To study at a German university or Studienkolleg as a non-EU citizen, you need a national (D) visa under Section 16b of the Residence Act. You apply at the German mission in the country where you legally live: for Russian residents that is only the Embassy in Moscow, for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan the TLScontact visa centres. The visa fee is $86 (€75), you must prove $13,584 (€11,904) for the first year of living costs, and the Moscow embassy usually needs 6–8 weeks, never less than 4. If you have no admission yet but are invited to an entrance exam, you apply for a study-applicant visa, issued for up to 9 months.
Below: which visa fits your situation, the document checklist, country-specific rules for Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, costs, realistic timing and what to do after arrival. Everything was checked against German mission checklists and the Residence Act on 23 September 2026.
Which visa do you need?
| Your situation | Visa and legal basis | Living-cost proof | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission to a university or Studienkolleg, or admission conditional on a preparatory language course | National D visa, Section 16b | $1,132 (€992) a month, $13,584 (€11,904) for year one | Visa usually up to one year; in Germany you switch to a residence permit, normally for two years |
| No admission, but an invitation to an entrance exam at a university or state Studienkolleg | Study-applicant visa, Section 17 | $1,245 (€1,091) a month, $11,204 (€9,819) for 9 months | Up to 9 months |
| Short course or summer school up to 90 days | Schengen C visa | Short-stay rules | Up to 90 days |
A Schengen visa cannot be converted into a national visa in Germany. If you travel for a Studienkolleg entrance exam and hope to stay, apply for the study-applicant visa from the start. A study applicant who is admitted within the 9 months changes status at the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde) without leaving; without admission, the permit is not extended. How Studienkolleg entrance exams and preparatory courses work is covered in our Studienkolleg guide.
Document checklist
The Moscow, Astana and Tashkent checklists agree in substance but differ in detail, so always follow your own mission's list and order.
| Document | What to check |
|---|---|
| National visa application form | In German (Kazakhstan also accepts English), signed by hand, plus the Section 54 declaration. The online VIDEX form is available in German and English |
| Two biometric photos, 35 × 45 mm | Not older than 6 months, white background; one glued to the form |
| Passport | Signed, at least three blank pages, plus a copy of the data page |
| Admission letter (Zulassung) | From the university or Studienkolleg; for the applicant visa, the exam invitation |
| Proof of finances | Blocked account, formal declaration of commitment or scholarship; combinations allowed |
| Education certificates | School certificate or degree with transcript; current students add an enrolment certificate |
| CV | Tabular, with no unexplained gaps |
| Motivation letter | Your own, signed: why this programme and what you plan afterwards |
| Language proof | Unless checked during admission: the Moscow embassy checklist names Goethe, ÖSD, TestDaF, ECL, DSH and DSD; IELTS or TOEFL for English-taught programmes; or enrolment in a preparatory course of at least 18 hours a week |
| Health insurance | Rules vary by country (see below) |
| Applicants under 18 | Notarised consent of both parents to long-term stay, birth certificate with apostille |
Translations. In Russia, translations made locally must be notarised; translations by a sworn translator in Germany need no notarisation; passports and insurance need no translation. In Kazakhstan, notarised translations are required for everything except the passport copy and documents in English. Civil-registry and court documents need an apostille on the original.
Language exams. Test dates can be booked out for months, so plan the certificate before other documents. Applicants in Russia should note that, at the demand of the Russian authorities, the Goethe-Institut in Moscow, St Petersburg and Novosibirsk stopped working on 13 September 2026, so Goethe exams cannot currently be taken in Russia. The Goethe-Institut has not been declared an undesirable organisation, and a Goethe certificate you already hold remains usable for the visa. For a new certificate, look at the other exams listed by the embassy (ÖSD, TestDaF, ECL) and check dates and availability with the test centres themselves; the DSH is taken at the German university.
How to fund and document the $13,584 (€11,904) is explained in our blocked account guide.
Where to apply: Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
You apply in the country of permanent, legal residence. The missions in Kazakhstan state explicitly that they do not process applications from people who do not live there, and that long waiting times elsewhere are no exception.
| Russia | Kazakhstan | Uzbekistan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who handles national visas | Only the visa section of the Embassy in Moscow, including residents of the St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Kaliningrad districts | The Embassy in Astana and the Consulate General in Almaty accept student applications via two TLScontact centres | TLScontact centre in Tashkent, since 1 July 2025 |
| Booking | Online via RK-Termin; proof of permanent residence in Russia required | Via TLS, in the centre of your district | Via TLS, ideally with a complete file |
| Extra fee | — | TLS service fee $33 (€28.80), paid in tenge | TLS service fee $34 (€29.54), paid in sum |
| Health insurance | Policies from EU insurers only; can be submitted when collecting the visa | Shown when collecting the visa; applicants, preparatory-course students and private-university students are usually asked for a student policy before issuance | Private German student insurance for 6 months at submission |
| Notes | Russian bank statements are not accepted as proof of funds; personal appearance with fingerprints | Visa fee in cash, in tenge | The embassy works with no intermediaries; they get no special access to appointments. Its general national-visa checklist requires a passport valid for at least one more year from submission |
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| National visa fee | $86 (€75) | $43 (€37.50) for minors; not refunded if refused |
| Visa centre service fee | $33–34 (€28.80–29.54) | Only when applying via TLS in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan |
| Living-cost proof | $13,584 (€11,904) | Your own money, not a fee; provider fees extra |
| Translations, apostilles, photos | Provider rates | Depends on the number of documents |
| Residence permit extension in Germany | e.g. Berlin: $56 (€49) or $106 (€93) | Varies by city and document format |
The missions in Kazakhstan waive the visa fee for holders of scholarships funded from German public money, and for spouses and children included in the programme.
