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Studies
If you wish to attend a university, college, or Studienkolleg in Germany, you will find information on the visa process here.
Important information
Please submit this application online via Consular Services Portal. This provides you with preliminary feedback on whether your documents are complete. Your appointment will then proceed quickly and efficiently.
General Information
All information regarding the scheduling of appointments can be found here .
| Visa Category | |
| National Visa | Fee |
| Regular | 75,- € |
| Reduced | 37,50,- € |
Visa fees must be paid either by international credit card (Visa / Mastercard) or in cash in RWF at the current exchange rate.
The duration of the entire visa process varies significantly: it can take from a few working days to several months. We cannot guarantee a specific processing time, as domestic German authorities must be involved during the process, and the German Embass in Kigali has no influence over their processing times. The final review and decision by the German Embassy can only take place after the feedback from Germany has been received. Please plan for a processing time of approximately three months. In individual cases, it may take longer.
The Embassy in Kigali reviews and decides on your application. In doing so, the legal requirements are always examined on a case-by-case basis based on the submitted application documents. Depending on the purpose of the stay, this review may take from a few working days to several months. The processing time increases if documents require more intensive scrutiny or if further research regarding the applicant or the actual purpose of the stay is necessary.
Regarding inquiries: For data protection reasons, detailed information can only be provided to the applicant, their legal representative, or a representative with written power of attorney. Other inquiries from third parties unfortunately cannot be answered. We ask for your understanding that the visa section is not reachable by telephone due to capacity constraints. However, you may send us a message at visa@kiga.diplo.de.
Exception: For applicants participating in the accelerated procedure for skilled workers, the processing time is generally three weeks after the application has been submitted. The processing time may be extended if additional documents are requested or if further questions must be clarified.
As a general rule, you must collect your passport in person.
Once a decision has been made on your application, you will be informed about the collection either via an email through the Consular Services Portal or by telephone.
Please check the website for information regarding public holidays on which the Embassy is closed.
Upon receiving your passport, please check that all details on the visa label are correct. Please notify us immediately of any errors so that we can issue a new visa. With a national visa, you may travel within the Schengen area. Everyone residing in Germany must be registered. You should do this at the residents' registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) or citizens' office (Bürgeramt) no later than two weeks after moving in. Please contact the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in your place of residence in Germany well before your visa expires to apply for your residence permit.
If your visa application has been rejected, this may be for various reasons. These reasons will be stated in the notice of refusal.
Your guide to arriving in Germany: Make it in Germany
The overview of required documents indicates whether you must provide a language certificate. Currently recognized providers of language certificates are:
- Language certificates from the Goethe-Institut e.V.
- Language certificates from telc Gmbh
- Language certificates from the Austrian Language Diploma (ÖSD)
- “TestDaF” from the TestDaF-Institut e.V. (Institute of the FernUniversität in Hagen and the Ruhr-University Bochum, examination level from B2 CEFR onwards)
- Language certificates from the ECL Examination Centre
The certificate must not be older than 12 months at the time of application. If you have taken the examination in various modules/partial exams, all modules must have been completed with the same provider. Evidence of different exam parts from different providers is not sufficient.
The Embassy is aware of cases where language certificates have been issued or obtained fraudulently. The Embassy reserves the right to verify your German language skills. Insufficient German language proficiency may be a ground for the refusal of a visa application.
Information on this Visa Category
- If you do not yet have an admission and must first take an entrance examination at a Studienkolleg (preparatory college), you are considered a student applicant within the meaning of § 17 Para. 2 AufenthG. With a student applicant visa, you may stay in Germany for up to nine months to search for a university place. Please note the separate amount required for the blocked account (currently €1,091 per month).
- General information on study opportunities in Germany can be found at www.study-in-germany.de or on the website of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Please understand that the Embassy cannot provide academic counseling. Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienstes (DAAD).
- Only for participants of Studienkollegs: The successful completion of a Studienkolleg is considered proof of eligibility for admission to studies in Germany.
