Germany Student visa - The time and tips to apply for one in 2021

Germany is one of the top destinations that students all around the world choose to advance their studies. To study in Germany, you will need to apply for a Germany Student visa. It’s mostly a streamlined process that has very few delays and errors.

You have basically 2 ways in which Germany Student visa is available.

• For study programs with a duration of up to 3 months, you need to apply for a Schengen visa. This is a short-stay visa.
• For study programs with a duration of over 3 months, you need to apply for a German National visa.

Only students from EU/EEA nations or Switzerland aren't required to obtain a student visa.

With a national visa, you can stay in Germany for the first 3 months of a course in Germany. During this period of time, you must apply for a residence permit to prolong your stay in Germany. This must be done before the entry visa expires. A residence permit has a validity of 2 years. The length of your course of study in Germany will decide the duration for which the visa can be extended.

There are 3 types of Germany Student visas:

• German Student visa – It's the standard student visa you can use when you have been already admitted to one of the German universities, ready to begin studying in a full-time university program.
• German Student Application visa – This is the visa you take to apply for admission to a German university in person. This visa only lets you be eligible for the university application process. It can’t be used for studies in Germany.
• German Language Course visa – This visa is used when you want to study in a German language course of duration from 3 months to 1 year.

You can apply for a Germany Student visa by paying a fee of €75. The fee has to be paid via bank transfer with a money order in the name of the consulate/embassy in your home country. The money order mustn’t be older than 2 months. This is a non-reimbursed fee in case your visa application gets rejected.

The standard processing time for a German Student visa is around 25 days. It’s best to apply at least for it 3 months before you move into Germany. You will have to be present at the German embassy when filing the application. And don’t forget to take the following documents with you:

• An application form that’s duly-filled
• A cover letter that’s written smartly stating why and how long your stay in Germany will be. You must give the reason for choosing the particular university, and its specific study program. You must also mention your plans for your study and your future as well as how these studies are going to improve your life and your career.
• A valid national passport with 3 months of validity remaining on the day you leave Germany
• 2 photocopies of your passport
• 3 biometric portrait photographs that must be taken recently
• Your birth certificate
• Health insurance with at least €30,000 worth coverage with at least 3 months’ validity
• Admission letter into a German university’s study program
• Proof that you have made your payments to the college/university
• Proof of your earlier education
• Original school-leaving certificate
• Your certificate of graduation (in case you’re opting for Ph.D. or Master studies)
• Proof of financial resources to back your stay in Germany (preferably Blocked Account Paper)
• Scores of language tests in Germany (Proof of German in case you are filing an application for a course taught only in German)
• Travel health insurance

It would be quite wise and foolproof to take the professional services of one of the student visa consultants if you want to be confident about how you go about every step in the visa application process.

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