General information about visa can be found here: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa-service/-/215870

According to the EU Directive 2016/801/EU, easier EU mobility conditions apply for persons with a valid residence permit for study purposes issued by another EU Member State. The Directive has not been implemented in Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland and therefore does not apply in these countries or for residence permit for study purposes issued by these countries.

Persons with residence permits for study purposes issued by all other EU Member States do not have to apply for a residence permit in Germany, if their stay in Germany does not exceed 360 days and if a university in Germany has submitted a prior notification of student’s intended stay in Germany for study purposes to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in advance (sec. 16c Residence Act). Information on implementation of the EU Directive in each EU country can be found here.

Information on the procedure is available on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

The application form is available here.

In order to file for the notification, the following requirements must be fulfilled and required documents must be submitted:

1. A residence permit for the purpose of studying according to the EU Directive 2016/801/EU, issued by another EU Member State. The residence permit must be valid for the entire duration of the planned stay in Germany.
2. Proof of admission to an EU study program, a multilateral study program or a program according to an agreement between at least two universities
3. A valid admission from a German university
4. Proof of identity (e.g. passport)
5. Proof that the applicant’s livelihood is secured for the period of stay in Germany, and proof of sufficient health insurance. Possibilities to prove a secured livelihood:

• Blocked account with at least 10.236 euros annually (5.118€ per half-year), monthly withdrawals cannot exceed 853€.
• Declaration of commitment of friends or family living in Germany
• Scholarship

According to the Directive 2016/801/EU, the university should  submit the notification to BAMF at the time the residence title is applied for in the other EU member state. If the university receives the information about the planned stay for study purposes in Germany only at a later time, the BAMF must be notified immediately, at latest 30 days before the planned entry.

The BAMF issues a certificate for the student confirming the authorization to enter and stay in Germany according to the mobility arrangement for the purpose of studying. This certificate can also be sent to the host university in Germany.

The student is permitted to work for up to one third of the time of residence in Germany, and to take up spare-time student employment (sec. 16a para. 2 Residence Act).

After the certificate has been issued or after a rejection, the local immigration office is responsible for all questions about residence permit. The university as well as the student are obligated to immediately report all changes regarding the requirements mentioned above to the corresponding immigration office. (sec. 16c para. 5 no. 2 Residence Act). The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is responsible for mobility extensions within the scope of the course.

After successful completion of studies at a German university, a residence title for the purpose of job-seeking can be granted for up to 18 months by the local immigration office (sec. 20 para. 3 no. 1 Residence Act).

The corresponding immigration office can be found here.

Please note:

The here represented information is a general service offer. The local immigration offices are solely responsible for general residency matters. The department 72A of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is responsible for issues regarding student mobility according to sec. 16c of the Residence Act.

Especially for questions regarding required documents, please contact the corresponding authority. 

We are pleased to be able to offer very well-qualified international students from our partner universities a scholarship from the Baden-Württemberg Foundation. The students are nominated for a scholarship by their home universities. After DHBW Karlsruhe has agreed on the funding, the foundation makes the final decision. Students are normally informed three months before the start of the semester whether they will receive a scholarship.