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Coming to Hamburg

Visa

Find out well in advance whether you need to apply for a visa to enter Germany for the purpose of studying at a university.

To enter the Federal Republic of Germany, you normally need an entry visa. Make sure you apply for this visa in good time at the German diplomatic mission in your home country. EU nationals and nationals of certain countries (e.g., Australia, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Canada, Liechtenstein, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and United States) do not need a 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.
  • 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 for the purpose of studying at a university in Germany. In this case, you must leave Germany and reenter with a special student visa issued by the diplomatic mission responsible.

Getting a visa to study

See the German government’s website for information about getting a visa to study.

Visa-free entry into Germany

EU nationals and nationals of certain countries outside the EU (e.g., Australia, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Canada, Liechtenstein, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and United States) do not need a visa to enter Germany. You can find a complete overview of these countries on the pages of the Federal Foreign Office.

If you are a citizen of one of these countries, you can enter Germany without a visa and stay in the country for 90 days without a visa. During these 90 days, you are permitted to travel within the Schengen Area and reenter Germany.

Before the 90 days expire, you need to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studying. See our website for more information.

Be aware: If you plan to travel abroad during the few first months of your stay in Hamburg, (e.g, during the winter holidays at the end of December / beginning of January), it would still make sense to apply for a study visa. Visas are generally issued for 6 to 12 months. During this time, you can leave and reenter Germany without limit.

If you do not yet have a residence permit for Germany after the 90 days have expired, you are not allowed to travel abroad. 

This table shows the different possibilities for entering Germany with and without a visa:

validity period for the visa (generally 6–12 months)

 

Visa-free entry into Germany

Visa necessary to enter Germany
Application for a visa to enter Germany not necessary X
Application for a residence permit after entering Germany X X

Travel within the Schengen Area /

Traveling out of and reentering Germany

only within the 90-day visa-free entry period when

no residence permit has been issued after the 90 days have expired

 possible during the entire  
Employment in Germany while studying not possible until residence permit has been issued X

Getting a visa after the lecture period begins

If it takes longer to have your visa processed and you can enter Germany only after the lecture period begins (beginning of October / beginning of April), follow the instructions below.

Bachelor’s students:

Master’s students:

  • Contact the academic office responsible and clarify the latest possible date of entry to the country for your studies.
  • The academic office must inform the Campus Center about the late start of your studies.
  • If the German diplomatic mission asks, request a letter from the academic office responsible in which the University confirms that you are allowed to begin your studies later.

Visa information for international exchange and visiting students

As a rule, you should apply for a visa to enter Germany as soon as you receive written confirmation of your studies from the University of Hamburg (invitation, letter of confirmation).

Important: If possible, apply for a visa for the entire intended duration of your stay in Germany. This is possible if you wish to stay in Germany for a maximum of 12 months. That way, your visa will be valid for your entire stay, and you can avoid having to pay for a residence permit in Hamburg.