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Visa & Residence Permit
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Residence permit
As soon as you have received your admission from Bielefeld University, you begin to prepare for your stay in Germany.
Visa & Residence Permit
- Who needs a visa?
International students who stay in Germany for more than three months require a visa that is issued by the German embassy or consulate in their home country. Contact details and addresses of the embassies can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.
Exception: Citizens of the EU member states, the EEA states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) and nationals of such states that have bilateral agreements with the Federal Republic of Germany (Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, USA) do not require a visa being issued in advance.
The Federal Foreign Office also provides information on entry and residence requirements in Germany.
Attention: With a tourist visa (Schengen visa) you have to leave Germany after 3 months at the latest. It cannot be converted into a student visa.
- When do you have to apply?
- What documents do you need?
Please note: There are three ways to proof your funding. You have to prove that you have at least € 861 a month at your disposal (1). You can submit a certificate from your bank or submit a declaration from your parents (e.g.), in which they commit to finance you for the duration of your studies (2). A person from the Federal Republic of Germany commits to finance your studies (3). In this case, this person must provide a certificate that they have sufficient funds.
After your arrival in Germany, you can apply for a residence permit at the immigration office.
