International Affairs

Visa

Depending on your nationality, you may require a visa to visit TU Berlin as an international visiting scholar, degree seeking or exchange student. This page provides basic information about applying for a visa as a student or visiting scholar. Our team will be happy to help you with any questions you have. It is also a good idea to contact the German consulate in your own country.

Student visa

Students from some countries require a visa to enter Germany. You have to apply for a visa in advance at the German consulate or embassy in your own country.
The standard procedure is to issue a student visa for three months; you will then need to apply for a student residence permit before this expires. So, it makes better sense to try to obtain a visa covering your entire stay if possible.
 
You can find a list of countries whose citizens do not require a visa to enter Germany and need only apply for a student residence permit after arrival on the website of the Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung - LEA).
 
For questions relating to health insurance, please refer to the information provided by the Berlin Immigration Office.
 
Please remember that if you are a national of an EU country or an EEA country, you are also required to register with an administrative office for citizens (Bürgeramt)!

Tips

  • Important: It is not possible to change a tourist visa to a student visa after entering the Federal Republic of Germany.

  • Please ensure that you apply for your student visa with the German consulate in your own country before traveling to Germany.

  • Make sure that you apply early enough, as it can take up to 8 weeks or even longer to issue a visa in some countries.

  • If possible, apply for a visa to cover your entire time at TU Berlin. This will save you having to then apply for a student residence permit once you are here. All you then need to do after arrival is register with an administrative office for citizens.

May Said / Yani Carmen Zegarra Jara / Ertan Özel / Berra Akbas

Student Assistants for the Support of International Degree Seeking Students, Visa & Residence Permit Advising for Students

bintstud@tu-berlin.de

+49 (0)30 314-24359

Office INT SB
Room H 0051
Advising hours Tue and Thu 9.30 - 12.30 and 13.30 - 16.30

Visa for visiting scholars

Please apply for your entrance visa as soon as possible. Please contact the German Embassy in your country for information at your earliest convenience. Further information concerning visa matters can be found at the  Federal Foreign Office or at EURAXESS. Many questions are answered in the FAQ section.

If you are planning to stay in Germany for longer than three months, you should take care of the following steps:  

For the registration at the Foreigners’ Registration Office, please bring along the following documents in original:

  • Valid passport
  • Your rental contract in Berlin
  • Proof of a valid health insurance policy
  • 4 biometric passport photos
  • Registration certificate of the registration office
  • For spouses/children: marriage certificate/ birth certificate
  • Your employment contract, your grant contract or another proof of the financing of your stay in Germany