What visa do I need to study in Germany?
EU applicants and countries with special agreements
International student applicants from European Union countries as well as applicants from USA, Kanada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, Republic of Korea, Monaco, San Marino, Honduras and Andorra do not need a visa to enter Germany for study purposes. You will howeverm have to register your address with the local authorities (Einwohnermeldeamt) and apply for a residency permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung) once you have your place in a degree programme or at the latest three months after entering the country (whichever happens first).
Other countries
You will need a visa to enter Germany to study in Hamburg. Please do not enter the country with a tourist visa. A tourist visa cannot be converted into a study visa. You will need either a student applicant visa [Studienbewerber-Visum] or a visa for study purposes [Visum zu Studienzwecken].
The student applicant visa allows you to enter the country and gather information about universities you are interested in. This visa is restricted to a period of three months but can be turned into a visa for study purposes in Germany if during this time you receive an offer for a place in a degree programme.
The visa for study purposes is issued when you have an offer for a place in a degree programme. It normally has to be renewed every two years.
When you apply for the visa for study purposes you must provide proof of how you intend to finance your studies in Germany. This means you must have a disposable income of ca. EUR 500 per month. In some countries you must provide proof of your finances for the first academic year, [EUR 5,000 - 6,000].
Residency Permit
Your visa [usually issued for three months] is only a »provisional« residency permit. Once you are offered a place on a degree course you can be issued a study visa, which generally has to be renewed every two years.
Should you not be offered a place then it is sometimes possible to have your visa extended for a further six months so that you can visit a German language course and apply to the university a second time for the next semester.
Where do I register?
As soon as you arrive in Germany you must register with the local authorities [Ausländerbehörde/ Einwohnermeldeamt]. In order to register you will need your passport and visa as well as a registration form, which you can get at the Einwohnermeldeamt. The last part of this form needs to be filled in by your landlord. If you have a room in hall, you can get this form from the Director of Hall, when you sign your contract.
You will then receive a »Meldebestätigung«, which you should keep in a safe place. If you move house, you need to inform the Einwohnermeldeamt within a week of your new address.
The DiBIS database tells you the office nearest to where you live. [Step 1: Enter the search word »Einwohnermeldeamt«, and step 2: type in the name of the street where you live].
Hamburg Welcome Center
Foreign students can also get their first residence permit and their first registration of residence at the Hamburg Welcome Center. Further information can be found on the Hamburg Welcome Center's website at
www.welcome-center.hamburg.de.