Study in Germany Guide

Studying in Germany comes true after long planning, following guided steps, and acting timely for the admission and visa process. Since Germany offers tuition-free education in its public universities, the admission process is complex and competitive. One has to be well-ready for the admission process by completing all the requirements. If you are willing to study in Germany, you can follow these steps to successfully dig in.

20 Steps for successful admission and visa application                             

  1. Select a course to study in Germany;
  2. Select a university of your choice in Germany through the DAAD website;
  3. Determine if you are eligible to get admission to the university directly or if you have to study in a studienkolleg first;
  4. Ask your university or studienkolleg or read on their official web pages if you have to apply directly to the university or through uni-assist;
  5. After choosing the respective portal, start the process of applying for admission;
  6. Gather the documents you need to add with your admission application (you can ask your university first about the required documents);
  7. Get the language proficiency test certificate. You need to show that you have the required language proficiency to study in Germany. You either need German language (only in case when your course will be taught in German medium of instruction with a B2 level for a bachelor’s degree and C1 for a master’s degree) or English language (IELTS or TOEFL)  test certificate proofs with a minimum level of 6.0 score for bachelor degree and 6.5 (IELTS score) for a master degree program;
  8. Get the required educational documents attested by relevant educational boards and universities (this condition is not for all countries, however);
  9. Carefully read the admission instructions as some universities as for some extra requirements, for example, the GRE test, etc.;
  10. Once all documents are ready, send them to either uni-assist or to the university through post or online as guided by respective portals;
  11. After getting the successful admission offer letter, get ready to apply for a student residence in the local German embassy;
  12. Gather the required documents for submitting a student visa application;
  13. To study in Germany, you need to show the visa officer that you can manage your living expenses. Proof of financial means to cover the costs for the time of your studies by one of the following documents:
    • confirmation of scholarship/ stipend
    • “Verpflichtungserklärung” (formal obligation letter) by a sponsor living in Germany (this simply means any of your family members living in Germany can sponsor you for your living expenses in Germany. To do so, they must show work contracts and salary slips with bank statements that they have a good financial situation plus this letter from the local foreign office.
    • Proof of blocked account in the name of the applicant showing a minimum balance of €11,208. In case you opt for a blocked account in Germany, the proof needs to include the remark that the account holder can dispose of a monthly amount of €934,- Euros.
  14. Arrange your health insurance;
  15. Once you have all these documents, you can fill in the visa application form;
  16. Get an appointment from the local German embassy in your country to submit the visa application;
  17. Do not forget to read and sign the checklist and instructions of the embassy before visiting them, especially the photocopies of documents, information about previous history, and refusals of previous visa applications if any;
  18. You have to pay the visa application fee and confirm it from the German embassy before visiting them. You may be interviewed on the same day or later on whatever the choice of local visa officer is. Visa application reply will be given to you in 3 to 8 weeks;
  19. Once you get the visa, notify your university or college about it and request them to arrange accommodation in the student residence halls if possible as it normally otherwise is very expensive in Germany;
  20. Fly to Germany, register at the university, and get an appointment by the foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde) to apply for a student residence permit. Get yourself a bank account open to transfer the amount of the block account.
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Who can study at a German university?

Every student who has a higher entrance education qualification (13 years of minimum high schooling) can study in a German university. This condition may be relaxed for some country students where higher secondary school education equals the level of the German school system. On the other hand, the one who has not had a higher entrance education qualification to directly study in a university for a minimum bachelor degree program can study at a studienkolleg for a year to get ready for direct admission in a university program after passing Feststellungsprüfung (FSP).

How to get admission to a German University?

The admission process to a university is the first step to fulfilling your dream of studying in Germany. It is as simple as you can think. The following steps will guide you on how it works and how you can determine if you are eligible to study at a university in Germany.

Step-by-Step Admission Application Process

Step 1- Qualification Assessment

Check your qualification if it gives you eligibility to study at a University directly. You can do it by going to this website. If you do not find your institution on this database website, it means you do not qualify for direct admission into a degree program. This surely happens when you do not necessarily have 13 years of education to study directly in a university (conditions apply however for many countries, see details here ). In this case, you will surely have to study for a year at studienkolleg. If you do have 13 years of education or more, then follow step 2 below.

Step 2-  Choosing a University

In step 2, you will choose a university for you. Before choosing a university, you must make sure that you have decided which course of study. This is important as not all universities offer all the courses that international students want. This simply means that certain universities offer specific courses. Once you have decided on a course or field of studies for you for further higher education then follow step 3 below.

Step 3- How to find a university

Once you have decided on your desired course of studies, you can find a university on the database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This website helps you choose a course as an international student. Use this database carefully so that you can save time and search for your desired course and university without any issues. Once you have chosen a course and university, then follow step 4 below.

