There are over 380 officially recognized universities throughout Germany, and they offer a total of over 17,000 study programmes.

Prospective students can choose between different types of higher education institutions in Germany: there are universities, universities of applied sciences, private universities and universities of cooperative education in many different German cities. Every type of higher education institution has particular areas of specialization.

If you want to apply for a place at a German higher education institution, there are some rules you will have to observe. How and where to apply depends on the subject you want to study. You should bear the following checklist in mind when applying for a degree programme in Germany:

Application Deadline:

There are two intakes in each year.

• Winter (September/ October)
• Summer (March/ April)

General application deadline is 15 June for winter intake and  15 January for summer intake.

Note: application deadline varies university to university in every year.

Application documents

• All academic certificates
• All academic transcripts
• An overview of your subjects and grades (certified and including an official translation)
• Euro-pass CV
• 2 Recommendation letter
• A motivation letter
• A passport photograph
• A photocopy of your passport (name and photograph)
• Certified copies of language certificates

All Bangladeshi nationals who intend to study in the Federal Republic of Germany require a visa prior to their
departure.

Visa Fees: 75 €

Processing Time
The minimum time to process your study visa is approx. 6 weeks, since your application has to be
forwarded to the competent immigration authorities in Germany for final approval.

STUDENT VISA CHECKLIST

1. Valid passport (with a validity of at least 12 months)
2. 3 recent biometrical passport photographs 35*45 (not older than six months)
3. 2 Visa application forms (please make sure that both forms are filled out and signed mentioning
   especially the address of your future residence in Germany (question 15) as well as your complete
   home address which includes telephone number and e-mail address in Bangladesh). Link for
   application form: https://videx-national.diplo.de/videx/visum-erfassung/index.html#/videxlangfristiger-aufenthalt
4. Proof of admission to the relevant University or Institution ( scholarship certificate if applicable)
5. Higher Secondary Education Board Certificate and mark-sheets
6. Proof of previous studies in the relevant area (e.g. Bachelor Degree, transcripts) if applicable
7. English-speaking programs unless you have completed a Bachelor Degree in Australia, UK or US:
    Proof of knowledge of English language (TOEFL, IELTS)
   German-speaking programs:
    Proof of knowledge of the German language (“Zertifikat B 1” with a good result or higher is
   recommended),
8. Proof of financial means to cover the costs for the time of your studies by one of the
   following documents:
    Confirmation of scholarship / stipend
    Formal sponsorship letter from a sponsor living in Germany
   (“Verpflichtungserklärung” according to Art. 68 German Residence Act for Studies)
    Blocked account (“Sperrkonto”) in Germany in the name of the applicant showing a minimum
   balance of Euro 10.236 .- and the remark that the account holder can dispose of a monthly amount
   of Euro 853,– (Euro 853,– for 12 months including handling fee for the bank)
   Please refer to the information sheet “Opening a Blocked Account” available at the website of the
   German Embassy in Dhaka.
9. Health Insurance for a minimum of 14 days starting from the first day of travel

– All documents have to be presented in the given order in original, copies in Format: DIN A4
– All documents in Bengali language have to be supported by an English or German
translation.
– Only applications with complete documentation can be accepted.

How to Apply For A German Student Visa?

The German student visa application process can be a confusing process for many international students. The procedures are different from country to country, but you can have a general overview of the main steps you need to go through below.

Here are the steps to apply for a German Student Visa:

1. Locate The Closest German Embassy or Consulate. You can use Google to search for an embassy or a consulate near you, in your country (or another country close to you) to get more information about the requirements and setting up a visa appointment. All official German missions in other countries have an official website online, along with their physical address and contact information.
2. Review The Requirements and Procedures. Once you find the German embassy website, you go to the student visa sections to review all the specific requirements for your country and the procedures to set up a visa appointment. Make sure you carefully review all the information provided (especially the documents you need to have) before you set up a visa appointment.
3. Set Up A Visa Appointment. When you’re ready, you should set up a visa appointment by following the steps described on the official website of the German embassy in your country. In some countries, you should apply for your visa appointment a few weeks ahead of time as that particular embassy could have many visa applications and they could take a longer time to get to you. Timing is very important, sometimes all student visa interview slots can be taken, so make sure you act fast.
4. Have All Of The Visa Application Documents Ready. Once you have you your visa appointment date confirmed, you should double-check all of your documents to make sure you have everything together. You can do this yourself and you don’t need to pay any outside consultants or agencies to apply for you.
5. Prepare For Your Visa Interview. You should pay the visa application fee (€60.00 – €75.00) and have the payment confirmation with you at the time of your visa interview. This fee is non-refundable if your visa is rejected. You need to verify the exchange rate of your country’s currency and pay the exact amount. You should prepare yourself in advance for your interview. After the interview is done, you will get the official answer whether your visa has been approved or rejected.

