Entry Regulations and Residence Permit in Germany

EU nationals and nationals of certain countries (e.g., Australia, Great Britain, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Canada, Liechtenstein, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States) do not need a visa to enter Germany.

Students from other coutries will need a valid visa to enter Germany!

• See the list of countries for which there is / is not a visa requirement on the multilingual web page of the Federal Foreign Office. This page also contains information about applying for a visa.
• Make sure you apply for this visa in good time at the German diplomatic mission in your home country.
• Please note: During the peak travel season there may be a longer  waiting period for making an application to a German mission.
• For special information, see the web page of the diplomatic mission responsible for you.
• Note that the 3-month Schengen visa (tourist visa, visitor’s visa, business visa, visa to attend a language course without the intention of pursuing university study) cannot be converted into a residence permit in Germany. In this case, you must leave Germany and reenter with a special visa issued by the diplomatic mission responsible.

If you enter Germany from a non-EU country, you must prove you have sufficient financial resources when you apply for the visa. If you can enter Germany without a visa, you can prove you have sufficient financial resources when you apply for a residence permit.

Please check further information:

on the prove of the financial resources (Finanzierungsnachweis) and the German blocked bank account

on visa and entry formalities at: The Hamburg Welcome Portal and Federal Foreign Office

Students from non-EU countries who hold a valid residence title issued by another EU Member State for study purposes, may enter Germany and study in Germany  up to 360 days!

However, the German university, in this case the TUHH, must notify the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees of your stay beforehand. In any case, the notification should be received in full 30 days before your entry.

If your exchange stay falls under this mobility regulation, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can take the necessary steps.

Contact person: Eva Turos/eva.turos(at)tuhh(dot)de or internationaloffice(at)tuhh(dot)de

Further information: https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/MobilitaetEU/MobilitaetStudent/mobilitaet-student-node.html

You must apply for a residence permit at the local Immigration Office within the period for which your national visa is valid :

at the Aliens Registration Office , the Welcome Center Hamburg  or one of the District Immigration Authorities directly!

• Please check on the Checklist od the Aliens Registration office which documents are required for the application
• When you apply for the first time you will be charged a processing fee of up to 110€. Extending your residence permit costs upwards to 80€.
• To obtain your permit, you must show up in person at the Alien´s Registration Office. 
• You can use the Online Tool for arranging of the residence permit for registering and the documents upload.

>> Please note that the processing time for the extension of your residence permit applications is currently longer then usual at the Aliens Registrations Office! It is necessary to make your arrangements in a good time!