🇩🇪 Germany · Student Visa
Student visa categories, eligibility, required documents, work rights, and application steps.
For studies longer than 90 days, non-EU students need a German national (D) visa for study, applied for at the German mission in your country. If you do not yet have a university place you can apply for a prospective-student visa. After arrival you register your address and obtain a residence permit for study purposes from the local Foreigners' Authority. The Federal Foreign Office and Make it in Germany are the official sources.
- A national (D) visa is required for study stays over 90 days; a prospective-student visa is available if you are still seeking a place or completing a Studienkolleg/exam.
- You generally prove funds via a blocked account; the required amount is set annually — check the current figure on the official site.
- Apply at the German embassy/consulate after receiving admission (or conditional admission); appointment slots are booked online.
- After arriving you must register your address and convert the visa into a residence permit for study purposes.
Official authorities
- Federal Foreign Office — Study visa
Official German-government guide to the study (national) visa.
- Make it in Germany — Visa for studying
Official portal: study-visa types and steps.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Federal Government of Germany — Germany's Federal Cabinet official website — policy, legislation, news, and government programs
- Federal Office for Migration (BAMF) — German visas, EU Blue Card, asylum, integration courses, and permanent residency
- Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) — Tax ID (IdNr) registration, tax identification lookup, withholding tax refunds — the key authority for foreign taxpayers in Germany