Residence permit
In China, Chinese students who want to study in Germany are usually issued with a visa that remains valid for three to six months. If you want to stay in Germany longer than that, you will need to apply for a residence permit.
Follow these steps to apply for a residence permit:
This will remain valid for up to two years and you must apply for a new permit around two months before the expiry date.
- Make an appointment to visit the foreigners’ registration office in the town or city where you are registered.
- Gather all of the documents you will need. These include: Your valid passport Your completed application form Your registration certificate showing your place of residence in Germany (you can get this certificate from the citizens’ registration office in the town or city you live in) A biometric passport photo measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm
- Please note: A complete checklist is available on the website of the foreigners’ registration office here , or will be provided in the confirmation email you receive from the foreigners’ registration office.
- You can get a certificate of insurance from your health insurance provider. The foreigners’ registration office may request that you ask your health insurance provider to complete a form. You can usually send this form to your health insurance provider by post, or you may be able to scan it and send it as an attachment to an email. Your health insurance provider will then complete and sign the form and send it back to you so that you can hand it to the official at your next meeting with the foreigners’ registration office.
Important: To apply for a residence permit, you will need to have an appropriate insurance policy in place that provides an adequate level of cover. Further information on how to find an insurance policy that is appropriate for your studies is available here.