Step 4- Direct or Indirect Admission Application                                                       

Applying directly to the university or through Uni-Assist is the next step. You will have to get information on the webpage of your desired university as if they will give you a direct admission facility or you will have to get admission through Uni-Assist (this organization does charge a minimum of 75 Euros for the admission process). You can get more info about Uni-Assist here.

Step 5- Gathering Documents

Ask your desired uni about the required documents you have to send for the admission process. For example, you must present your higher education school-leaving certification, bachelor’s and or master’s degree certificates This process may take a lot of time to prepare well in advance so that deadline can be caught without any problem.

Step 6- Educational Documents Attestation

In some countries, the students must get educational documents attestation from respective educational boards and universities before sending these documents to the university. So do not forget this if you need to do this.

Step 7- Language Proficiency

You need to show that you have the required language proficiency to study in Germany. You either need German language (only in case when your course will be taught in German medium of instruction with B2 level for a bachelor’s degree and C1 for a master’s degree) or English language (IELTS or TOEFL) test certificate proofs with a minimum level of 6.0 score for bachelor degree and 6.5 (IELTS score) for a master degree program.

Step 8- Get an Admission Letter

Once you have sent all your required documents to your university, you will get a letter of admission upon acceptance. This letter you will use to apply for your student residence permit.

Subject Wise List of Universities in Germany

Universities in Germany are ranked higher in the world every year. Most of these provide the highest level of education and that is why many students come to Germany to study. For your convenience, here is the list of subject-wise universities in Germany for students.

Top universities in Accountancy and Finance

Top Universities in Germany for Art

Top universities for Biological Sciences

Top universities for Business and Management

Top Universities for Civil and Structural Engineering

Top universities for Economics

Top universities for Computer Science

Top universities for Electrical Engineering

Top Universities in Germany for Law

Top universities for Mathematics

Top universities for MBBS/Medicine

Top Universities for Political Science

There are many other universities in Germany that you can choose from for your studies. Choose a program carefully at a university so that all goes well for you.

English Language Requirements for German Universities

Studying in Germany is a dream for many international students. If your field of studies is going to be lectured in English, tests such as TOEFL (minimum score of 550 points for the paper-based test or 213 points for the computer-based test) or IELTS (Band 6.0 for bachelor’s degree and 6.5 for master’s degree) are required. Many students wonder if it’s possible to study in Germany without IELTS or not.

Study in Germany without IELTS

The fact is that, if you have studied your previous degree in English medium of instruction, then you may be subject to be admitted without the IELTS requirement only and only if:

  • Your chosen German university allows you to do so,
  • You get a letter of confirmation from your previous university that your medium of instruction for the latest degree was English,
  • The chosen university then accepts this confirmation and writes about it in the admission letter too.

These all major requirements must be met to be able to get admitted into a university without IELTS. Many universities accept these confirmations as required English language level from international students.

List of Documents for Germany Student Visa

For applying student visa in Germany, one needs to submit all required documents. Following are the major documents, however, you may be asked to submit extra documents as per instructions of your respective German embassy:

  • valid passport (issued within the last 10 years and with at least 12 months validity left after the scheduled return);
  • Application form and declarations duly signed;
  • 1 copy of your passport’s data page (A4 size copy);
  • 3 passport pictures according to biometric specifications:
  • cover letter from the applicant explaining the exact purpose and duration of stay;
  • letter of admission from a German university (electronic version);
  • proof of payment of study fees, if applicable;
  • proof of language proficiency in English and/or German (only if the course is taught in
    German);
  • proof of other academic qualifications, if applicable;
  • To study in Germany, you need to show the visa officer that you can manage your living expenses. Proof of financial means to cover the costs for the time of your studies by one of the following documents:
    • confirmation of scholarship/ stipend
    • “Verpflichtungserklärung” (formal obligation letter) by a sponsor living in Germany (this simply means any of your family members living in Germany can sponsor you for your living expenses in Germany. To do so, they must show work contracts and salary slips with bank statements that they have a good financial situation plus this letter from the local foreign office.
    • Proof of blocked account in the name of the applicant showing a minimum balance of €11,208. In case you opt for a blocked account in Germany, the proof needs to include the remark that the account holder can dispose of a monthly amount of €934,- Euros.
  •  travel health insurance covering the period from your departure to the date of enrollment
    at the university (mentioned in your letter of admission) (approx. 3 months).

PLEASE NOTE

You cannot withdraw more than 934 Euros per month from a blocked account in Germany. However, especially at the beginning of your stay, you might be required to spend more than 934 Euros in a month (e.g. to pay a deposit when renting a room or an apartment). It is therefore highly recommended to make sure that you have access to sufficient financial means according to your situation.