Top 10 German Study Visa Requirements for Indian Students

Indians form the second largest group of international students at German universities. There was a record-breaking growth in the winter semester of 2019-20, showing a 20.85 percent growth in intake over the previous academic year of Indian students. Approximately 21,000 Indian students were enrolled into German universities in 2019.

The growth rate in the intake of Indian students in Germany is 3 times the global average, having almost doubled in the last five years. Indian students who wish to study in Germany need a German national visa for programmes that are longer than 3 months. You can get a Schengen visa for a 3-month course.

The Germany study visa requirements are quite stringent. International students are required to have valid documents and a residence permit in Germany for a national visa. Read on to know about this and the other requirements in depth.

Top 10 German Study Visa Requirements for Indian Students in 2024

There are three types of Study Visas for Germany: German Student Visa, German Student Applicant Visa. and the German Language Course Visa. The German Student Visa is the most popular among these visa types. 

Let’s take a look at the requirements for the Germany Study visa, one at a time.

1. Correct and Complete Documentation

There are some documents that Indian students need to get a German student visa. This is one of the main Germany study visa requirements. The documents required (original and 2 copies) include:

• Passport
• Visa application form
• An A4 sheet copy of the information page of the passport
• Cover letter or an admission letter from the German University
• German language fluency scores
• Proof of your funds.
• Educational certificates, colleges and universities
• Receipt proof of Student Visa fee
• Passport-size photographs
• Schengen visa proof (if you had one before)
• German residence permit (if you had one before)
• Personal covering letter with purpose and duration of stay 

Note: The German embassy can have extra German study visa conditions. They would ask you for the additional documents if necessary.

Get your checklist of documents

2. Financial Resources ProofThe proof of financial funds is called 'Finanzierungsnachweis' in German. This is one of the most essential Germany study visa requirements. The main things applicants need to provide are:

• A bank guarantee from a Germany Bank
• Scholarship certificate, if available
• The scholarship should include information about the total costs that it covers.
• A letter called ‘Verpflichtungserklärung’ by a resident of Germany issued at the Alien’s Registration Office. This applies if a German resident is covering the course study costs
• A German blocked bank account deposit confirmations of €10,236 in total. This is a special account for international students. It proves that they can cover the expenses of their stay for a year. This covers the €853 they need for living expenses per month
• A letter of commitment for fee payment from the applicant’s guardians. This includes evidence of their financial assets and income records

3. University Letter of Admission

Another of the Germany study visa requirements is a letter from the university of choice. This appears after a few weeks of the application submission in an email. You need to print the email and show that as the admission letter proof. You should show it in your home country's German embassy during the visa application.

4. German Entrance Qualification for Higher Education

Students need to show that they can qualify for higher education programs in Germany. The requirements under this topic are as follows.

Zulassungsbescheid

The requirements for this are:

• Indian students need to show their admission agreement in this study program
• A higher education provider recognized in Germany must issue this
• It should include information regarding the language in which you would study
• It must include your course duration information

Bedingter Zulassungsbescheid

Indian students need to show conditional admission proof of this.

They should also show proof of admission in 'Intensiv-Sprachkurs,’ an intensive course. The letter shows that you can participate in this intensive language course before getting admission. The course lasts for 6 months, with 18 lesson hours in one week. The requirements for this are:

• You have to show the letter of confirmation from the ‘uni-assist’
• Communication proof with the university about final admission
• Applicant’s admission confirmation proof
• Proof of language course fee payment for the first 3 months

Studienkolleg

It is a foundation-level course of 1 year. It prepares students for 'Feststellungsprüfung'. It means a university-level assessment examination one has to sit for. You need to have good language skills at CEFR B1 level to attend the course. The documents required are:

• Copies of the leaving certification from your foreign school
• Average grades in studies. Applicants can get it from the 'Oberschulamt' state education officials in their city
• Proof of CEFR B1 level language skills
• The statement about how your foreign certificate is equal to a German school-leaving certificate

The study visa requirements for ‘Studienkolleg’ are:

• Proof of participation in the course
• Proof of any communication about final admission with the university
• Letter of confirmation from the ‘uni-assist’

5. Proof of Previous Educational Qualification

One of the important Germany study visa requirements for Indian students is showing their education proof. The documents necessary are:

• Marks sheets
• Degree certificates (for applicants of Ph.D. and Mastery courses)
• School-leaving certificate (original)

One of the German study visa requirements is language skills. Indian students need to show proficiency in either the German language or the English language. Students can also show both certificates if they are fluent in both.

Know More

Rules for German language skills 

Foreign students need to show their skill level in the basic German language. They can also show certificates from German-learning courses. 

Students can also give an education completion certificate of a study program in German.

In German international programs, knowing some basic German language is helpful.

