Who needs a visa?

For stays longer than 90 days, foreign citizens generally require a visa. Excluded from this are EU citizens (European Union), citizens of the EEA (European Economic Area) and citizens of Switzerland.

Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United States of America and the UK and Northern Ireland can also obtain a required residence permit after entering Germany from the immigration authorities responsible in Germany. You do not need to apply for a visa before moving to Germany.

For all other nationals residing in France, the following applies: visas for a long-term stay must be obtained from the Embassy in Paris before entering the country.

How do I get an appointment to submit an application?

Please use the following link for a free registration on the waiting list for an appointment to apply for a visa at the Embassy in Paris: Visa section Appointment waiting list

If you are accompanying a minor to Germany, please state this when registering in the appointment waiting list. You need a separate appointment and the application has to be submitted in person.

Please expect a waiting time of at least 16 weeks for an appointment. You will receive an e-mail with the date and time approximately two weeks before your appointment.

We kindly ask you to refrain from making written or telephone appointment requests. Due to the high volume of applications and limited processing capacities, it is not possible to shorten the waiting time.

Which documents are required?

Please bring the following documents:

• two complete printouts of your electronic visa application: VIDEX
  
  Using VIEDX speeds up the processing time at the embassy. If you cannot fill out the application online, you can download the application form here:
  Form: Application for a national visa (German/English)
  Form: Application for a national visa (German/French)
  Form: Application for a national visa (German/Arabic)
• two current biometric passport photos: photo template
• valid passport, original and two copies (the passport must have at least two blank pages)
• valid French residence permit and two copies
• proof of admission to the university/preparatory college, original and two copies (must include information regarding the language of instruction)
• unless confirmed by the university in the letter of admission: proof of language skills in the language of instruction in which the course or the preparatory measures takes place, original and two copies (at least level B2 of the Common European Framework)
• if available: evidence of other academic degrees, original and two copies
  
  All certificates must be submitted in German, English or French. Certificates in other languages must be translated into German, English or French by a sworn translator. Please use the link for further information regarding a sworn translator: Translations (in French language)
  
  Certificates on multilingual forms do not have to be translated if they contain a German language version.
  
  Documents from many countries require legalization or an apostille for use in Germany. This should already be available when the application is submitted, but can also be submitted later in the course of the application process. Please use the following link for further information: Foreign public documents for use in Germany
• proof of adequate financial means - this will vary depending on your circumstances. Read the guidance for the full list of what exactly is recognized as proof: Proof of adequate financial means
• proof of health insurance valid in Germany (must be presented at the latest when picking up the visa)
  
  Health insurance coverage is required at the time of entry into Germany. Usually statutory health insurance coverage provided by the university or future employer only goes into effect when you take up residency and begin with your studies. If you enter before, an additional private (travel) health insurance in line with EU standards (covering the entire Schengen area, minimum coverage of 30,000 €) must be purchased for the duration of time until you begin your employment/your studies and are covered through the statutory health insurance. Please ensure that your travel health insurance does not exclude protection if a long term or permanent stay is planned.

Please note that your application can only be processed if your documents are complete on the day you submit your application. Occasionally, the submission of additional documents may be required.

Fees and costs

The processing fee for a national study visa is 75,00 euros in most cases and 37,50 euros for minors. The fee is to be paid in cash when the application is submitted to the embassy. Please bring the correct amount with you.

The processing fee cannot be reimbursed, this applies also when the visa has been denied.

Important : Apart from the processing fee mentioned above payable to the embassy in Paris, there are no further fees (e.g. for arranging an appointment). Only expenses for e.g. returning your passport containing the visa by post must be borne by the applicant.

How long does it take to obtain a visa ?

The embassy in Paris will decide on your application after the responsible immigration authorities in Germany have been involved. On average, the processing time from the day the application was submitted is four weeks (if your studies are within the ERASMUS programme, the processing time is three working days). Please refrain from making inquiries regarding the developement during this time.

We will contact you once your visa application has been processed. If your application is approved, we will email you when and how to submit your passport to obtain the visa.

If your visa application has been rejected, there can be various reasons. We will tell you these reasons in a rejection notice. You can submit a new application with complete, meaningful and verifiable documents at any time.

For how long is the visa valid?

If you are granted a visa to enter Germany, it will be valid for three months from the date of being issued. If you stay is supposed to be longer than three, but less than six months, the visa can be issued for the whole period if you can proove health insurance coverage.

Your visa will contain your full name, passport number and photo. The number of days of stay and the period of validity of the visa are specified, i.e. the time you have until you receive your domestic residence permit.

Please remember to register with the residents' registration office immediately after entering Germany. The visa allows you to travel within the Schengen area.

Privacy policy

Information in accordance with Art. 13 and 14 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation) on data protection in the visa application process can be found here: Information on data protection (in German language)