General information

Germany is one of the most popular study countries worldwide. The education of qualified foreign students at German universities is a priority of the Federal Government.

After successfully completing their studies, foreigners can have their residence permit extended for up to 18 months in order to look for a job that matches their qualifications.

Language proficiency

Start your language training in the language you would like to study as early as possible. Use the opportunities you have in Saudi Arabia to learn the German language.

The required proficiency level may differ between universities and individual courses of study. The minimum level is “B2”, some universities accept “DSH” or higher only.

Attendance of a public “Studienkolleg” normally requires German language proficiency of the level “B1”, sometimes even “B2”.

In case you wish to attend a language course in Germany, you should at least have acquired German language skills at “A2” level when you apply for the visa.

The language certificate must be based on a standardized language test in accordance with the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE). This currently applies to the certificates of the following institutions: Goethe-Institut e.V., telc GmbH, Austrian Language Diploma (ÖSD), ECL Examination System and “TestDaF”.

Prepare your application

You should start preparing your application as soon as you have plans for your long-term stay in Germany. Prepare your application according to the following list and submit the documents with 1 copy when applying for a visa:

• copy of your passport, personally signed and valid for at least 9 months (including all pages that are not blank)
• a completed and personally signed national visa application form (please use the online application form VIDEX ) including the declaration according to § 54 of the German Residence Act
• 2 recent biometric passport photos (not older than 3 months)
• Saudi ID or Iqama or Saudi Arabian visa & entry stamp
• admission letter from a German higher education institution (college, university) or / and
• admission or invitation to an admission test at a Studienkolleg (with fixed date) or / and
• confirmation of registration at a language school for a preparatory language course (starting with B1 up to DSH)
• proof of the financing of the entire stay:

1. blocked account at a German bank with 11.904 €/year (2024) as well as employment letter, confirmed by the local Chamber of Commerce and current bank statements of yourself or your sponsor covering the last 6 months or
2. formal obligation letter according to section 66 to 88 German Residence Act by a person with permanent residence in Germany for the whole study period or
3. scholarship confirmation

• personal letter of motivation
• detailed CV including your educational and professional achievements
• high school graduation certificate and, if applicable, Bachelor/Master certificates with detailed transcript of grades
• unless confirmed by the university in the admission letter: proof of language skills required to begin the studies or the preparatory course
• if available: current employment letter
• in case of minor students: parental authorization

• visa fee of 75€, to be paid in SAR (cash only)
  

Before the visa can be issued, the German Mission will request an “Incoming” health insurance for students valid from the date of entry to Germany.

All documents are to be presented in original or certified copy along with one set of copies.

Foreign documents issued in other languages than English or German have to be submitted with an official translation.

The German Missions reserve the right to request additional documents.

Important notes on the visa procedure

Please do not send unrequested documents to the German Mission, especially not before applying for the visa, as those cannot be kept. Please submit all documents when applying at the mission in person. Incomplete applications will be rejected or denied.

Foreign public documents need to be duly legalized by the competent German Mission in the issuing country, or, if applicable, provided with an Apostille. For documents from some countries, individual document verification might be necessary, that process would require more time and an additional fee.

Processing

The processing of the visa application for students usually takes at least one month, sometimes longer.

The German Mission decides on your application based on the provided documents. You will be contacted as soon as the application has been decided. Please note that questions regarding the status of your visa application cannot be answered. Due to data protection regulation, no status updates can be given via phone.

Book your appointment

To submit your application, please book an appointment and appear in person at the German Embassy in Riyadh. The embassy will accept your complete application documents including the visa fee, will conduct a short interview with you and register your biometric data.

Please book an appointment through the online system of the Embassy in Riyadh.

Additional information

On the subject of “Learning and Working in Germany”, please contact the Information Centre of the (ZAV) of the Federal Employment Agency.

You will find the prerequisites, framework conditions and opportunities for studying in Germany on the website hochschulkompass.de.

Contact details of various German preparatory courses.

For information on language courses and examinations please see the webpage of the Goethe-Institut Riyadh.

If you have any additional questions that have not been answered in this article, you may use the contact form. Please refrain from questions that are explained on this website.