The acceptable German language grades for each program are:

The certificates that Indian students can show as German skill proof are:

DSH I Level

• UNIcert III
• DSH Certificate (Level 1 and more)
• The least total of 14 points in TestDaF Certificate
• GDS Certificate (C1 Level or more)
• Telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule Passing Certificate
• Education Ministers’ Conference language certification (Level 2 + C1 all sections)

CEFR C1 Level

• Education Ministers’ Conference language certification (Level 2 + C2 all sections)
• GDS Certificate (C2 Level or more)
• DSH Certificate (Level 2 or more)
• Around 4 points in four sections of TestDaF Certificate 

Other certificates include:

• ‘Feststellung Prüfungszeugnis’ Assessment Exam Certificate
• ‘Abitur’ German University Entrance Qualification
• Goethe-Institut Test Certificate
• Certification of telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule
• Österreichisches Sprachdiplom (ÖSD Zertifikat C1)
• telc Deutsch B1 Certification (for music or art colleges only)

Rules for English language skills

International study programs in Germany are held in English completely. These students need to have strong English-speaking skills. 

Non-international study programs need basic English skills or good German skills from students.

The institutes for higher education in Germany have their own rules for non-English speaking students. The certificates that Indian students can show as English skill proof are:

• TOEIC certificate
• Educational Certificate from an English-Speaking School. The language score must be 6 (B2)/5 (B1) during schooling years
• Cambridge English Certificates. (C2 Proficiency, C1 Advanced, B2 First, or B1 Preliminary)
• At least 5.0 (B2) or 4.5 (B1) in IELTS scores
• TOEFL Scores- IbT-internet based test-60 (B1)/80 (B2) points. CbT- computer based test- 130 (B1)/170 (B2) points. PbT – paper based test- 450 (B1)/500 (B2) points
• UNIcert® minimum II (B2) or I (B1)
• University Degree from an English-speaking country (higher education)
• Students with University Entrance Qualifications from an English-speaking country

7. Health Coverage

One of the main visa requirements is applying for health insurance. Indian students have to cover their medical needs for emergencies. 

There are two types of health-care insurance in Germany. They are:

• Private insurance: One can customize it as needed.
• Public insurance: It covers basic medical problems only. Most people can get this.

The health coverage plans for Indian students in Germany have certain rules. The rules for Ph.D. students are:

• They should try for private health coverage plans.
• Foreigners over 30 years cannot get statutory insurance.
• Students starting their 14^th semester in Germany cannot opt for public insurance.

The rules for preparatory course students are:

• These students cannot get public health insurance in Germany.
• They can opt for private health insurance plans only.

The rules for foreign exchange students are:

• These students can opt for both public and private health coverage plans.
• Most foreign exchange students opt for private insurance plans as they are easier to handle.

The rules for scholarship doctorate students are:

• Those who are unemployed with lengthened courses choose private insurance plans.
• They can choose a plan based on how much they can pay every year. It also includes how much cost their scholarship can cover.

8. Visa Fees

Paying Visa Fees is one of the important Germany study visa requirements. This is a required step. The payment costs are as follow:

• National visa applicants above 18 years of age must pay €75 as fees.
• National visa applicants under 18 years of age must pay €37.50 as fees.
• It takes 25 days to process a national visa. For extra documents, the time can extend to 12 weeks in total.
• Applicants applying for a German Residence Permit have to pay €110 (approx). This takes 8-12 weeks to complete the process. 

Note: The processing period can go up for visa processing. Thus, you should apply for this very early.

9. Tuition fees

Indian students need to show that they can pay for the tuition fees in Germany. The fees for the courses are different for each university. 

The average costs are as mentioned below.

Note: Students can study without pay in Public German universities. But they still need to pay for their administration and enrolment charges annually. Thus, they need to show they have enough funds to cover this.

10. Scholarships

Germany provides various scholarships for Indian students and other international students. Many of the institutions in Germany allow this. Those with low funds can apply for such scholarships from top universities.

It is another of the Germany study visa requirements. Scholarship students need to show proof of confirmation during their visa application.

Some of the most popular higher-education German scholarships for Indian students are:

higher-education German scholarships for Indian students are:

• DAAD WISE Scholarship Program
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Scholarship
• Heinrich Boll Scholarships
• Kofi Annan MBA Scholarships
• ESMT Women’s Academic Scholarship
• Goethe Goes Global Scholarships
• EMS Undergraduate Scholarship
• WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management, International Scholarships
• Master Scholarships at University of Stuttgart
• DLD Executive MBA Scholarship

Conclusion

Students applying to study in Germany must meet the different requirements to get a visa. You need to complete most of the criteria before the visa application. 

Make sure that you have the following checklist of German Study Visa requirements before you apply:

• Documentation
• Financial Resources Proof
• University Letter of Admission
• German Entrance Qualification for Higher Education
• Proof of Previous Educational Qualification
• Language Proficiency
• Health Coverage
• Visa Fees
• Tuition fees
•  Scholarships

Kindly note: 

• Don’t staple your documents
• German Missions reserve the right to ask for additional documents or the verification of certificates, with additional fees charged
• Incorrect documentation or refusal to appear for a visa interview may result in the rejection

In case of any confusion, you can contact our team of experts, who will guide you through the entire process and will also help you with admission essays, cover letters, documentation and settlement services in Germany.

Book a free consultation