| Application | Required Financial Means |
| Students | 11.904,- € / monthly payment: 992,- € |
| Applicants for studies | 9.819,- € / monthly payment: 1.091,- € |
| Vocational training | 1.048,- € (per month / gross) |
| EU Blue Card | |
| Academics with professional experience | 50.700,- € (per year) |
| Shortage occupations | 45.934,20 € (per year) |
| Recent graduates (within 3 years of university graduation) | 45.934,20 € (per year) |
| IT specialists | 45.934,20 € (per year) |
| Applicants over 45 years of age | |
| Skilled workers who do not meet the requirements for an EU Blue Card and have reached the age of 45 at the time of application must either prove a gross annual salary of at least 55% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for the general pension insurance. Alternatively, adequate old-age provision must be proven (e.g., real estate, securities, insurance, etc.), unless a justified exceptional case exists. | 55.770,- € (per year) |
| Scientists and Researchers | |
| If your minimum salary for a 40-hour work week reaches this amount, your livelihood is considered secured. In this case, no further evidence is required. | 2.410,- € (per month, gross) |
| If remuneration of this amount is not available, the security of the livelihood must be proven by appropriate evidence, e.g., a scholarship or a blocked account. | 1.091,- € (per month, net) |
| IT specialists without formally recognized qualifications | |
| The gross annual salary must exceed this amount. Exception: Your employer is bound by a collective agreement and employs you according to the applicable collective bargaining conditions. | 45.630,- € (per year) |
| Au Pair | |
| The livelihood is considered secured if the au pair has this amount available, plus free health and long-term care insurance. This amount consists of pocket money (280 EUR per month) and a subsidy for a German language course (at least 70 EUR per month). | 350,- € (per month) |
| Voluntary Service | |
| The livelihood is considered secured if the volunteer has this amount available, plus free health and long-term care insurance. This amount consists of 380 EUR for housing costs, 173 EUR for meals, and 302 EUR for pocket money. A combination of cash and benefits in kind (e.g., free accommodation) is possible. | 855,- € (per month) |
| Internship | 992.- € (per month) |
| Language Course | 1.091.- € (per month) |
Required Documents
Please submit all necessary documents (see below). Where an original exists, it must be presented in addition to the required simple copy. Originals will be returned to you upon completion of the process. All documents not issued in German, English, or French must be submitted together with a translation. Missing documents or evidence may lead to the rejection of the application
In your application form, please provide all information regarding your entry into and stay in Germany. Please complete this form in full, print it, and sign it yourself.
Link to the “VIDEX” form.
Two current biometric passport photos (45mm x 35mm). Information on biometric passport photos can be found here.
Please paste only one passport photo onto the application form and attach the second one separately.
The document must have at least two blank pages (in the event of a positive decision, your visa will be pasted here).
Proof of insurance coverage for the duration of the visa is to be submitted only once the visa can be issued. You will be notified by the visa section by telephone.
You must submit an admission letter from a German university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) or university.
Only for participants of “Studienkollegs”:
You must submit a corresponding admission letter.
- Have you already successfully completed the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung - FSP) abroad, or will you take it in Germany?
- In the first case, please submit proof of having passed the FSP.
- In the second case, please submit proof of the preparatory courses already completed abroad as well as proof of the registration fees already paid.
Please note that for participation in an entrance test, e.g., for the Studienkolleg, a visa for student applicants is issued. You can find the required amount in the section above (Salary thresholds and necessary financial requirements).
You must prove that you possess German language skills of at least level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This applies to the language of instruction for the degree program. The submitted language proof must not be older than 12 months at the time of application.
If the language of instruction is German, please submit a certificate from a recognized examination provider. Please refer to the notes on German certificates further above in the article.
If the language of instruction is English, corresponding language skills can be proven by IELTS or TOEFL certificates
Please submit a tabular CV with precise details. In a letter written by yourself, explain why you wish to commit yourself to these studies, what expectations you have for studying in Germany, and how the stay can benefit your future. Please also address your professional prospects after your studies.
Please sign the letter of motivation by hand.
If certificates of university achievements are available, please submit them.
You have several options for this:
- Payment of a security deposit into a blocked account in Germany. The amounts can be found in the section “Salary limits and necessary financial requirements in the visa process.” The Federal Foreign Office cannot recommend providers for opening a blocked account. Please research a provider yourself and choose carefully. It may also be possible to open a blocked account at a local bank in your future place of study. You can obtain information about this from your future university or language school, or ask the bank directly. Please note the following for a visa for student applicants according to § 17 Para. 2 AufenthG: For participation in entrance tests (e.g., for the Studienkolleg), a university place reservation, or in cases where admission to the university has not yet been granted, a security deposit is required. The amounts can be found in the section “Salary limits and necessary financial requirements in the visa process.” A visa for student applicants is issued for a maximum of nine months.
- Declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) according to §§ 66-68 AufenthG by a person living in Germany for the expected duration of the studies (at least for one year), issued by the immigration authority responsible for the residence of the declarant, including a credit check.
- Only for scholarship holders: Scholarship award letter stating the amount of the grant.