German Language Course Visa: How to Apply at a German Embassy or Consulate Overseas
This page details how to apply for the German Language Course Visa at a German embassy or consulate overseas (i.e. outside of Germany) and will cover eligibility and application requirements as well as provide recommendations and tips for applying for the visa.
The German Language Course Visa is open to everyone who wants to come to Germany to attend a language course. The visa is open to citizens from all countries and thus provides people with a wonderful opportunity to live in Germany, experience German culture and learn the language.
❗ Note: We endeavour to keep our visa information up to date. However, before applying, we recommend always cross-referencing our information with the official application information from the German embassy or consulate where you will be applying for the visa.
Who is this page for?
🌍 This page is for applying for the German Language Course Visa at a German consulate or embassy before entering Germany.
If you are from Australia, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom or Israel, you also have the option to apply for the German Language Course Visa after entering Germany. Citizens of these countries can enter Germany for up to 90 days without a visa and then apply for the German Language Course Visa directly at an immigration office in Germany. We have put together a detailed guide for doing this at the immigration office in Berlin.
Citizens from all other countries must apply for a German Language Course Visa before entering Germany.
What is the German Language Course Visa?
🎓 The German Language Course Visa allows you to live in Germany for 3 to 12 months on the condition that you are enrolled in an intensive German language course. By 'intensive', we mean at least 18 to 20 lesson hours per week. And be aware that language courses that are only held in the evenings and/or weekends are not sufficient.
Note: The German Language Course Visa does not permit you to work in Germany.
It is arguably one of the simpler visas to apply for and is a great option if you want to learn the language or experience living in Germany.
Which language schools and classes in Berlin meet the requirements for the German Language Course Visa?
🎒 Below, we have listed language schools in Berlin that are familiar with the visa process and offer courses which are at least 18–20 lesson hours per week. We recommend that you get in touch with them to make sure they sign you up for an appropriate course for applying for the German Language Course Visa. In addition, request that the language school prepare a language school contract/acceptance letter for you as this will be required for your visa application (step 1 below).
Berlino Schule – Friedrichshain
Berlino Schule offers a 5% discount on their courses for all Nomaden Berlin referrals. If and when signing up for a course, just mention Nomaden Berlin to claim your discount.
speakeasy Berlin – Friedrichshain
Deutsche Akademie – Mitte/Alexanderplatz
Logo Sprachenschule – Prenzlauer Berg
Kapitel Zwei – Mitte/Alexanderplatz
Die Neue Schule – Wilmersdorf
GLS – Prenzlauer Berg
For further options, see our comprehensive list of German language schools in Berlin.
How to apply for the German Language Course Visa at a German embassy or consulate?
Pre-requisites – Sign up for a suitable language course in Germany and obtain a language course contract/acceptance letter from a German language school
1️⃣ Apply for a temporary German Language Course Visa at a German embassy or consulate overseas
2️⃣ Move to Germany. Register at an address (Anmeldung) and start attending German language course
3️⃣ Upgrade the temporary Language Course Visa to a full Language Course Visa at an immigration office in Germany
1️⃣ Apply for the German Language Course Visa at a German embassy or consulate overseas
Make an appointment at your local German embassy or consulate
You can find your local German embassy or consulate on this link.
📅 Make an appointment for a national visa – on embassy/consulate websites this is possible by navigating to the web page that is usually called 'National Visas', 'Long-term Visas' or 'Visas for more than 90-day stays'. Here you will be able to access the appointment booking platform for the consulate/embassy.
Once your visa appointment is booked, you will receive a confirmation email that will provide you with details of where and when you must attend your visa appointment at the German embassy or consulate. The next step will be to attend your appointment and submit the application documents below.
Essential documents for the German Language Course Visa if applying at a German consulate or embassy
We have compiled this list having researched and spoken to a range of German embassies and consulates. This is a summary of the standard documents required for the German Language Course Visa but the requirements vary between embassies and consulates, especially with respect to proof of funds and health insurance.
However, in general, you will be required to provide the following documentation at your visa appointment:
✅ A valid passport and photocopies of your passport data page.
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the intended stay, have at least 2 free pages, and not be older than 10 years old. You must also provide two photocopies of your passport data page.
✅ Two current biometric passport photos
Guidelines recommend a 35 mm x 45 mm frontal shot with neutral facial expression, closed mouth, looking straight into the camera, with a light background. We recommend having these taken in a passport photo booth.
✅ Two completed visa application forms (Antrag auf Erteilung eines nationalen Visums)
You can download a blank copy of the form here.
✅ Two completed declarations of accuracy of information
This is downloadable from the German embassy or consulate website that you apply at and is often included as the final page of the visa application form.
✅ A detailed letter of enrollment/contract from a language school in Germany
Before applying for the Language Course Visa, contact a language school in Germany to enrol. In order to receive a contract/letter of enrollment from a language school to apply for the German Language Course Visa, you often need to pay a 20% deposit upfront for the courses you choose to enrol in. However, this is often refundable less an admin fee.
Always let the language school know that you intend to apply for the German Language Course Visa so that they draw up a suitable contract/letter of enrollment for your visa application.
