How to Get a Visa for Doctorate Studies in Germany? – German VISA for PhD Students

In Germany, there are a lot of foreign people studying their doctoral degrees and the number of international doctoral candidates increases every year. This can be understood from the fact that in Germany every one person among the other seven doctorate students has a foreign nationality. This is because of the great research facilities and great education which is provided by the German institutions.

So, if you want to be another doctoral candidate at a German university then you should be aware of the different policies including the German residence and entrance policies. They also include the German visa policies and the residency restrictions for the candidates wanting to pursue doctoral studies in Germany. However, the German consulates or embassies in every country are responsible for the issuance of the visa. The Visa is basically the permit for you to enter and reside in Germany and it is a must for non-German citizens to have.

Who needs a German visa?

In order to enter in Germany, you need a German visa as an international person. For this purpose, you must know that for different countries the visa policies are different. So, there are 3 categories of international people for which there are different visa policies described as follows.

How People from European Countries get German Visa other than Germany?

People belonging to the countries of Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and the European Union have the freedom of coming into Germany whenever they want. They just have to show their identification cards in order to get into Germany. However, they just have to register themselves at the “Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt” which is also known as the Resident Registration Office. They have to register only if they want to live in Germany for more than 3 months.

However, while registering at the Resident Registration Office you must provide some documents. This includes an “Anmeldeformular” which is an application form completely filled in the German language, your passport or ID card, and a marriage certificate if needed.

After the registration, you will get a certificate from the registration office, also known as “Anmeldebestätigung” in the German language. After the possession of the resident certificate, you will be able to work or enroll in the studies at the German university.

How to get German Visa for People from Non-European Countries?

If you belong to countries like Japan, Israel, the Republic of South Korea, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America then you also don’t need to have a German visa for visiting Germany. In the situation, in which you want to stay in Germany for longer than 3 months then you need to have to register at the “Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt’’ which is also known as the Resident Registration Office.

After you get the certificate of registration you should get a permit for residence. For the residence permit, it is necessary for you to state the reason for your stay in Germany. In order to get the residence permit, you need to go to the “Ausländerbehörde” also known as Foreigners Registration Office.

How to get Visa for Germany for Nationals from the third world?

If you belong to the countries belonging to the third world then it is necessary that you get a German visa in order to enter the state of Germany. However, this is necessary that while applying for a visa at the German embassy or consulate in your home country, you must state the reason for going to Germany. Moreover, you also have to provide further documents while applying for the visa. The application form for the German visa is easily available at the online website of the German consulate or embassy in your home country.

Like all residents of other countries, you also have to register yourself at the registration office within one week of your arrival in Germany. Moreover, after you get the registration certificate it is necessary that you apply for the residence permit from the Foreigners Authority. As the residence permit will be an important document to show at the university for enrollment in the research institution or at the university.

Things to Ponder before German Study VISA Application:

There are things that you need to consider before applying for the visa at a German consulate or the embassy in your home country. Following we have stated those requirements for German Study or DAAD Scholarship VISA; which you need to satisfy early.

• Be careful while applying for Visa in Germany

It is necessary that you consider applying for the visa which suits you the best. In order to study at the German university for doctoral studies or any higher education, you need to have a student visa.

Moreover, you should keep in mind that the German tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa or any other kind. This makes it necessary that you have a valid student visa in order to study in Germany.

• Be early in the German Visa Process

The processing of the visa application takes a lot of time. This is because the embassies and the consulates have a lot of applications to process and it can take months for the processing of visa application. Because of this, make sure that you apply for the visa as early as possible after receiving the admission letter from the university. Keep in mind, that you always need to have a valid visa in order to enter Germany and to get enrolled in your studies.

• Be punctual while Applying visa for Germany

Enrollment into the doctoral studies after you get the admission in the university is very important. For this purpose, it is very necessary that you arrive in Germany in time to get enrolled in the course as soon as possible. Moreover, entering in Germany early will give you more time for registration, accommodation, opening a bank account, getting a residence permit and making yourself comfortable in the new environment. Moreover, it is necessary that you try to take everything under your control so that things become easy for you.

• Be sure that your passport is valid for Visa application for Germany

It is very important that you must check whether your passport is valid for some years to come or not. You have to make sure that your passport has the validity until the completion of your study. This is a necessary requirement while applying for a German student visa. However, if you don’t do it then you will have to come back to your home country to make your passport valid for years to come. So, always make sure that your passport has the validity until the completion of your study so that you don’t have to waste your time and money unnecessarily.

• German Visa requirements 

Visa application is a very time consuming and hectic process. But If it is carried out properly then, of course, you can do it more efficiently.  So, for this purpose, below we have listed all the requirements you need to satisfy while applying for the German visa.

• Visa for foreign researchers in Germany

In order to get enrolled in a doctoral study in Germany, you need to apply for a student visa. To apply for a student visa you need to submit the following documents at the German embassy.

• A national passport which should be valid
• Your birth Certificate
• National visa application form filled and signed
• Two passport photocopies
• Your certificate of marriage (if applicable)
• Your previous Schengen Visa (if applicable)
• Three passport size photographs
• Previous resident permit if you have any
• Two photocopies of your previous residence titles in Germany if you have any.
• Consent letter from the supervisor who will supervise your Ph.D. studies in Germany.
• Health Insurance proof
• Financial resources proof which is typically a blocked account.
• Language proofing certificates wuther English or German, with good scores showing your proficiency in the language.
• Your certificates of previous education

Moreover, it is necessary that you should be punctual for the interview of a visa and you must satisfy all the requirements. Additionally, always know that before having a valid visa you cannot enter the territories of Germany.

• Do you need a Residence permit while you are Germany?

After you enter the state of Germany and have found the accommodation and have registered yourself at the Residence Registration Office in the city make sure you apply for a residence permit. You can apply for the residence permit immediately after you get the registration certificate. A registration certificate is a legal document which states your long period residency in the state of Germany. For the residence permit, you have to go to the Foreigners Authority so that you can get enrolled in your studies.

The following are documents you need to provide while applying for a residence permit.

• Application form for the residence permit filled and signed
• Consent letter from the supervisor who will supervise your Ph.D. studies in Germany.
• Health Insurance proof to get enrolled in the german university for doctoral studies.
• Your certificates of previous education
• Language proficiency certificates wuther English or German but not necessary to provide at all times.
• Financial resources proof

Is the Residence permit required for International Ph.D. students in Germany?

In order to enroll in your doctoral studies, you need to have a residence permit. Moreover, this is sated in law according to the Act on the Residence, Economic Activity and Integration of Foreigners in the Federal Territory, Chapter II, Part 3, Section 16 which makes it clear that no one can get enrolled in the studies without having the residence permit.

The residence permit allows the doctoral student following things:

• Stay in Germany for the period of completion of studies and enjoy the same rights as German citizens have.
• You can do any job which must be part-time. It should include a maximum of 120 full days or you can also work 240 half days.
• You can extend your stay in Germany for 18 months once you complete your studies and want to find some job.
• Your residence permit can be re-extended if you get a job. Moreover, this can be extended for the period of work contact.

What are the Benefits of residence permit for Foreign Students? 

There are many benefits you get while being the holder of a residence permit as a foreign student. These benefits are listed as follows.

• You will live a safe life in Germany
• You will be legally allowed to stay in Germany for a specific period of study.
• Having a legal document you will be able to involve yourself in educational and economic purposes.
• You will be able to use the health services which are highly advanced.
• You will be able to take part in social and cultural activities.