly identify the person examined.

Further processing: Once the visa application form is duly completed and documentation as listed above has been provided, the Visa Section will send the documents to the relevant Foreigners Registration Office ("Ausländerbehörde") for final approval. Obtaining this final approval may take up to six weeks. Only after completion of this procedure can the student visa be issued.

For queries relating to student visa application, contact the Visa Sections of the diplomatic or consular representations of the Federal Republic of Germany nearest to you.