The German visa for study depends on one fact: do you already have an admission letter? If you do, you apply for a student visa. If you are still waiting for a letter or have an entrance examination ahead, a prospective student visa is the route. A tourist visa is neither of them and cannot be converted later.
Which visa applies
DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, explains that a Schengen visa covers short visits of up to three months, including language courses, and cannot be extended. The national visa is the one meant for longer study.
- Student visa: you have been accepted by a higher education institution.
- Prospective student visa: valid for up to nine months. In that time you can apply for a place, attend a language course or attend a Studienkolleg (the foundation year some applicants need).
Even a doctorate usually runs on the student visa under Section 16b of the Residence Act, according to DAAD. A research employment contract with a German institution can point to a different visa.
What the mission usually asks for
DAAD lists the usual documents:
- a valid passport
- proof of health insurance
- proof of sufficient funds
- records of previous study and language skills
- the admission letter, if you have one
- for a prospective student visa, a recognised higher education entrance qualification
- possibly a CV and a letter of motivation
The embassy or consulate for your place of residence publishes the exact list. Use that list, not a template from a forum, because missions add their own requirements.
Proof of funds
DAAD states that students are expected to prove 992 euros per month, or 11,904 euros per year, since January 2025. Check the figure with your mission before you transfer anything, because it is tied to a national rate that can be updated.
DAAD and the Federal Foreign Office name these ways to show funds:
- your parents’ income and financial circumstances
- a blocked account (Sperrkonto) in Germany
- a bank guarantee
- a recognised scholarship
- a declaration of commitment by a person with enough income or assets (Federal Foreign Office)
If you choose a blocked account, read how a Fintiba blocked account is opened and the transfer checklist before sending money.
Why it can take months
The Federal Foreign Office says the German mission forwards a student application to the foreigners authority in the university town. It can issue the visa only after that authority approves. DAAD adds that a visa can take months, so apply early.
After you arrive
Arrival is not the end of the paperwork. DAAD says non-EU students apply at the local Ausländerbehörde for a residence permit. It asks for the passport, the certificate of matriculation, the registration certificate from the residents’ registration office, proof of funds and health insurance, and a fee of up to 100 euros. A student permit is usually issued for up to two years. Renewal depends on whether you take exams and earn credit points. The first-weeks guide walks through the registration step.
Before you apply
- Confirm the admission status and which of the two visas it points to.
- Open your mission’s own page and copy its document list.
- Decide how you will show funds and check the current figure there.
- Arrange health insurance that the mission accepts. Statutory and private insurance work differently.
SGC can help you organise the document file. The mission, the foreigners authority and the university decide admission and the visa. Planning a Master’s? See the Master’s checklist for Indian graduates and the Master’s Route.