Apply for a (Student) Visa for Germany - Part 2

If you would like to study at the International Graduate Center or generally in Germany as a foreigner, you may need to apply for an appropriate visa. But don't worry about complicated bureaucracy - we will give you an overview. Our second part is about the required documents and the time planning.

Passport on map

3. Documents to apply for a student visa

The necessary documents are a valid passport and proof of medical insurance, your previous academic achievements, the financing of your stay, as well as any knowledge of German or a planned language course in Germany or knowledge of English for a degree programme in English. You can find out which additional documents you may need and other details directly from the relevant German consulate or on their website. You will also get the required application form there. Regarding the visa for study application, a higher education entrance qualification recognised in Germany is compulsory. Regarding the visa for study purposes, a letter of admission from the university or at least a letter stating that there is a good chance of admission, is required.

4. Developing a time schedule

A prerequisite for success in applying for a visa and a residence permit is the correct planning of the time schedule. One should take into account the gathering of the required documents, depending on which ones you still need to obtain/apply for and which ones you already have. Your passport should be valid long enough, because if your identity papers expire, you may have to travel back to your home country to renew them. It can take the authorities several months to process a visa, so it’s crucial to submit the application in good time. Furthermore, it is important to set a date for your arrival in Germany, allowing you enough time for your enrolment at the International Graduate Center and some administrative procedures, because the proof of enrolment is necessary to obtain the residence permit for study purposes. 

5. Entry restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Currently, there are possible entry restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, stated in the so-called Coronavirus Entry Regulation paper. An up-to-date version is available on the website of the German Federal Ministry of Health. There is an obligation to register digitally, a testing/verification obligation and a quarantine obligation when entering from risk areas. The list of risk areas can be found on the website of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). If you are travelling by air (regardless of the country), you must present a negative test result, proof of vaccination or proof of recovery to the airline before departure. 

We wish you much success and a good trip and look forward to seeing you soon in Bremen!