HOW TO APPLY FOR GERMAN LANGUAGE VISA
Table of Contents
What is the German Language Course Visa?
Are you interested in taking an intensive language course for yourself and not as a preparatory study purpose in Germany? This is possible with a visa for language acquisition in accordance with Section 16f (1) AufenthG (German Residence Act).
The German Language Course Visa is a type of educational visa which is open to citizens from all countries and thus provides people with a wonderful opportunity to live in Germany, experience German culture, and to effectively communicate using the German language in day-to-day lives.
A German Language Course Visa allows you to live in Germany for three months to a year, 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.
The German Language Course Visa will often only be issued for the length of your language course (e.g., if you only sign up for a 3-month language course, your visa will likely only be issued for a 3-month period). In some cases, you may provide a 3-month language school contract and be issued with a longer visa, but this will depend on the generosity of the caseworker at the German embassy or consulate.
It is undoubtedly one of the easier visas to apply for and is a great option if you want to learn the language or experience living in Germany.
Things to remember when you apply for a German Language Course Visa:
Distinctions Under This Visa Type
A distinction is made between pure language courses and language courses to prepare for a course of study in Germany:
1. Intensive language course lasting more than 3 months (§ 16 f Sect. 1 Residence Act):
- A change of the purpose of stay is generally not possible; the visa holder must leave the Federal Republic of Germany after completion of the course (maximum duration: 12 months), so he/she must prove upon submission of the application his/her willingness to return to the home country.
- A knowledge of the German language is not required in advance, but German courses that were already completed show a long-term interest in the language.
2. Language course in preparation for a course of study (§ 16 b Sect. 1 Residence Act):
- The holder of the student visa can take up studies in Germany directly after the language course is completed, without having to leave Germany again in the meantime.
An intensive language course must generally include daily lessons with at least 18 hours per week. Evening and weekend courses are not sufficient. The course must be directed at the acquisition of comprehensive German language skills and the duration of the course must be limited from the beginning.
Important Documents to Prepare
1. Two completed visa application forms
You can fill out the online application form here: Antrag auf Erteilung eines nationalen Visums or you can download a blank copy of the same form here.
2. Registration with the language school with confirmation that the course fees have been paid
Before applying for the Language Course Visa, it is a must na mag research or maghanap ng school kung saan ninyo balak mag-aral ng German language here in Germany. It is also preferable to look for a school na malapit sa titirahan nyo or within the city where you live in Germany. Contact the language school in Germany to enroll. In order to receive a contract/letter of enrollment from a language school to apply for the German Language Course Visa, you have to pay all the courses you wish to enroll in full.
3. Confirmation of the Language School regarding the type and duration of the language course
After you have paid your enrollment fees, 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.
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.
4. Original Passport and a Photocopy of it as well as the Bio Page– The embassy requires that your passport is valid for at least another three months on the date the visa application is submitted. It also must have two empty pages for them to stamp your passport. If you have renewed your passport, bring your old one/s with you. These are needed especially if you have previous overseas trips.
5. Two current biometrical passport photos (35-45 mm width)
Have your passport photo taken. The embassy is very strict on their photo specifications. Fortunately, they have a page on their official website dedicated to explaining this. Bring at least two copies or more, just in case. One photo should be glued to the application form. The second photo will be returned to you.
- Taken with nothing covering the face, without sunglasses or contact lenses, or a head covering unless worn for religious or medical reasons.
- The subject should have their mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows).
After which, paste your photo on each of the electronic visa form that you completed online (1 original and 1 photocopy of the form).
6. Curriculum Vitae in Tabular Form
Your CV should be written in either German or English and outline your professional experience (without a gap if possible), qualifications, certificates/diplomas you have obtained.
7. Proof of finance of your cost of living while studying
There are two options for evidencing the financial coverage. Click ▼ to read more.
You can submit a Formal obligation (Verpflichtungserklärung) according to §§ 66-68 Aufenthaltsgesetz (Original with two photocopies) by which a person takes over the cost. You sponsor who is living in Germany with sufficient creditworthiness can submit this document as their declaration of commitment during the entire duration of your stay. Alien offices and resident’s registration offices, also known as “Auslaenderbehoerde” in Germany have the necessary forms for this declaration. You can read more information here on how to process or obtain this document.
