Germany Student Visa: Requirements, Blocked Account & Steps (2026/27)

To get a German student visa you apply for a national (D) visa for study at the German embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence. You need an admission letter, proof of about €11,904 for one year (usually a blocked account), health insurance and your certificates, and you pay a €75 fee.

Start as soon as you are admitted: DAAD warns it can take months for a visa to be issued. This guide covers the 2026/27 rules step by step, including the special procedure for applicants living in Afghanistan.

Which visa do you need?

Student visa document checklist

The exact list comes from your mission's website or the Consular Services Portal questionnaire. The German Embassy Kabul's student information sheet lists:

• Valid passport (for Afghan passports: machine-readable and valid at least 90 days after entry).
• CV and motivation letter.
• School and university certificates with translations.
• Admission letter from the German university (master's and PhD). Bachelor's applicants may apply with an application confirmation from the university.
• Proof of financial means (blocked account, formal obligation or scholarship).
• Proof of first-year tuition payment, if your program charges tuition.
• Travel health insurance from your travel date to the start of studies.
• Marriage or divorce certificates, if applicable.

For how to certify and translate these, see documents, translation and legalization.

Proof of funds and the blocked account

In most cases you must prove €11,904 for one year, which is €992 per month. DAAD lists €992 per month as current from 1 January 2025, and Study in Germany and the German missions still state €11,904 per year. The amount can change before the 2027/28 intake, so check your mission's page before you transfer money.

Accepted forms of proof, according to Study in Germany and the missions:

• Blocked account (Sperrkonto) – the most common option.
• Formal obligation (Verpflichtungserklärung) from someone living in Germany, under Sections 66–68 Residence Act.
• Scholarship award from a recognised scholarship provider.
• Parents' income documents or a bank guarantee may be accepted – ask your mission first.

Blocked account rules

• The Federal Foreign Office no longer publishes a list of providers and makes no recommendations.
• The account is usually opened for one year, and only a fixed amount can be withdrawn each month.
• Banks charge fees on top; DAAD says setup fees are between €70 and €150.
• If your visa is refused, the refusal notice is enough to lift the block.

Budget for the real cost of living too: DAAD estimates €900–€1,200 per month depending on the city. See cost of studying in Germany.

Health insurance for the visa and after arrival

You need two kinds of cover. For the visa, the Kabul embassy sheet asks for travel health insurance valid from your travel date until the start of your studies. For enrolment and the residence permit you then need health insurance valid in Germany.

DAAD explains that most students are covered by statutory health insurance, and students under 30 pay a reduced rate of about €120–130 per month. From age 30 the standard contribution applies, which DAAD says is often much more expensive. If you choose private insurance, you generally cannot switch to statutory insurance during your studies.

Step-by-step: applying for the visa

1. 1

   Find your responsible mission

   Apply at the German mission covering your place of residence. Use the Federal Foreign Office list of German missions abroad.

2. 2

   Open the blocked account and buy insurance

   Do this as soon as you have the admission letter, before the summer rush.

3. 3

   Apply on the Consular Services Portal

   Many missions accept study visas through digital.diplo.de. You upload documents, they are screened, then you get or book an appointment. Incomplete uploads delay processing.

4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   Bring originals, copies and the €75 fee. Appointments and checklists are free – missions do not work with agents.

5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   Processing can take months. Status enquiries are often not answered.

6. 6

   Collect the visa and travel

   The visa is usually valid for a limited period; you convert it into a residence permit in Germany.

Applying from Afghanistan

The visa section of the German Embassy in Kabul remains closed until further notice. National visas for study and work for residents of Afghanistan are handled by the German Embassy Islamabad.

1. 1

   Upload online (since 1 June 2026)

   Submit the study visa application on the Consular Services Portal. All future applications must go through the portal.

2. 2

   Book your own appointment

   Once your upload is complete, book the in-person appointment in Islamabad according to the validity of your Pakistani entry visa. The old waiting list is closed.

3. 3

   Get a Pakistani entry visa

   Travel to Pakistan only shortly before your confirmed appointment. The embassy pages do not say you must stay in Pakistan during processing.

4. 4

   Pay €75 in cash in PKR

   About PKR 25,000 depending on the exchange rate. Your passport is not kept during processing.

5. 5

   Wait up to six months

   The embassy says checking can take up to six months depending on the purpose; no status answers are given.

Afghans living in another country apply at the German mission responsible for that country, under its rules.

Applying from Pakistan, India and other countries

Check your mission's study-visa page: for Pakistan, the German missions in Pakistan take study visas through the Consular Services Portal. Applicants with Indian qualifications should also prepare the APS certificate, which APS India says is part of the documentation generally required for the student visa.

Mistakes that delay or sink a visa

• Applying late. Apply as soon as you have the admission letter; processing can take months and the semester will not wait.
• Incomplete portal uploads. The missions say incomplete uploads delay processing. Upload every page, in the required format.
• Mismatched names or dates. Names must match across passport, certificates and (for Afghans) the Tazkira.
• Too little money in the blocked account. Check the current amount on your mission's page and add the bank's fees.
• A weak motivation letter. Explain why this program, why Germany and how it fits your previous studies and plans.
• Paying agents. The missions do not cooperate with agencies, and uni-assist payment requests come only through My assist.

A realistic visa timeline for winter 2027/28

If your visa is refused

Since 1 July 2025, a remonstration (objection) against a visa refusal has no legal effect. Your options are a new application, usually with the standard fee, or a lawsuit at the Administrative Court Berlin at your own expense. Read the refusal reasons carefully and fix them before re-applying – common problems are incomplete documents, insufficient funds or doubts about your study plans.

After arrival: the residence permit

1. 1.Register your address at the residents' registration office, usually within one week.
2. 2.Enrol at the university and arrange German health insurance.
3. 3.Apply at the foreigners' office (Ausländerbehörde) before your visa expires, with passport, enrolment certificate, registration certificate, proof of funds, health insurance and the fee of up to €100.
4. 4.The permit is usually issued for up to two years and extended if you progress in your studies. The card can take several months.

Your permit lets you work 140 full days or 280 half days per year – see work and stay in Germany after graduation. Keep all visa and enrolment deadlines in one place and track deadlines for free on FindUniPath.