Visa Needed?

Entry clearance requirements are dependent on the nationality of the applicant. Citizens of many countries do not need a visa to visit Germany for stays up to 90 days. Please check our country list if you are not sure whether you need a visa.
Table of countries whose citizens require/do not require visas to enter Germany

How to apply?

Citizens of Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as EU citizens may apply for their residence permit after entering Germany without a visa.
Citizens of other countries are required to apply and obtain a residence permit prior to entry at the German Embassy or the German Consulate.

If you would like to apply for a student visa you need to book an appointment via our appointment system in the category national visa (D). The application has to be handed in personally on the day of the booked appointment.
Upon submission of all required documents (please see list below) the application will be forwarded to the Aliens' Authority (Ausländerbehörde) responsible for your intended place of residence in Germany for further evaluation.

The process of a student visa application will take about four weeks as a minimum or longer to be evaluated, depending on the documents you have provided or if you have stayed in Germany before.

Please note, the Embassy/Consulate General will inform you as soon as a decision has been made or if further documents have to be submitted. Therefore, you do not need to contact the Embassy/Consulate General.

After the application has been evaluated by the Aliens' Authority, the Embassy/Consulate General may decide on your application.

If a visa will be granted, a visa for a permit of stay with a period of up to six months will be issued. The prolongation will be granted by the Aliens' Authority in Germany. Therefore, you need to register at the Aliens' Authority in Germany upon your arrival in Germany.

Required Documents

Please make sure to submit all documents in the following order and with necessary copies to ensure a fast processing.

• application form (for long term visa) completely filled in and signed
• declaration, filled in and signed
• one passport photograph, (strict requirements, see details)
• valid national passport, original and one copy of the data pages
  passport must have at least two blank visa-pages, passport may not be older than 10 years
  upon requests, we return the passport on the day of the application, but it needs to be handed in again if the visa will be granted
• valid Japanese residence card/permit original and one copy
  for Japanese nationals: proof of residence

• letter of acceptance of a German university/language school/college including information on the language of instruction, original and one copy

  In case of exchange programm, additionally certificate of enrollment of Japanese university, original and one copy

• Where not confirmed by the university in the admittance notification:
  Proof of the language skills in the language of instruction for the study course, original and one copy
  

• Proof of sufficient funds for tuition, living expenses, etc. in total for one year: 11.904,00 EUR (as of 01.09.2024)

  992,00 EUR (as of 01.09.2024) per month (minimum) for the whole stay up to one year needs to be provided. In case of exchange programs, proof of sufficient funds for the time of the intended stay.

  following possibilities:
  1. if applicable, proof of scholarship, original and one copy (confirmation in English and German by the university or foundation, the amount must be sufficient as mentioned above)

  OR

  2. blocked account (Sperrkonto) in Germany, original and one copy

  Amount with a monthly deposit of 992,00 EUR (as of 01.09.2024) resp. total amount for the entire period of your intended stay, or for at least one year 11.904,00 EUR (as of 01.09.2024)

  Please refer to this page regarding the blocked account.

  OR

  3. bank account in your name with the required amount, original and one copy

  Please note: in most cases this proof of funds will not be accepted by the Aliens' Authority and a blocked account (Sperrkonto) is required

• One (1) signed declaration
  

• Proof of valid health insurance upon entry to Germany, original and one copy.

  You should arrange your mandatory health insurance coverage from a German statutory or private health insurance provider (gesetzliche oder private Krankenversicherung) as you must present proof of coverage at the time of enrolment at the German university. A (German or foreign) travel health insurance is not sufficient for enrolment! Address the question of health insurance early on, insurance providers offer special rates for students. Make sure that your health insurance coverage starts from your date of entry into Germany. You should preferably obtain a so-called Incoming-Health Insurance Package that protects you in case of illness from the moment you arrive in Germany and continues, without interruption, as statutory or private health insurance at special student rates.

• return-envelope with your address
  For applicants at the Germany Embassy in Tokyo: LLetterpack PLUS (600 yen) – self addressed; Currently, only the return of the passport by post is possible.
  
  For applicants at the German Consulate General in Osaka-Kobe:
  If you wish to receive your passport in return by mail, you can return it by takkyubin cash on delivery. In this case, please enclose a return a self-addressed DIN A4 envelope.
  
• Visa fee (75 EUR, payable in Japanese yen according to the official exchange rate on the date of application)
  

​​​​​​​Please note:

• In individual cases, you may be required to provide additional documents.
• Although the information on this website has been prepared with utmost care, we cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein.