Visa and Related Issues

All foreign students need a visa to enter Germany. Exceptions are:

a)      EU-Citizens (passport from: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungaria, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Spain, Slovak Republic, Slovenia);  other countries of the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland. – no visa required, no residence permit required. These students must go to the registration office only after arrival.

  

b)      Citizens of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Korea (South), New Zealand, United States of America - No visa required, but residence permit required. These students must go to both the registration office and to the immigration office after arrival and apply for a residence permit.

c)    Citizens of the following countries: Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco, San Marino – see b) above, but without a visa students of these countries are not allowed to work during or after the program at HHL, so a visa application is highly recommended.

 

HHL does not accept latecomers! Processing time for a student visa is three months. Application deadlines for our programs are early enough to apply for the student visa.

 

Important: Do NOT apply for a tourist visa. We are not allowed to accept this visa type, and it can not be changed into a residence permit in Germany.

On the basis of the data given to you with the letter of acceptance you will need

  • Application form for a national visa for study purposes (three copies). Download In some countries the German embassy will use different forms, please ask them. This visa is valid for Germany only, and only for a single entry. After arrival you must change it into a residence permit at the immigration office.
  • 4 passport sized photos
  • A visa fee of 60 Euro (can be waived for students) – >> Fee information letter of the Foreign Ministry
  • Our letter of acceptance
  • Financial proof of 8040 Euro in German language (certified translation). This amount is for living costs for the first year in Germany. For shorter stays, a minimum of 670 Euro per month is required. In case you have a document about an official scholarship for your studies at HHL (governmental scholarships only, e.g. DAAD) show it to the embassy as part of proof of your living costs.
  • Travel health insurance with coverage of a minimum of 30,000 Euro. This insurance should be valid until the beginning of the program at HHL.

Open a German Bank Account from Abroad

German Consulates are allowed to request to open a blocked account in Germany for proof of your living costs. In this case, you should open an account, e.g. >> Deutsche Bank Hamburg. Use the >> form given on their website  and sign it in presence of the visa officer.

With your signature, your account is blocked in favor to the Federal Republic of Germany, and you may withdraw from it 670 Euro per month. In all other cases, open a German bank account after your arrival in Leipzig.

Housing

In some cases, the embassy will need to have an address for your stay in Germany. As soon as you have your official letter of acceptance, you should start searching for an accommodation in Leipzig. You could, for instance, choose an accomodation in the dorms of the >> Leipzig Student Union.

Preference is given to such students who stay a whole academic year at HHL; but for exchange students there are also places available. Otherwise you might find an accommodation on the internet, or ask a student counselor from your program for advice.