Residence permit for the purpose of training Issued for the purpose of preparing for and studying at university

You must apply for a residence permit at the foreigners authority responsible for your place of residence. The procedure is as follows:

• Depending on the foreigners authority and your request, it may be possible to apply online. Find out whether your foreigners authority offers electronic applications for residence permits.
• If the application can only be made in person, make an appointment with the Foreigners' Registration Office. During the appointment, your application will be accepted and your supporting documents checked (bring these with you to the appointment). Your fingerprints will be taken for the production of an electronic residence permit (eAT card).
• In the case of an electronic application, the Foreigners' Registration Office will contact you after receiving your online application to arrange an appointment at the Foreigners' Registration Office if necessary. During the appointment, your documents will be checked (bring them with you to the appointment) and your fingerprints will be taken for the production of the electronic residence permit (eAT card).
• If your application is approved, the Foreigners' Registration Office will arrange for the eAT card to be issued.
• After about six to eight weeks you can collect the eAT card from the Foreigners' Registration Office.
• The eAT card must always be collected in person.
• Fees are charged for the issue of the residence permit. The time and form of payment vary depending on the authority.

The foreigners authority responsible for the applicant's place of residence

• You have a recognised and valid passport or passport substitute and - if required for entry - an appropriate visa.
• There is no interest in deporting you.
• Their stay does not jeopardise or impair the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• You have been admitted to a state-recognised university or a recognised educational institution in Germany.
• Your livelihood is secured for the duration of your studies.
• Depending on the study requirements of your degree programme, you may have to provide proof of the language skills required for your studies (usually at least level B2) to the immigration authority. No proof of language skills is required if these have already been tested by the host university as part of the admission decision or are to be acquired as part of a preparatory language course

• Valid passport
• Current biometric photo
• Visa, if required
• Proof of livelihood (e.g. scholarship certificate, declaration of commitment, blocked account at a bank, proof of parents' income or similar)
• Rental agreement
• Proof of your health insurance
• Letter of admission from the educational institute
• If applicable, proof of the required language skills, e.g. through suitable language certificates such as language tests from the ALTE-certified examination providers Goethe-Institut, telc GmbH, ÖSD, TestDAF, but also DSH, DSD, TOEFL, IELTS
• For participation in study preparation programmes: Proof of admission to the preparatory college or to a preparatory language course

• § Section 16b (1) Residence Act (AufenthG)

• Forms: Forms can be obtained from your foreigners authority; these may also be available online
• Online procedure occasionally possible
• Written form required: yes
• Personal appearance required: yes

• Residence permit for the purpose of training Issued for the purpose of preparing for and studying at university
• Foreigners who wish to study in Germany can obtain a residence permit for the purpose of studying if they have been admitted to a state-recognised higher education institution in Germany.
• The purpose of residence for study purposes also includes completing a compulsory internship and preparatory measures such as attending a preparatory language course - if you have already been admitted to a full-time degree programme - and attending a preparatory college or a comparable institution if you already have a guaranteed place.
• The residence permit is issued for a minimum of one year and generally for a maximum of two years. If the degree programme lasts less than two years, it is issued for the duration of the degree programme.
  If the foreigner participates in an EU or multilateral programme with mobility measures (e.g. ERASMUS+ programme of the European Union) or if an agreement between two or more higher education institutions applies to the foreigner, the residence permit is issued for at least two years, or for the duration of the course if the course lasts less than two years.
• The residence permit entitles the holder to work for up to 120 days or 240 half days per year and to carry out secondary student activities; this does not apply during the stay for study preparation measures in the first year of the stay, except during the holiday period.
• Depending on the foreigners authority and your request, you can apply online or in person.
• A fee is payable for the issue of the residence permit. The time and form of payment vary depending on the authority.
• Responsible: the foreigners authority responsible for the applicant's place of residence

• Applying for a residence permit for students from countries outside the EU/EEA in Hesse

  Display of performance in the source portal