The number of international students choosing Germany as their place of study has increased. This is as a result of an agreement in October 2014 that made undergraduate education free for everyone.

You will need a student visa before being allowed to study in Germany. On this page, you will learn how to apply for a German student visa in 2021 / 2024. We will also discuss some important things like the requirements, fees, processing time and lots more.

There are 3 main types of study permits in Germany. We have explained each of them below.

This type of visa is the most common one. It is for international students that have been offered admission into a tertiary institution in Germany. It must be a full-time program at an accredited University.

This post discusses this type of visa and how to apply.

Sometimes, some admission processes might require the applicant to be present physically at some point. You will need this visa if you need to be in the country and apply for admission yourself.

Note that this is a short-term visa that is valid only for the period of admission processing. If you are later admitted, you will need a German Student Visa to commence your study.

Over the years, more people have shown interest in learning the German language. If you are one of such, you can apply for a German language study course in Germany. However, you will need a German Language Course Visa before you are allowed to enter the country. 

• The visa application form must be filled out and signed by the applicant.
• Your national passport.
• 2 copies of your passport.
• Your birth certificate.
• Your marriage certificate can be needed.
• Your child’s certificate might also be needed.
• 3 recently photographed passports clearly showing your face.
• Copies of German residence titles if you once resided in Germany.

You must be able to prove that you can afford your education and maintain your standard of living throughout your stay in Germany. To should proof of this, you will need one (or more) of the documents below.

• Evidence that you have at least €10,332 deposited in a German blocked bank account.
• A letter of commitment and evidence of your parent’s income or salary records, plus other worthy assets.
• A letter of commitment by a German resident “Verpflichtungserklärung”.
• A scholarship awarding certificate. This scholarship can be a fully funded one or need-based financial aid. It must show the number of expenses it covers.
• A bank guarantee that was granted to you by an accredited bank in Germany. 

You will need the admission letter issued to you by the University you want to study in. Sometimes, conditional admission is given to an international student. This will require the student to first undergo a German language course before being allowed to commence studies.

To be granted a Germany Student visa, you will need to provide the original copy of your school-leaving certificate. 

If you want to study a master’s or doctorate program in Germany, you will need to tender your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree respectively.

The main thing here is that these documents are among the easiest to get since the University you applied to also probably demanded it during your admission process.

There are some other documents that you will need to apply for your German student visa. They include:

• A Student Health Insurance.
• A University entrance qualification.
• A certificate of German or English Language Proficiency.

Having known the requirements, you should follow the steps below to apply for your German student visa.

You can visit the nearest German Embassy in your country. Also, all German Embassy in other countries (aside from Germany) have a website apart from their physical office.

You should visit the official site and check for the requirements. Make sure you have all you need before applying for the visa appointment.

The next step in line is to schedule an interview with the Embassy. You should do this as soon as you can because the student visa application slots can be exhausted anytime.

You will. need to pay an application fee ranging from €60.00 to €75.00. This application fee will not be refunded even if your interview didn’t go well or your Germany student visa application is rejected in the long run.

Once the interview is done, you will be informed if your application is accepted or rejected.

The application fee is between €60.00 to €75.00. Note that a blocked German bank account balance of €10,332 is required.

Usually, most Visa applications in Germany are processed within 3 months.

It is shorter for a Germany Student Visa, which takes around 25 days to be processed. The processing time also varies depending on the country and Embassy through which you processed your application.