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Munich Student Guide

5 Visas

5.1 General Info

A quick note on terminology: visas are documents allowing legal entry to a country for a specified purpose and period of time. These are distinct from residence permits which, as the name implies, state that you are officially a resident (of some status) of the country in question. Visas are obtained prior to initial entry, and residence permits can, in general, only be obtained after entry to the country.

Unfortunately, the issue of visas is more complex than this book can reasonably cover, and I will generally direct readers to Google or their closest German consulate/embassy to sort out this issue. However, I will provide some very brief information based on the nationality of the reader.

5.1.1 EU Citizens

Congrats, you don’t have to do anything to enter Germany as a student! You likely already knew this, however.

5.1.2 “Schengen Friends”

The “Schengen Friends” are countries which are not formally part of the Schengen zone, but have special agreements with Schgengen/EU countries allowing citizens of these countries to enter the zone without a visa (initially) and to stay in the zone for 90 out of any 180 day period. Such members include:

  • The United Kingdom
  • The United States
  • Canada
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Most countries in Latin America

A complete lsit of such countries can be found at this Wiki page on the Schengen visa policies. A detailed list of countries from which citizens can enter Germany without a visa and apply for a residence permit directly can be found on the Studying in Germany website.

Traditionally, citizens of these countries do not need to apply for specific student visas. In fact, some Germany embassies/consulates explicitly discourage these nationals from making appointments or otherwise attempting to obtain student visas. Instead, official recommendations have been to simply arrive in Germany on a Schengen tourist visa, and to apply for the student residence permit upon arrival

5.1.3 Third Party Nationals

If you are neither a citizen of an EU/Schengen country nor the “Schengen Friends” above, then you will need to contact your local German embassy or consulate to make an appointment for obtaining a student visa.

(Details on the procedure here; required docs, website to make appointment, appointment procedure,…)