To study in Germany, a student requires a Residence Permit, that is issued in the form of Student Visa. A Student Visa is an absolute necessity to enter the country for the purpose of study, and should be procured before a student crosses the boundary to the nation.
Germany has provided for some exception categories, that is those who do not require a student visa to study here. The citizens of the European Union countries can do without one. So can the students from any of the countries that have signed a special agreement with Germany, the Special Agreement States, that include the USA, Honduras, Iceland, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
Application for the Student Visa to Germany has to be made to the German Embassy or the Consulate General. The basic documents that a student needs to submit are – the valid passport, that does not expire during or before the end of course; proof of financial means to cover the cost of study and stay in Germany during the period of stay without the need to work in Germany; letter of acceptance from the college, university or course; and the visa fees.
The first step to acquiring the visa is completing the application form and submitting it to the concerned authorities. In some cases, if need be, an applicant can be called for an interview to discuss the proposal and other details. Then the processing of the visa takes place and confirmation procedure. Only after this, is the visa issued. Typically it takes around 8 weeks to get the visa. So a student should apply well in advance to get the student visa on time, much before the scheduled departure.
Student visa in Germany is categorized into three types. These are – the Student Visa, the Student Application Visa, and the Visa for participation in a language course.
The Student Visa is applicable for a period of one year. It is for those who have already got admission to an educational institution in Germany, and possess a letter of confirmation. The documents required to apply for this are – valid passport; passport size photographs; confirmation letter or letter of acceptance from the institution; proof and documents of previous studies – all degrees and diplomas, and school certificates; proof of German language skills, or proof that one intends to attend an intensive language course, , in Germany, devoting at least 20 hours in a week; and proof of funds to finance the stay, that is the fee, accommodation, travel expenses, living expenses etc, without the need to work in Germany. The funds can be in the form of self finance, or may be through a sponsor, or nominator, or can be a scholarship.
The Student Application Visa is applicable for those who have not yet got admission, who want to go to Germany to find out about the suitable educational institutions, appear for an exam, or interview, or complete the process of admission. In short, it is a prospective student visa. The validity of this is only three months. If one gets admission in the meanwhile, then it can be readily converted to the Student Visa for study purposes. The documents needed are the same, except that in place of the confirmation letter, one has to submit the school leaving certificate. Any other document that may help in proving that application has been made to a German school, or about a test, is helpful as it proves authenticity. But this is not compulsory, as even those who are going on a lookout for institutes are entitled to the student application visa.
Many students go to Germany for a short term language course. For this purpose, one does not need a full fledged student visa, but the Visa for participation in a language course. This is valid for the entire period or duration of the course. The essential documents needed to be submitted are – the valid passport, passport size photos, proof of health insurance valid for entire period of stay, and proof of funds to cover the entire expense of stay. If one is going to Germany for the aforesaid language course, then according to the rules laid down, one cannot take up any kind of employment in the country during the stay. Also this kind of visa is non convertible, that is it cannot be converted into any other form of visa. So if one plans to get enrolled into a course or college, or has got a confirmed admission, it is better to re-apply for the student visa much before the language course gets over. This will enable procuring the student visa on time for the course.
Getting a Student Visa for Germany should not be a difficult procedure as long as one fulfills the requisites, but it is also important to mention that submitting all necessary documents is not confirming the getting of the visa that also depends on the autonomous power of the German authorities.