When applying for this visa, if you decide to cover all the expenses, you can provide evidence that you are able to meet your living costs by opening a blocked bank account.
- If you are applying for the full year: You should provide a bank statement of an escrow account/blocked account (Sperrkonto) with a balance of at least €10,332.
- If you are applying for less than one year, the amount will be pro-rated at €861 per month. For example, if you are applying for a 6-month Language Course Visa, the required amount will be €5,166.
Note: this amount is a recent increase as of 1 January 2021. For further details, see this article from the German foreign office.
With regards to opening a blocked account, you can decide which provider you would like to open your account. As suggested by those who have applied for this Visa type, they 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.
8. Evidence of previously completed language courses (if available)
Just in case that you already took A1 (or a few) German language level/s in the Philippines, any certificate/s of completion or Language level exams, you can provide these documents to your application. Otherwise, it is not necessarily needed to submit any certificates if you plan to start your German language courses in Germany.
9. Evidence of your rootedness in the Philippines
Evidence of deep-rootedness a.k.a. strong family and social ties to your home country, is one of the most critical requirements when applying for a German Language Course Visa. It is what the Consul will look for in your visa application. So how do you prove that you are firmly established in the Philippines and that you will go back to your home country?
- For Employees:
- Employment or Work contract and bank account statements or payslips showing the transfer of your last six-monthly salaries
- Certificate of Employment which should include the employer’s full name, complete address, telephone number with area code, details regarding the position, income, and employment duration
- Approved letter of approved leave signed by your employer (Leave of Absence letter)
- Optional: Signed No Objection Certificate which states that your employer has no objection for you to travel to Germany and that they have approved your leave request
- Most recent Income Tax Return 2316 (ITR)
- Optional Supporting Documents:
› Government Mandated Contributions – SSS, Pag-ibig, Philhealth Contributions
› If with existing loan – SSS Loan or Pag-ibig Salary loan
- For Self-Employed:
- DTI Business Name Registration Certificate
- Barangay Business Clearance
- Mayor’s Business Permit from your Municipality where the business address has been registered
- Business activity of your company for the last 6 months – invoices and bank transactions
- Most recent Income Tax Return 2316 (ITR)
- For Retirees:
- Pension statement for the last 6 months
- Retirement Certification
- Others (No work, No Business, etc.): Family as Proof of Rootedness:
- For Solo parents:
› A copy of your birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› A copy of your child/children’s birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› Solo parent ID
› Barangay Certification as Solo parent
› Notarized Affidavit of Solo Parent with Undertaking
› Money remittances to support your dependents - For those who are supporting or watching over the health/well-being of the family:
› A copy of my parent’s birth certificates- PSA Authenticated
› If parents are already Senior Citizens: a copy of their Senior Citizen ID and Barangay Certification as Senior Citizens
› If parents have sickness/ illness: Medical history of parents (diabetes, hypertension, etc.)
- For Solo parents:
- For Minors
- Affidavit of Support by parents or Legal Guardian with their proof of means
- Proof of Enrollment and certificate of leave of absence
DWSD Permit
- For Employees:
10. Motivational Letter or Explanation Letter
Depending on the main purpose of your language visa application, you should determine which category of this visa type to apply for in order to provide the specific format of the motivational letter that the German Embassy might need from you as stated below:
- For applicants who will take intensive language course lasting more than 3 months ( § 16 Abs. 5 AufenthG)- An explanation in writing about the stay for your language studies:
- motivation for choosing the subject of your studies
- reasons for choosing the language school in Germany
- specific plans for studies or explanation regarding your planned use of the German language knowledge after you complete the language course
- For applicants who will take language course as a preparation for studies at a university or institute of higher education
(e.g. for BA, MA, PhD; § 16 Abs. 1 AufenthG)- An explanation in writing in German language about your planned study of the German language to then take up studies at a university / institute of higher education:- motivation for choosing the your course of study
- reasons for
choosing the university / college - specific plans for studies or explanation regarding your planned use of the German
language knowledge after you complete the language course
- For applicants who will take intensive language course lasting more than 3 months ( § 16 Abs. 5 AufenthG)- An explanation in writing about the stay for your language studies:
Should you need help in writing your Motivational Letter, feel free to avail my writing letter service so that I can assist you.
