Germany Graduate Student Visa Application Process
A German graduate student visa is a long-term (D type) visa required for foreign nationals who wish to attend a graduate program of more than 90 days at a higher education institution in Germany.
Applications for a German graduate student visa are made by submitting different documents for those who have or do not have German language skills. German graduate education in science and social science disciplines can be extended for 1 year if it is not completed within the visa period.
What are the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Germany?
The requirements for a master’s degree in Germany are listed below.
- The applicant must have a passport with at least 1 year validity.
- The applicant must be accepted to a master’s degree from a university in Germany and have received the acceptance letter.
- The applicant must have sufficient resources to cover his/her financial expenses during the period of residence in Germany and must be able to document this situation.
- The applicant must have health insurance valid for the duration of the studies in Germany.
- The applicant must prove English and/or German language proficiency. TOEFL or IELTS for English, DSH, TestDaf or TELC exam results for German are accepted.
How to Get a Germany Visa for German Speaking Master’s Students?
In addition to common documents such as passport, visa application form, undergraduate diploma and acceptance or pre-acceptance letter from a school in Germany, graduate students who speak German must submit a document obtained according to the conditions determined by the relevant educational institution and showing that they are proficient in the language of education during their visa application. Applicants whose native language is German do not need to submit a certificate.
After preparing the necessary documents, the visa applicant must make an online appointment through the website of the intermediary institution Idata. After the appointment record is created, the appointment information and the list of required documents are sent to the applicant via e-mail.
On the appointment date, the applicant must personally go to the relevant Idata visa application center, submit their documents, pay the required fee and complete the biometric process. Once the documents are entered into the German Consulate and the German authorities are included in the evaluation phase of the application documents, the visa process for graduate students who speak German is completed in an average of 3 months.
How to Get a Germany Visa for a Master’s Degree Without Speaking German?
For postgraduate students who do not speak German; in addition to the common documents such as passport, biometric photo, motivation letter, source of income document, health insurance and acceptance or pre-acceptance letter from the school in Germany, a document proving enrollment in a language course of at least 18 hours per week for university preparation must be submitted during the visa application.
After preparing their visa application documents, graduate students who do not speak German must make an online visa appointment through the Idata website. Idata sends an e-mail to the applicant listing the visa appointment information and the documents required for the application.
The applicant must personally go to the relevant Idata visa center on the appointment day, submit their documents and complete their biometric procedures. Once the applicant’s visa documents are submitted to the German Consulate, visa applications for graduate students who do not speak German are finalized within an average of 3 months.
What are the Required Documents for a Germany Graduate Student Visa?
The documents required for a Germany graduate student visa are listed below.
- Germany graduate visa application form : The Germany national visa application form, which can be accessed online, must be filled out completely in English or German and signed by the applicant. 2 application forms must be submitted for the Germany graduate visa application.
- Passport : For a Germany graduate visa, the applicant’s valid passport and 2 photocopies of the photo page on which personal information is written must be attached to the application documents.
- Biometric photo : Two passport-sized photographs of the applicant must be taken within the last 6 months and must be 35 mm x 45 mm in size, in compliance with biometric specifications.
- CV : The applicant’s chronological CV, prepared in the form of a list, must be translated into German and added to the application documents.
- Motivation letter : A motivation letter written by the applicant, explaining the educational information, the purpose of obtaining a visa and future plans, must be among the application documents, together with its German translation.
- Diploma : The applicant’s undergraduate or college diploma, if any, must be added to the application file along with transcripts.
- Student certificate and transcript : If the applicant is continuing his/her university education in Turkey, he/she must have his/her current student certificate and transcript translated into German and included in the application documents.
- Documents of work and activities : Documents of the applicant’s work and activities after school or university education, if any, must be declared.
- Proof of financial means : The applicant must provide proof that he/she has sufficient financial resources, as determined by the Federal Education Grant Act, to support his/her monthly allowance during his/her stay in Germany.
- Travel health insurance : It is necessary to have a valid health insurance policy issued by the Social Security Institution in Turkey or a valid health insurance policy until the student health insurance in Germany begins.
- Germany national visa fee : For a Germany graduate visa, the national visa fee of 75 Euros must be paid and the payment receipt must be submitted during the application.
German speaking graduate students must attach to their visa application documents the acceptance letter from the school in Germany and a language certificate proving that they have mastered the language of instruction according to the conditions determined by the university in Germany. Language test results prepared according to the standards of the European Association of Language Testers are accepted as a document showing German language proficiency.
Students who do not speak German must attach to their graduate visa documents documents proof of application for education in Germany (e.g. application acceptance letter, pre-registration document, application confirmation letter or correspondence with the educational institution) and a document proving enrollment in a language course with a minimum of 18 hours of weekly course program in Germany for university preparation.
The applicant must have the originals, 2 photocopies and translations of Turkish documents into German required for a Germany student visa in his/her visa application file.
How to Fill Out the Germany Postgraduate Student Visa Application Form?
The personal information, professional information, contact information, travel details, references, purpose of going to Germany and place of residence in the Germany graduate student visa application form must be filled in completely by the applicant.
The Germany graduate student visa application form can be filled out online or in printed form, using a blue or black ballpoint pen. The applicant, who has filled out the entire visa application form with up-to-date and accurate information, must sign the last page of the form with a wet signature.
How to Get a Letter from School to Get a Graduate Student Visa in Germany?