Timing: when to apply and how long it takes
- Processing: the Moscow checklist says usually 6–8 weeks, at least 4, sometimes longer. Holders of German public scholarships usually get a decision within a few working days.
- Who decides: the mission checks the file, then the foreigners' authority in your university town must agree. The missions in Kazakhstan describe a silent-consent procedure: if the authority does not object within 23 days, consent is assumed. The clock only starts once your file is complete.
- Appointments: the Kazakhstan missions warn that summer waits for appointments usually run to several weeks.
- Late admissions: the same missions acknowledge that the gap between admission and semester start is often short, so visas are frequently issued shortly before classes begin.
A practical sequence (our recommendation, not an official schedule):
| Before semester start | Action |
|---|---|
| 4–5 months | Read your mission's checklist, start translations and apostilles, choose a blocked-account provider |
| 3 months | Receive admission or exam invitation; book the appointment |
| 2–3 months | Submit the full file, pay the fee, give fingerprints |
| 2–6 weeks | Hand in passport and insurance for the visa label |
| After entry | Address registration, insurance, residence permit |
How the admission side works is covered in our guide to applying via uni-assist. Do not buy flights before the visa is in your passport.
Health insurance before and after the visa
You cannot join German statutory health insurance before you register an address in Germany, so missions recommend an incoming policy (Incoming-Versicherung) for the first weeks. Ordinary travel insurance often excludes planned long stays. After enrolment, students under 30 and below their 14th semester can join statutory insurance; after that, private insurance is required, including on preparatory language courses.
After arrival
- Register your address straight away.
- Arrange German health insurance if you came on an incoming policy.
- Book the foreigners' authority for your residence permit early; waits can be several weeks. If your visa already covers the whole stay, no separate application is needed.
- Activate your blocked account.
While your D visa is valid, you may spend up to 90 days in any 180 in other Schengen countries. By law, a student residence permit is normally issued and extended for two years and not less than one; shorter programmes get a permit for their duration.
Can you work on a student visa?
Yes, within limits. Students have an annual account of 140 working days; a day of up to four hours counts as half, hence the common "140 full or 280 half days". A week in which you work no more than 20 hours during the lecture period can instead be counted as two and a half days. Student-assistant jobs at the university do not count. Study applicants under Section 17 may work up to 20 hours a week. The Moscow checklist of February 2025 still shows the old 120/240-day limit. Details and examples are in our guide to working while studying in Germany.
Why visas get refused
Missions do not publish refusal statistics, but their checklists name typical problems: an incomplete file (Moscow warns it can lead to refusal; Tashkent does not process incomplete files), doubts about the purpose of stay or false documents, unsuitable proof of funds (such as a Russian bank statement or a blocking confirmation without a monthly limit), unsuitable insurance, and a CV or motivation letter that contradicts the documents. Submitting an application does not guarantee a visa; the mission and the foreigners' authority decide.
Common mistakes
- Entering on a Schengen visa and hoping to convert it.
- Applying in a country where you do not live because the queue is shorter.
- Submitting Russian-made translations without notarisation.
- Showing money in a Russian bank account.
- Buying flights before the visa is issued.
- Delaying the foreigners' authority appointment after arrival.
FAQ
Only with an invitation to an entrance exam: that is the study-applicant visa, up to 9 months, with a $1,245 (€1,091) monthly limit on the blocked account.
The Kazakhstan missions say a study visa is usually issued for one year, and for applicants for up to 9 months. The Tashkent embassy says national visas are usually issued for 90 days and in some cases up to a year. In Germany you switch to a residence permit.
Yes. Moscow requires personal submission with biometrics; in Kazakhstan every applicant, including children, must attend.
The checklists do not mention a separate interview, but the Moscow embassy says that when you submit your application it will discuss the details of your case and ask about your planned stay. Be ready to explain briefly why you chose the programme, how it links to your previous studies, where the money comes from and what you plan after graduation; your answers should match your motivation letter and CV.
You need proof of the language of instruction, German or English. If the university already checked it during admission, no separate certificate is required.
Only with a complete, well-ordered file. Status enquiries do not speed things up, as the Tashkent embassy notes. Holders of German public scholarships are processed faster.
Tell your university's international office and ask how late you may arrive. The Kazakhstan missions ask applicants to contact them if classes start within days and they have not yet been invited to collect the visa.
Yes, under a service contract: we check your file against your mission's checklist, prepare the CV and motivation letter, and help with the blocked account and translations. The German mission and foreigners' authority make the decision. For an overview of studying in Germany, see our Germany country page.
Sources
- German Embassy Moscow: study visa checklist (Feb 2025) and long-term stay — checked 23 Sep 2026
- German missions in Kazakhstan: study, study applicants, national visa procedure, information for students, fees — checked 23 Sep 2026
- German missions in Kazakhstan: visas and entry (territorial competence, summer waiting times) — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Goethe-Institut Russia: notice on ending work as of 13 Sep 2026 — checked 23 Sep 2026
- German Embassy Tashkent: study visa and national visa — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Residence Act, Section 16b and Section 17 — checked 23 Sep 2026
- University of Marburg: visa for Studienkolleg — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Berlin: residence permit for study — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Currency conversion: ECB reference rate of 23 Sep 2026, €1 = $1.1411
Next steps
- Blocked Account in Germany 2026: Amount, Opening Steps and Alternatives
- Applying to German Universities: uni-assist, VPD and hochschulstart Step by Step
- Working While Studying in Germany 2026: 140-Day Rule, Minijob, Werkstudent
- Studienkolleg in Germany: Who Needs It, How to Get In and What the FSP Exam Gives You
- Studying in Germany for international applicants
- Bachelor's in Germany for International Students: Entry Routes, Language, Deadlines and Costs
