Germany

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa or a residence permit. You do have to register your address, though: once you have found a room or a flat, you go to the local registration office (Bürgeramt, Einwohnermeldeamt) within two weeks. You get a confirmation of registration, which shows that you have the right to live in Germany. Sometimes the office will also ask for proof of health insurance and of sufficient funds.

Students from outside the EU/EEA usually need a visa for study purposes, which you apply for at the German embassy or consulate in your home country before you travel – in many countries online through the Federal Foreign Office's Consular Services Portal. If you are still waiting for your admission, you can apply for a prospective student visa instead. Citizens of some countries, e.g. Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the USA, can enter without a visa and apply for the permit in Germany. After arrival you register your address like everyone else and then get a residence permit for study purposes (Section 16b of the Residence Act) from the local foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde). The main documents are your admission letter, proof of language skills, health insurance and proof of funds – usually a blocked account (Sperrkonto) with €11,904 for one year, i.e. €992 a month (2026). A scholarship or a formal declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) from someone in Germany can also be accepted. Note: Make it in Germany and the Federal Foreign Office give €11,904 a year (€992 a month) for 2026, but the amount is linked to BAföG student support, and a BAföG reform approved by the federal cabinet in August 2026 may raise it if it becomes law – check the current amount with the German embassy or consulate before you open the account.

Health insurance is compulsory for students in Germany – you need proof of it to enrol and, if you are from outside the EU/EEA, for your residence permit. If you have public health insurance in another EU/EEA country, ask your insurer whether it covers you in Germany; the basis for this is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If not, you take out insurance with a public health insurance fund (gesetzliche Krankenkasse). Up to the age of 30 you pay a reduced student rate.