Getting your student visa
This is the last hurdle — and the most stressful one, because it runs on appointments and waiting times. So here's the whole thing in order: what to pack in your file, when to start, and what to do the moment you land.
Do you even need a visa?
Most nationalities do. A handful don't — type the passport you'll travel on:
Type the passport you'll travel on.
Countries we currently know are visa-free: Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, United States. Always confirm your own case on the official country list.
When should I start?
Pick the first day of your semester and we'll work backwards. Visa appointments and processing are the slow parts — not your documents.
This is our planning advice, not an official deadline. Processing quotes start at about 4 weeks and often run to several months — your mission's own page is the authority.
Your embassy file
Tap each item as you gather it. Your list stays on this device.
0 of 10 ready
The €75 fee is paid at the appointment in local currency and isn't refunded if you're refused — official fee information. Your mission's checklist is the final word: some ask for extra copies, attestations or an apostille.
Your first weeks in Germany
Six things, roughly in the order you'll do them. Each one unlocks the next — you can't open a bank account without an address registration, for example.
1. Register your address (Anmeldung)
Within 14 days of moving in
Book a Bürgeramt slot as soon as you arrive — appointments are scarce. Bring passport, rental contract and the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). You leave with a Meldebescheinigung.
2. Apply for your residence permit
Before your visa expires
Go to the foreigners authority (Ausländerbehörde) in your city and ask for their document list. Fees can add up to around €100. Start early — appointment waits are long.
3. Sort your health insurance
Before enrolment
You must be insured to enrol. A statutory insurer sends the confirmation (form M10) straight to your university — do this in your first week.
4. Open a German bank account
First week
You'll need the Meldebescheinigung and passport. If you used a blocked account, activate it so your monthly payout arrives.
5. Enrol at your university (Immatrikulation)
By the deadline on your letter
Pay the semester fee to get your student ID and transit ticket. Deadlines are strict — miss them and your place can lapse.
6. Collect your tax ID
2–4 weeks after Anmeldung
It arrives by post after address registration. You'll need it for a part-time job.
Official sources
- Federal Foreign Office — visas for Germany
- Make it in Germany — how to apply for a visa
- Consular Services Portal — online visa application
- VIDEX — online visa application form
- DAAD — residence permit & address registration
Academic Path Germany offers informational guidance. It does not guarantee university admission, scholarships or visas, and it is not regulated immigration or legal advice.
Keep your whole plan in one place
Your workspace tracks every application and counts down to each deadline.