Your language school contract/letter of enrollment must specify at least 18–20 lesson hours per week and show booked language courses for at least 3 months. The German Language Course Visa can be issued for between 3 months and 1 year depending on how long your course is. The contract/letter of enrollment should also specify the cost and level of the classes you have booked.
✅ Proof of travel/expat insurance
To be granted the German Language Course Visa, it is crucial that you have travel/expat insurance that covers you for the full duration of your time in Germany. Importantly, your travel insurance must include a minimum of €30,000 in medical coverage and repatriation.
For this, our favourite option is Feather expat health insurance. We like Feather because:
It is widely accepted by German consulates and embassies worldwide.
It meets all the requirements for the German Language Course Visa.
It is affordable whilst also providing a decent level of coverage.
Bring the Feather policy confirmation and policy wording showing what is covered to your visa appointment.
✅ Motivational letter
The motivational letter should outline the details of your stay in Germany, why you want to live in Germany and why you want to learn German.
✅ Curriculum Vitae
Your CV should be written in either German or English and outline your professional experience, qualifications, certificates/diplomas you have obtained.
✅ Proof of funds for the entirety of your stay
The proof of funds requirement varies between embassies and consulates and should always be checked with the relevant embassy/consulate before you lodge your application.
However, there are generally three different ways you can show proof of funds for the Language Course Visa. These include:
Providing a bank statement of an escrow account/blocked account (Sperrkonto) with a balance of at least €11,208 if you are applying for the full year. For further details, see this article from the German foreign office.
With regards to opening a blocked account, we like Fintiba the most as it can be opened from overseas and is a quick online process with relatively low fees compared to the other banks that offer this type of account. The fee is €89 to open the account and €4.90 per month thereon.
For more info, explore our guide on blocked accounts in Germany.
Submitting a letter of support from your parents. The letter should be a typed, signed letter stating that they will support you financially during your time on the German Language Course Visa. This letter of support must be notarised.
Along with the letter of support, you must also show their proof of income in the last six months. A recent bank statement or their most recent tax return is sufficient.
Submitting a declaration of commitment by a third party. Third parties living in Germany with sufficient creditworthiness can submit a declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung). You can read more about this here.
✅ Proof of accommodation in Germany
This can be a rental agreement, a hotel booking confirmation, or an invitation letter in case you have arranged private accommodation (must include the name, full address and passport copy of the private host).
If you need accommodation with address registration (Anmeldung) in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
Processing of the German Language Course Visa at a German embassy or consulate
📄 Two identical sets of documents have to be submitted at your visa appointment at the German embassy/consulate. Originals will be returned to you after they have been examined. All documents must be in either English or German. If you are wanting help with translating your CV or motivational letter into English or German, then lingoking offer a fast and affodable translation service.
Once you have submitted all of the correct documents, the German embassy/consulate will send your application to the relevant authorities in Germany for approval. Approval can take between 2 weeks and 3 months so make sure you factor in this processing time when applying for the German Language Course Visa.
Approval for a German Language Course Visa from the German embassy/consulate
🎉 If and when the embassy receives approval that they can issue you a German Language Course Visa, you will likely receive a 90-day, temporary Language Course Visa that will need to be upgraded to a full German Language Course Visa once you are in Germany (step 3 below).
On occasion, you may receive a Language Course Visa for the entirety of your stay. This is up to the discretion of the relevant embassy/consulate that you apply at.
For instructions on how to upgrade your temporary Language Course Visa to a full Language Course Visa at an immigration office in Germany, see steps 2 and 3 below.
2️⃣ Move to Germany. Register at an address (Anmeldung) and start studying on a temporary German Language Course Visa
As mentioned above, if your German Language Course Visa is approved at the embassy/consulate, this will likely be a 90-day temporary Language Course Visa that entitles you to move to Germany and start attending language school.
During this 90-day period, it is essential that you complete the following step in order to stay longer-term in Germany:
🏠 Complete your Anmeldung
To upgrade your temporary Language Course Visa at an immigration office in Germany, you must first have officially registered at an address in Germany, a process that is known as Anmeldung. Without an Anmeldung certificate, you won’t be able to upgrade to a full German Language Course Visa (see step 3 below).
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
Once you have completed your Anmeldung, you are ready to move on to step 3 and upgrade your temporary 90-day Language Course Visa to a full German Language Course Visa at an immigration office in Germany.
3️⃣ Upgrade temporary Language Course Visa to a full Language Course Visa at an immigration office in Germany
As we are a Berlin-based relocation provider, we have detailed the process for upgrading your temporary Language Course Visa at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin. If you are moving to somewhere else in Germany, then the process will likely be similar to what is laid out below, but we recommend that you also get in touch with your local German immigration office to find out if they have any specific application requirements.
Booking a visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin
📅 The first step to upgrading your temporary Language Course Visa is to book an appointment at the immigration office in Berlin:
Follow the link to book a Language Course Visa appointment on the immigration office's online booking platform.
Once on the booking platform, click on the ‘Book Appointment’ button to start the process.
