General information

If you wish to study at an University in Germany, you are required to obtain a residence permit in form of a national visa. This visa must be issued before you enter the country.
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.

All kinds of student visa have to be applied for at German Visa Application Centre - VFS Global. For more information see below- “book an appointment”.

Prepare your application

Please do not staple the documents and renounce paper clips.

• original duly completed visa 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
• recognized entitlement to university admission (e.g. high school diploma or graduation examination certificate), check ANABIN
• Letter of motivation
• evidence of previous academic performance, degree certificates
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of sufficient financial means for the entire stay by:
  • a) proof of sponsorship/stipendium by a German Institution OR
  • b) blocked account OR
    
  • c) a formal letter of obligation, according to paragraph §§66,68 of the Aliens Act, from a resident of Germany and for the duration of the applicant's stay in Germany
• fee for the processing of the visa application is the equivalent of EURO 75.00 to be paid in SGD. Additionally, VFS charges a service fee of EUR 34.13 in SGD as well.

Specific requirements:

1. for students:

• letter of acceptance/admission by a German university (“Zulassungsbescheid”) or / and
• admission or invitation to an admission test at a Studienkolleg (with fixed date) or / and
• for blocked account (s.a.): with a balance of at least 11.904€/year or 992€/month (2025)
  
• proof of German language knowledge – B2 level (if lectures being held in German language; if lectures will be held in English: a confirmation of the University)

2. for exchange students:

• Confirmation letter from your Singapore university that you are taking part in an exchange program and that you will return to this school
• Letter of acceptance/admission by a German university (“Zulassungsbescheid”)
• proof of German language knowledge – B2 level (if lectures being held in German language; if lectures will be held in English: a confirmation of the University)
• for blocked account (s.a.): with a balance of at least 11.904€/year or 992€/month (2025), if you are staying less than one year
  

3. language course as preparation for university studies:

• Admission/acceptance letter from a German University + confirmation that a language course is a requirement or / and
• admission or invitation to an admission test at a Studienkolleg (with fixed date) + confirmation that a language course is a requirement
• Registration with a language course and confirmation that the course fees have been paid
• Confirmation of the language school regarding the type and duration of the language course
• for blocked account (s.a.): with a balance of at least 11.904€/year or 992€/month (2025)
  

4. student applicants:

• Proof of correspondence with German university or Assist
• for blocked account (s.a.): with a balance of at least 13.092€/year or 1.091€/month (2025)
  

5. Student- internships:

• for financial means- see above OR internship pay min of 992€ (net)
  
• for blocked account (s.a.): with a balance of at least 11.904€/year or 992€/month (2025)
  
• Agreement by the German Federal Emlpoyment Agency- International Placement Services (ZAV). The agreement has to be applied for by your future employer OR
• Proof of local university that the internship is compulsory (“Fachpraktikum”)
• Internship contract with the German employer. It should contain precise details of the nature,
  content and duration of the intended work, the working hours, the place of work and
  the amount of remuneration.
• internship plan, which should provide information about the course of the internship. It
  shall list the stages completed during the traineeship and indicate the activities
  carried out during each stage.

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 VFS.
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 5-6 weeks, upon submission of complete documents, sometimes longer.
You will be contacted by VFS as soon as the Embassy as decided on your applicaion. 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 application center of the Embassy - VFS:

There your complete application documents including the visa fee will be accepted and biometric data registered.

The appointment needs to be booked through the website of VFS.