11. Proof of standard of matriculation for Germany
NOTE: This is an additional document ONLY for applicants who will take language course as a preparation for studies at a university or institute of higher education (e.g. for BA, MA, PhD)
Should be in the form of foreign diplomas including their acknowledgement by a German authority as sufficient entrance qualification for a German university /in stuitute of higher education.
12. Travel Insurance
The coverage must be applied during the entire duration of your language course studies in Germany and must be valid for all Schengen countries. Coverage sum must be AT LEAST EUR 30,000 (Php 2.5 million or USD 50,000). I highly recommend Pioneer Insurance which you can avail yourself through me. Feel free to directly inquire through JASTravel on Facebook and I would be very glad to assist you.
For the list of recommended Schengen insurance companies in the Philippines, you can also check it through: List of Schengen recommended Insurance Companies in the Philippines. And it is also great to know that Pioneer Insurance is one them!
13. Proof of vaccination
Vaccines that are recognized are only those that are registered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA): Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply for a German Language Visa
German Language Visa is categorized as a Long-term National Visa (Type D Visa). Hence, applicants for this visa type should be lodged at the German Embassy in Manila, 6819 Ayala Ave, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
STEP 1: Determine whether you will apply for: an Intensive language course lasting more than 3 months OR a Language course to take up studies at a university or institute of higher education (e.g. for BA, MA, PhD) and have a look at the checklist of requirements to gather all the documents that you need to submit. Each application must comply with the guidelines applicable for your visa category.
STEP 2: Gather all your documents for whichever category of visa you will apply for. 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. All documents that are not in German language (except if they are in English language) must submitted with a notarized German translation (with two copies).
Additional documents, which are not mentioned on the important documents to be submitted, might be required by the German Embassy in the individual case during the course of the visa processing.
STEP 3: Book your appointment at German Embassy’s Appointment System
Your application must be submitted personally at the German Embassy. Once you have obtained all necessary documents, please register for an appointment here and fill-out all the necessary information.
STEP 4: Show up on your appointment date at the German Embassy in Manila in 6819 Ayala Ave, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
All documents must generally be submitted in the Original with two Xerox copies . They will collect your documents as well as your Passport, get your biometrics, and collect the Visa fee.
The application processing fee is 75,00 Euros (applicants below 18 years of age pay 30,00 Euros) and is payable upon submission of the application in Philippine Pesos at the current exchange rate. The Embassy does not refund the visa fee if the application is rejected.
STEP 5: Wait for the result and collect your passport
You will be notified when your passport is ready for collection from the German Embassy in Manila. You can either pay an additional fee for the courier and have your passport sent to your address or you can pick-up your passport. If your visa is approved, you’ll find a sticker visa in one of the pages of your passport. If your visa is denied, then you’ll find a white paper enclosed in your passport specifying the reason for denial.
Sequence of the Visa Processing
Long term visas cannot be issued without the approval of the responsible Aliens’ Office in Germany or also known as the Ausländerbehörde (Foreigner’s Authority/ City Municipality); the visa can therefore only be issued when the Embassy has received the approval.
A processing time of several months may be expected. The visa should therefore be applied for at an early date.
Just an additional piece of advice, please refrain from asking for updates during the processing of your application. Such questions do not expedite the processing. If further inquiries need to be answered by you, or additional documents be required, the Visa Section would surely be of
course contact you directly without further prompting.
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. By doing so, this means that your visa can be extended up to a year.
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.
Quick Facts
- Validity of Visa: German Language Course Visas allow people to stay in the Schengen area from three months up to a year.
- Processing Time: A processing time of three up to several months may be expected.
- Where to lodge your application:
- Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Manila
- Address: 25/F Tower II, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave., 1200 Makati City, Metro Manila
- Telephone Number: +63 2 8702 3001
- E-mail address: visa@mani.diplo.de
- Website: http://www.manila.diplo.de
- Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Manila
- Visa Fees:
- Application Processing Fee (for adults): 75 Euros (can be paid in Philippine Peso depending on the conversion rate)
- Applicants below 18 years old: 30 Euros
- Courier Fee: Php 300
Recap and Tips
So, that’s it! I hope that I was able to guide you on how to apply for a German Language Course Visa with your Philippine Passport. If you ever need help, you can avail my visa application bundle, and I will be glad to help you through the process!
