General information

For academics who wish to work as a scientist/ researcher at an insitution or university in Germany need to apply for a visa before entering the country.

Researchers are third country nationals who

1. Hold a doctoral degree or appropriate German or foreign university degree giving access to doctoral programs , AND
2. Have been selected by a research institution and admitted to the territory of a Member State, AND
3. Pursue a research activity for which such a degree is normally required

This also includes doctoral students who are enrolled at a foreign (e.g. Singapore) University and want to travel to Germany for research.
If you are enrolled at a German university to complete a full time doctoral study in Germany, you need to apply for a “Student visa”
If you meet the requirements for the Blue Card EU, you can also apply for the Blue Card EU instead of a research visa. Please refer to the checklist “Blue Card EU”.

Please ensure that your application documents are complete! Incomplete applications can cause delays or may result in rejection of the visa application.
This checklist is regularly updated but makes no claim to be complete.
Further documentation can at all times be requested or provided by the applicant, in support of the application.

Prepare your application

Please do not staple the documents and renounce paper clips.

• original duly completed online application form and Declaration in accordance with Section 53 and 54 of the Residence Act
  

The following documents need to be presented in original and 1 copy:

• passport (at least 2 free pages, not older than 10 years)
• for non-Singaporeans: proof of legal residence in Singapore (e.g. EP;DP; Student Pass), incl. printout of your current Singaporean residence permit validity (no QR-Code)
• recent passport photograph (not older than 3 months) according to biometric specifications (see sample photos below)
• health insurance (travel health insurance) valid at least for the first 3 months of the stay
• Hosting agreement (“Aufnahmevereinbarung” - Contract for issuance of a residence permit according to Section 18d of the German Residence Act) OR employment contract
• If no hosting agreement is concluded: Declaration of employment (“Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis”), filled out by employer in Germany
• Curriculum vitae of professional career, including certificates, diplomas, etc. of your higher education
• Invitation letter from the employer
• Motivation letter, incl. a description of your research field and project
• University degree certificates and if applicable, official translation into German or English
• proof of adequate financial means (either at least 947 € per month without a contract of employment or if a contract of employment is planned, proof of the statutory minimum wage of currently 1647 €/ month)
• If applicable: proof of scholarship
• fee for the processing of the visa application is the equivalent of EURO 75.00 to be paid in SGD, either by cash or credit card (Visa- and Mastercard only)

Information on the visa process

Please do not send unrequested documents to the Visa Department, especially not before applying for the visa, as those cannot be kept. Please submit all documents when applying in person at the Embassy.
Foreign documents issued in other languages than English or German have to be submitted with an official Translation.
Foreign public documents need to be duly legalized by the competent German Embassy in the issuing country, or, if applicable, provided with an Apostille. For documents from some countries, individual document verification might be necessary, that process would require more time and an additional fee.
The processing of the visa application is usually 2-3 weeks, upon submission of complete documents, sometimes longer.
You will be contacted as soon as the application has been decided.
Please note that questions regarding the status of your visa application cannot be answered.
It is recommended that at no time a flight ticket should be purchased until a visa has been granted.

Book your Appointment

To submit your application, please book an appointment and appear in person at the Visa Department.

There your complete application documents including the visa fee will be accepted, a short interview will be conducted and biometric data registered.

The appointment needs to be booked through the appointment system of the Embassy.