Select the visa you wish to apply for. You will then be shown a calendar with available appointments:
Available appointments show up in blue. Select an available appointment from the calendar and enter your personal details in the appointment booking form to complete the booking.
If there are no appointments currently available, you will be shown the following message:
If you are shown this message, you need to wait for the next batch of appointments to be released by the immigration office. Visa appointments are released sporadically throughout the week so we recommend checking the appointment booking platform multiple times a day from around 7 a.m.
Once you have successfully secured an appointment, you will be emailed a booking confirmation that details the time, date and location of your German Language Course Visa appointment:
For more detailed instructions, see our guide on how and when to book a Language Course Visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin.
Where to upgrade your temporary Language Course Visa to a full German Language Course Visa in Berlin?
🧭 As mentioned above, your visa appointment booking confirmation will detail the time and location of your German Language Course Visa appointment.
In all instances, the German Language Course Visa is processed at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) located at Keplerstraße 2, 10589 Berlin.
So that you know you’re in the right place, here is a picture of the immigration office. When arriving for your appointment, go down the short driveway and the entrance will be on your left. A security guard will be present to point you in the right direction:
Essential documents for upgrading your temporary Language Course Visa to a full Language Course Visa in Berlin
The documents for upgrading to a full Language Course Visa in Berlin are largely the same as for your initial application at the German embassy or consulate. In short, you will need to show the following at your visa appointment at the immigration office:
✅ A valid passport
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the intended stay, have at least 2 free pages, and not be older than 10 years old.
✅ One current biometric passport photo
Guidelines recommend a 35mm x 45mm frontal shot with neutral facial expression and closed mouth, looking straight into the camera with a light background.
You can obtain a biometric photo from the silver photo booths at the main train stations in Berlin. There are three photo booths located at Alexanderplatz train station. Here is a useful map of all places you can obtain passport photos in Berlin.
✅ Travel/expat health insurance
This can be the Feather policy you used for your overseas application.
✅ Proof of main residence in Berlin
To apply for any visa at the immigration office in Berlin, you must first be officially registered at an address in Berlin, a process that is called Anmeldung. For full details of how to register your address and receive your address registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung), check out our Anmeldung page.
While registering at an address in Berlin sounds simple, there are currently far more people searching for an apartment than there are apartments available that offer Anmeldung. If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
✅ Proof of funds
In order to upgrade your temporary Language Course Visa, you must again be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient financial means to support your life in Berlin.
As with your initial application, there are three different ways you can show proof of funds for the German Language Visa. These include:
Providing a bank statement of an escrow account/blocked account (Sperrkonto) with a balance of at least €11,208 if you are applying for the full year. If you are applying for less than one year, the amount will be pro-rated at €934 per month
When it comes to blocked accounts, we like Fintiba as it can be opened from overseas and is a quick online process with relatively low fees compared to the other banks that offer this type of account.
Submitting a letter of support from your parents. The letter should be a typed signed letter stating that they will support you financially during your time on the German Language Visa.
This letter of support should be notarised. Along with the letter of support, you must also show their proof of income in the last six months. A recent bank statement or their most recent tax return is sufficient.
Submitting a declaration of commitment by a third party. Third parties living in Germany with sufficient creditworthiness can submit a declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung). You can read more about this here.
✅ Language school contract
Your language school contract must specify at least 18 lesson hours per week and show booked language courses for at least 3 months. The German Language Course Visa can be issued for between 3 months and 1 year depending on how long your course is.
✅ Completed 'Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit' form (Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels)
You can download the form here.
Processing of the German Language Course Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
🏛️ Once you have successfully booked an appointment at the immigration office, you will be emailed a visa appointment booking confirmation detailing the date and time you must attend your immigration office appointment. The confirmation will also include your appointment Waiting Number (Vorgangsnummer):
When arriving at the immigration office at Keplerstraße 2, 10589 Berlin, bring a copy of your appointment confirmation to show the security guard. Go to the waiting rooms specified on your appointment confirmation and wait for your Waiting Number to be displayed on the screen.
When your number is displayed, it will be accompanied by a room number, which is where your visa will be processed. All you are required to do is go to your designated room and hand over all of the application documents listed above to the immigration office caseworker. The caseworker will then process your application.
At the end of your appointment, you will be required to pay at the machine located in the corridor using the plastic pay card you are provided with. The German Language Course Visa costs €100 and must be paid for in cash or with a German EC card.
Will the German Language Course Visa be provided on the spot at the immigration office in Berlin?
In most cases, no. Your full German Language Course Visa will take 4 to 6 weeks to be prepared from the date of your appointment. You will be contacted by the immigration office once your visa is approved and ready for collection.
In some circumstances, your Language Course Visa will be mailed to your registered address. If this is the case, you will not be required to return to the immigration office to collect your visa.
Collect your German Language Course Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
As mentioned above, you will be required to collect your visa from the immigration office in Berlin. This will be 4 to 6 weeks after your initial appointment. You should return to the immigration office with your passport and your address registration certificate.
🎉 This is the final step in the process of applying for the German Language Course Visa, meaning you can finally relax and start fully focusing on learning the wonderful German language!