Visa
Please note: The Service Centre InterNational Transfer is not responsible for the issue of a Visa. Please contact the competent authorities.
- Students with citizenship from an EU or EEA country do not need a Visa, just a valid passport.
- Students from Switzerland do not need a visa to enter Germany. However, if the stay in Germany lasts longer than 3 months, they must register with the responsible immigration authorities.
- Students from several other countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, South Korea, USA) do not need a visa to enter Germany, but for a stay in Germany longer than 90 days, they need a residence permit.
- If you have already received your notification of admission to university, you should apply for a student visa. Anyone who is still waiting on the notice of admission or who has to sit an entrance examination will need to apply for a student applicant visa.
- You can obtain your student visa or your student applicant visa at the German Embassy or the German Consulate.
- Once you arrive in Germany, you will need to submit your visa to the foreigners' authority in order to convert this to a residence permit for study purposes.
- Comprehensive information on legal requirements for the entry and residence of international students, academics an scientists can be found in the leaflet of DAAD.
- Further information in different languages can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- To find out whether you need a visa or not, you can also refer to the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Do not enter Germany as a tourist! A tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa or residence permit!
Request your visa well in advance. Gathering all of the necessary documents can take time.
Important: Before the expiration of your visa you have to request for a residence permit in Germany.
If you are required to have a visa, you must submit a valid visa for enrolment. Without a valid visa, your enrolment cannot be issued.
