It’s likely that you will require a visa or residency permit in order to join the 450,000+ foreign students who are presently enrolled in German universities.
However, how can one determine whether studying in Germany requires a visa, a residence permit, a mix of the two, or neither? Which kind of visa ought one to apply for? Which papers are required?
Let’s discuss in detail how to get German student visa from Pakistan…
Who Requires a German Student Visa?
If you fit into any of the following categories, you require a student visa:
- You come from a nation where entry into Germany requires a visa.
- Although your study program lasts more than ninety days, you are from a nation whose people do not require a visa to enter Germany for brief visits.
Qualifications for a Study Visa to Germany
Valid Passport
Make sure your passport has at least two blank pages for visa stamps and is valid for the entire time you want to be in Germany.
Admission Letter from a German University
You must get admission to a recognized German university or educational institution prior to submitting an application for a visa. An important document that certifies your acceptance into a course of study is the admission letter.
Proof of Financial Resources
You must demonstrate that you have enough money to pay for your living expenses while visiting Germany. Usually, this consists of official sponsorship letters, bank statements, and scholarship diplomas.
Health Insurance
All foreign students studying in Germany are required to get health insurance. You need to have health insurance that satisfies the standards established by the German government.
Language Fluency
You may be required to provide language test results, such as those from the IELTS or TestDaF, to prove your fluency in German or English, depending on the language of instruction in the program you have selected.
How to Apply for a Student Visa to Germany
You are prepared to apply for a German student visa from Pakistan once you have reviewed all criteria and gathered the required paperwork. The general procedures you must adhere to are as follows:
- Find the nearest German consulate or embassy. To locate the German embassy closest to you, conduct a Google search. The majority of embassies provide their physical address and the most recent information on their official website, which ends in diplo.de.
- Examine the guidelines and protocols. For information on the prerequisites and appointment procedures specific to your nation, see the embassy’s website. Before scheduling an appointment, carefully go over all the information.
- Make an appointment for a visa. Next, make the appointment as directed by the consulate or embassy. While some may also take appointments via phone or email, the majority offer an online gateway for scheduling appointments. Since certain nations get a large number of applications, we advise making your appointment as soon as possible.
- Get paperwork ready and check them twice. Verify that all of your visa paperwork are in order by checking them again. You won’t have to hire experts or organizations to assist you if you follow directions precisely.
- Get ready for the interview for your visa. The interview is the last step of the visa process. Reviewing these frequently asked questions about student visas can help you become ready. All you need to do now is await the formal determination on your visa status.
Checklist for Documents
The following paperwork is required for your German student visa:
- A filled-out application.
- A current passport.
- A duplicate of the biometric page of your passport.
- Photos from passports.
An admission letter from a German university or other comparable establishment stating one of the following:
- Letter of admission in the propaedeutic course.
- Letter of admission in a foundation course.
- University admission letter “Zulassungsbescheinigung”.
- Letter of admission in a preparatory German language course.
- Verified prior education credentials, such as any of the following:
- “Abitur,” a German university entry certification, if you have studied abroad with a German educational institution.
- A recognized academic credential from another country. It must demonstrate that your qualifications are on par with the German Abitur.
- Transcripts or academic records.
- Documentation of language proficiency, such as official German government-approved diplomas from the Goethe Institute/Max Mueller Bhavan, ÖSD, IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge Assessment English.
- Evidence of travel insurance (for the first time).
- A comprehensive resume.
- A recommendation letter.
- Evidence of financial resources in the form of one of these:
- Verification of a stipend or scholarship from the EU or Germany.
- A formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) from a German sponsor.
- Evidence of a blocked account demonstrating that you have at least €11,904 for your time in Germany.
- A parent’s declaration letter.
What About the Processing Time?
After submitting an application, Schengen visas are typically processed in two weeks. Applications for airport transit visas are handled within three business days on average.
Depending on the category, applications for work and student visas take five to 10 weeks. Applications for family reunion visas often take six to twelve months to process.
Applications for visas cannot be processed until all necessary paperwork has been received. If processing takes a long time, you probably haven’t sent in all the necessary paperwork.
Wrap Up
When it comes to the history of education, we have a lot to learn from Germany. For example, the “research universities”—large structures with labs and libraries where knowledge is created and advanced daily—were first established in Germany.
So, get help form professional consultancy firms when it comes to getting German student visa from Pakistan.