In order to obtain a graduate student visa in Germany, the letter received from the educational institution in Germany must include the duration of education, scholarship conditions if the applicant has a scholarship, accommodation in Germany and the purpose of the visa application, clearly and addressed to the German Consulate. In the Germany master visa application, the original and two photocopies of the letter must be submitted.
How to Get Health Insurance for a Graduate Student Visa in Germany?
Health insurance for a graduate student visa in Germany can be made through insurance companies in Turkey. Health insurance required for Germany visa applications can be made at the most affordable prices through Vizem.net.
Health insurance policies must be added to the visa application file in German or English. Insurance packages selected for a German graduate visa must be designed for long-term stays and cover the entire duration of education.
How to Get a Graduate Student Visa Appointment for Germany?
The appointment for a graduate student visa for Germany is made through the online appointment system on the Idata website. The national visa appointment registration system determines the applicant’s travel purpose through specific questions and creates a list of documents that need to be prepared for the relevant visa. After completing the personal information section, applicants can get an appointment number by paying a certain fee through the system.
After completing the online appointment registration, the applicant is sent an e-mail containing the appointment number and the documents that need to be prepared. After receiving the Germany visa appointment number, the applicant receives a second e-mail containing the appointment date and time.
Appointments for Germany graduate visa applications made under the consultancy of Vizem.net are made by the consultants.
How to Apply for a German National Visa for Masters?
In applying for a German national visa for a master’s degree, the applicant must first obtain an acceptance or pre-acceptance letter from an educational institution in Germany. Educational institutions in Germany generally define their own special conditions for master’s degree applications, such as having completed or about to complete a 4-year undergraduate program in Turkey, German or English language proficiency.
After preparing the Germany national visa application form and other required documents, an online appointment record must be created on the Idata website for the national visa application. On the appointment date, the visa applicant must personally go to the relevant Idata application center.
On the appointment day, the applicant’s passport, fingerprint record and necessary documents are received by Idata staff for the evaluation phase. Once the documents in the application file are entered into the German Consulate, the German national visa application is finalized in an average of 3 months.
Can I Get a Graduate Student Visa from the German Consulate?
It is not possible to obtain a graduate student visa from the German Consulate. Graduate student visa applications are made through the Idata visa application centers, which are intermediary institutions. The German Embassy is the sole authority for the evaluation and approval of visa applications.
How Much Is the Germany Master Visa Fee?
Germany graduate student visa fees are given in the table below.
| Services | Short-term education visa fee | Long-term education visa fee |
|---|---|---|
| Germany graduate student visa fee | 80 EUR | 100 EUR |
| Filling out the application form and petition | 50 EUR | 60 EUR |
| Making an appointment | Free | Free |
| Biometrics operations | 40 EUR | 40 EUR |
| Consulting service | 60 EUR | 80 EUR |
| Total | 230 EUR | 280 EUR |
How Many Days Does It Take to Get a Germany Graduate Student Visa?
Applications for a German graduate student visa are finalized within an average of 3 months, once the application documents are submitted to the foreign representative office and the authorities in Germany are involved in the process. Application results can be accessed via the Idata website, using the passport and barcode number given to the applicant after the application registration.
Is It Difficult to Get a Germany Visa for Graduate Students?
Obtaining a Germany visa for graduate students is not a difficult process if the application documents are submitted completely and the motivation letter is convincing enough for the consulate. The student’s above-average success in documents such as transcripts and language certificates submitted for obtaining a visa contributes positively to the evaluation process of the Germany visa application.
What are the Reasons for Germany Graduate Student Visa Application Rejection?
Reasons for rejection of a Germany graduate student visa application are listed below.
- Submission of a forged or falsified travel document
- Lack of sufficient financial means of subsistence
- Failure to obtain the financial resources required for travel through legal means
- Having stayed in a Schengen area country for 90 days in the last 180 days
- The applicant is shown as entry-barred in the Schengen Information System
- Considered a threat to public policy or internal security by any country in the Schengen area
- Posing a threat to public health
- It is considered a threat to international relations by any country in the Schengen area.
- The reasons for the purpose and conditions of the planned stay in Germany are not convincing.
- Raising suspicions that he will not leave Germany despite his visa expiry
- Having had a visa violation in the past
- Lack of valid health insurance
In order to eliminate the possibility of a German visa rejection, it is important for graduate students applying for a visa to prepare all required documents with up-to-date and accurate information and to schedule their visa appointments and procedures according to their planned travel dates.
How to Extend a Germany Postgraduate Student Visa?
Germany graduate student visa extension process is carried out by going to the immigration office in cases where the graduate education period is not completed within the planned period.
For applicants who want to extend the validity period of their graduate visa, the documents that need to be submitted during the visa extension process in Germany are listed after making an appointment at the immigration office.
How to Go to Germany as a Prospective Master’s Student?
Those who want to go to Germany as a prospective student for a master’s degree must obtain a prospective student visa. The applicant must submit the application form, visa fee, passport, photo, motivation letter, CV, documents on activities after school or university, a document showing that an application has been made to a school in Germany, a language certificate, health insurance and a source of income.
Postgraduate students must submit separate documents for the German student candidate visa, unlike the undergraduate education documents they submit during the visa application. If the applicant is continuing his/her university education, he/she must submit his/her high school diploma and ÖSYM result document showing that he/she has passed the university entrance exam held in Turkey and is entitled to a four-year university education. If the applicant is continuing his/her university education in Turkey, the current student certificate, transcript and graduation diplomas, if any, must be added to the application file.