Visa and Immigration Advice for Germany
- EU and EEA (European Economic Area): all EU member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein
- Switzerland
They receive a "Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung" (freedom of movement certificate) upon registering with the local authorities.
- Andorra
- Australia (including the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island)
- Brazil
- Canada
- El Salvdor
- Honduras
- Israel
- Japan
- Monaco
- New Zealand (including the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau)
- San Marino
- Republic of South Korea
- Switzerland
- USA (including the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands)
You will be required to apply for a residence permit upon enrolment.
Applying for your student visa for Germany
You can apply for your student visa at the German mission nearest to you. The addresses of German missions around the world can be found here. You need a student visa to enroll at the IUBH. In accordance with German law, the visa officer must carefully assess your motivation to study in Germany. This means that you must provide all the necessary documents as well as demonstrate your personal commitment and sincerity.
Visa processing may take several months, please make sure you apply well in advance. For more information on visa processing times and documents required, please visit the website of the German embassy in your home country.
Once you receive the student visa and you are successfully enrolled on campus, you will be issued a student resident permit by the Foreign Office in charge.
You will normally be required to submit the documents listed below. The embassy, however, can ask for additional documents or further clarifications.
Please check your local embassy or consulate for details - these are valid for your application.
- Visa application form (available at the embassy or on the embassy’s website)
- A valid passport
- Letter of Admission and letter from the registrar's office
- Proof of sufficient funding (see below)
- Two passport photos (special regulations, please check on the website of the German embassy in your home country)
Language and Financial Resources
To be eligible for a student visa, the prospective student must fulfil certain requirements in terms of language skills, study goals and financial resources. These must be documented and presented to the visa officer.
The language of instruction at IUBH is English. The minimum score required for a direct entry into a Bachelor or Master programme is IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 80, PTE 56, Cambridge advanced or equivalent (check HERE for the accepted language certificates). If you are attending the Pathway Programme, an IELTS score of 5.0 is generally sufficient.
A proof of German language skills is normally not required. However knowing even a bit of German will not only make your daily life in Germany easier, but will also increase your career prospects. It is also an important sign of your commitment to study in Germany and may help you in the visa process.
Proof of financial resources is an important condition to get your student visa and your study residence permit.
Under current law regulations in Germany, if you are an international student coming from a non-EU or non-EEA country, then you must prove you have the financial resources (Finanzierungsnachweis) to cover your living expenses in Germany. It is estimated that a normal foreign student in Germany spends around €853 euros per month at a minimum. This value from €10.236 euros per year sets the minimum amount of money required to be deposited in the blocked account so you can prove your financial means (Finanzierungsnachweis) to get a student visa (valid from September 1st 2019).
The blocked account is a special type of bank account in Germany created for international students, so they can prove they have the financial resources to live in Germany for one year.
We strongly recommend to open your Blocked Account through our partner Fintiba (www.fintiba.com). Fintiba is officially approved by the German Federal Foreign Office.The whole account opening process is done online – you do not have to print or sign any forms. As the account opening is processed fully online, it will normally only take 2-4 working days to open the blocked account.
You can find detailed instructions and FAQs HERE.
Students in IUBH programmes: You need to provide proof that you have the financial resources to cover both living costs and tuition fees. If your programme is longer than a year, you may also be asked how you plan to finance your studies and living expenses during the consecutive year.
To prove that you are committed, you need to show a real interest and knowledge about the country, university and programme. Moreover, your grades must demonstrate your ability to study. Before your visa interview your study advisor will invite you to an interactive coaching session – feel free to prepare questions.