Scholarship resources in Germany

The Deutschlandstipendium

A public-private ownership that aims to support excellent students not just financially but with a bunch of other benefits alongside.  Private companies and organization that participate in this scheme contribute to 150€ per month per student. In addition to this, the German contributes to 150€ per month per student, so if you win this scholarship you’ll get 300€ each month.

his funding is mainly offered for two semesters, but it can also be granted for the whole duration of your studies. While funds for these scholarships are granted from the government and private partners, universities are responsible to award them to their students. As such, universities are allowed to set requirements individually.

DAAD Scholarships

The DAAD is a large organization, whose mission is to promote the internalization of German universities by creating countless funding and counselling opportunities for inbound and outbound talented students in Germany. Since they came into existence in 1925, millions of foreign students have benefited from DAAD services. In 2016, more than 131,000 German and foreign scholars funded their education with the help of DAAD grants. Today they have a rich list of available scholarships for international students.

Erasmus +

The biggest European student exchanging scheme offers some attractive opportunities to study in German for a limited number of semesters or for the whole course. German universities participate in a large number of Erasmus exchanging projects and you can use this route to finance your studies in Germany. Note that some funds may not directly be granted to you, but you will have covered everything while living in Germany.

Privately-funded scholarships

There are many private foundations that grant scholarship to talented and skilled foreign students attending a university in Germany. Often these scholarships are awarded to honor a highly-respected German personality and aside from ensuring you the funds to finance your studies in Germany, they aim to create bridges of intercultural relations.

Here are some private organization that award scholarship to international students

• Max Plank Society Research
• Heinrich Boll Foundation Scholarship
• DKFZ International PhD Program

Additionally, many universities share a lot of scholarships to international students to help them and boost their attractiveness.

Working Part-time in Germany

The majority of international students in Germany work part-time to cover their living expenses. Germany is a sea of opportunities when it comes to student job opportunities and most of them don’t require a higher level of expertise in a particular professional field in the first place. It’s not surprising that over 60% of international students in Germany work part-time.

Under current legal regulations, international students in Germany are allowed to work up to 120 days of the year.

If you aim to work longer than that, you need to take a specific permission. Two organizations that issue these permissions are the local employment agency (Agentur fur Arbeit) and the foreigners’ registration office (Ausländerbehörde).

However, don’t expect to rely only on your part-time job earnings. Usually, they are not sufficient for covering all expenses as you will need to have other funds. But it still alleviates a huge financial burden from your budget. After all, that’s what most students in Germany do.

If you don’t know how to look for a job we suggest you contact the student service within the university you’re attending or contact the Federal Employment Agency in the local area. They will probably find something that matches what you’re looking for.

Exemptions

You can work full-time during the regular university breaks. You can also work for more hours if you’re job is considered as a mandatory work under certain regulations.

What jobs can I seek as an international student?

There are many part-time jobs you can seek in Germany. However, we recommend you find a job related to your study field. Not only will it help you cover your living expenses, but it will also add credits to your studies.

For example, if you’re a chemistry student, you can work as a staff member at the university lab.

Universities in Germany offer a wide spectrum of part-time jobs for their students. But, if can’t manage to find one within the campus, there are probably many other part-time jobs outside of your campus that you can apply for.

If there’s not a single job that comes to your mind, here are some ideas what you can work as while studying in Germany:

• Tutor
• Academic assistant
• Administrative Staff at Student Services
• A staff member at university’s history museum
• Newspaper distributor
• Waiter
• Bartender
• Babysitter

Important notes

The amount of money you will earn while working part-time in Germany depends on the type of job and your professional skills. Note that if your earnings exceed a fixed limit you’ll be entitled as a regular taxpayer.

Therefore, if you earn above 450 € per month you have to pay taxes. In other words,  financing your studies in Germany entirely from your part-time job is impossible. At least with the current legal regulations.