Visa for International Degree-Seeking Students

Whether you need a visa for Germany as an international degree-seeking student depends on your country of origin. As a rule, the following visa requirements apply:

• Citizens of a member state of the European Union, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland do not require a visa to enter and stay in Germany. Within two weeks of your arrival in Germany, however, you must register with the relevant residents' registration office.

• Citizens of Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, San Marino, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the USA do not require a visa to enter Germany. However, you must apply for a residence permit at the local immigration office within 90 days of your arrival in Germany.

• Citizens of all other countries require a visa to enter Germany. Apply for a national visa to study at the relevant German embassy or consulate. After arriving in Germany, you must apply for a residence permit at the local immigration office at least 4 to 6 weeks before your visa expires.
• If you are already in Germany and have a valid residence permit, contact your local immigration office and ask about the possibility of converting your existing residence permit into a residence permit to study at Heilbronn University.

Please note: This information is only intended to give you an initial indication and does not claim to be exhaustive. You can obtain binding information on visa requirements from the German embassy or consulate in your home country.

Various documents are usually required to apply for a study visa, including travel health insurance, proof of financial means and, if applicable, a country-specific certificate of recognition. Issuing these documents can take some time. Booking an appointment with the German embassy or consulate in good time is also part of the preparation. You should therefore find out about the visa requirements at an early stage, ideally during the application process for a place at HHN.

The visa application process can take several months. It is therefore recommended that you make an appointment with the German embassy or consulate in your home country as early as possible.