Document checklist
Germany student visa documents
11 documents an Indian student needs for a Germany student visa, 10 of them required of every applicant. Each one says what it is, how to actually get it (where to book, the fee, the lead time), and links to the official page behind it. Where the authority states the requirement in its own words we quote that sentence, so you can confirm it yourself rather than taking our word or an agent’s.
Identity
Valid Passport
RequiredOriginal Indian passport issued within the last 10 years, with at least 2 empty pages for the visa. You upload the page carrying your photo and personal details.
How to get it
Ensure passport validity covers at least 12 months from travel date; renew through Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) India if expiring soon or lacking blank pages.
“valid passport (issued within the last 10 years and with at least 2 empty pages for visa)”
Read the official page
Academic
APS Certificate (Akademische Prüfstelle)
RequiredMandatory verification certificate issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre India (APS) verifying the authenticity of Indian academic records for German university admission and visa processing.
How to get it
Register online at aps-india.de, pay the processing fee online (non-refundable whatever the outcome, with the current amount shown during registration), then courier the signed printed form and documents to Academic Evaluation Centre India, Khanna Stadium, 1 Africa Avenue, New Delhi 110029. The certificate comes back as a PDF to the email you registered with. APS publishes no fixed processing time: it depends on how fast your school, board or university answers their verification letters, which is exactly why it is the first thing to start and the most common reason people miss an intake.
“The APS certificate is generally required as part of the documentation for the German student visa procedure.”
Read the official pageDigital Master Test (dMAT)
If it appliesAn academic aptitude test run by g.a.s.t. that APS India now requires from Master's applicants whose previous degree is in Engineering, Commerce, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business or Management. APS cannot issue your APS certificate until the dMAT certificate is in, so missing it blocks admission and the visa. You are exempt if you completed APS online registration, or shipped your complete APS documents, before 29 June 2026, or if you already hold an APS certificate.
How to get it
Sat in person at licensed test centres across India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Mananthavady, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. The final centre list appears during registration. Fee is EUR 150, charged by g.a.s.t. and paid at registration. For the 2026 cycle: registration opened 29 June, closes 15 September, the test is on 26 September, and the certificate is available 12 October through the g.a.s.t. test-takers' portal. Submit that certificate to APS India, which checks the result against g.a.s.t. before issuing your APS certificate. Check your university and degree in anabin before registering. A low score does not by itself mean the APS certificate is refused.
“The test will be offered in selected licensed test centers throughout India, including test centers in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Mananthavady, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.”
Read the official pageProof of University Admission / Admission Letter
RequiredOfficial admission letter (Zulassungsbescheid) or offer letter from a recognized German university or Studienkolleg confirming course enrollment and language of instruction.
How to get it
Issued by the German institution, or by uni-assist where it handles applications; there is no mission fee for the document itself. Upload the admission letter to the CSP, or the admission letter to a preparatory college, or confirmation of registration for a language course. Any outstanding condition, a Studienkolleg place or a language level still to be proven, has to be stated in the letter, so ask the university to spell it out rather than sending a bare offer. Universities issue these to their own calendar, which is the step you cannot rush, so apply early in the admission cycle.
“Admission decisions are made by the German higher education institutions.”
Read the official pageAcademic Certificates & Marksheets
RequiredComplete academic history including Class X and XII mark sheets/certificates, Bachelor degree certificate, and all semester marksheets/transcripts.
How to get it
For a preparatory course or Bachelor's: your 10th and 12th mark sheets plus mark sheets for any semesters already studied in India. For a Master's or PhD: the previous degree and mark sheets for every semester. Order attested copies from your Indian university, which sets its own charge and can take several weeks, and order more than one set: the same documents are couriered to APS India in New Delhi and uploaded to the Consular Service Portal. Where a document exists only in an Indian regional language a notarised English translation is required, paid to the translator and notary; documents already bilingual in English generally need none.
“If academic documents were issued only in an Indian regional language, notarized English translations must be submitted.”
Read the official page
Language
Language Proficiency Certificate
RequiredOfficial language proficiency certificate for German (Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF) or English (IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT) according to program language requirements.
How to get it
Sit the test at an accredited centre in India: Goethe-Institut or Max Mueller Bhavan, OSD or telc for German; IELTS or another ALTE member for English. Each sets its own fee, payable at booking. The level depends on the route: B1 German for a German-taught preparatory course, B2 English for an English-taught one, and generally C1 for entering a Bachelor's or Master's directly, in either language. Read this before you book anything: Duolingo, Pearson PTE and the TOEFL home edition are all NOT recognised for applications made in India, so a cheap online test is money and weeks wasted.
“Language requirements for university admission or visa applications are determined by the relevant German university and the competent visa section.”
Read the official page
Financial
Blocked Bank Account (Sperrkonto)
RequiredMandatory financial proof requiring deposit of €11,904 per year (€992 per month) into a German blocked bank account to guarantee sufficient living funds during studies.
How to get it
Opened online before your visa appointment through a commercial provider such as Fintiba, Expatrio or Coracle, each charging its own setup and monthly fee on top of the deposit. Transfer EUR 11,904 to cover the first year and obtain the blocking confirmation, which must state that no more than EUR 992 a month can be withdrawn. Allow one to two weeks end to end: the account has to exist and be funded before you upload the confirmation, and an international transfer from India is not instant.
“A blocked account is one way of doing so for certain visa categories.”
Read the official page
Visa
Consular Service Portal (CSP) Application
RequiredStudy-visa applications from India are made online in the Consular Service Portal, which now contains the application form itself. The separate VIDEX form is no longer part of this route, and booking an appointment without completing the CSP application means it will not be accepted.
How to get it
Free to use, with no fee until the appointment itself. Apply at the Consular Service Portal, choose India as country of residence, then the German mission responsible for your state, and answer the questionnaire truthfully because a wrong sub-type means deleting and starting again. Only after the application is complete and documents uploaded does the portal release the link to book an on-site appointment, and appointment slots are the binding constraint in peak season, so allow weeks between starting the portal and sitting at the counter.
“For applications through the Consular Service Portal, it is no longer necessary to visit a separate website to complete an online application form; that has all been integrated into the online process.”
Read the official pageNational Visa Fee (€75)
RequiredEUR 75 for applicants over 18, charged in rupees at the day's rate (about ₹8,100). It is a processing fee: it is not refunded if the visa is refused or you withdraw. The visa centre adds its own service fee on top.
How to get it
EUR 75 for applicants over 18, about INR 8,100, and EUR 37.50 for under-18s, about INR 4,100. Paid in rupees at the exchange rate on the day of your on-site appointment, not in advance. It is a processing fee and is not refunded if the visa is refused or you withdraw. The external service provider adds its own service charge on top, so budget above the headline figure.
“The visa fee is 8100 inr / 75,-- EUR for applicants over 18 years of age and 4100 inr / 37,50 EUR for applicants under the age of 18 years”
Read the official page
Health
Health Insurance (Travel & Statutory)
RequiredA certificate of compulsory health insurance, statutory or private, valid from your intended date of arrival in Germany.
How to get it
Buy before the visa appointment and upload the certificate: cover must run from your intended date of arrival in Germany, not from enrolment. Either statutory cover from a fund such as TK, AOK or Barmer, or an equivalent private policy; each insurer sets its own monthly premium, so compare rather than taking the first quote. Statutory funds usually cannot enrol you until you hold a German address and university place, so most students enter on a qualifying travel policy bought in India and switch within their first weeks.
“Certificate about compulsory health insurance (Gesetzliche oder private Krankenversicherung) from the intended date of arrival in Germany.”
Read the official page
Other
CV & Letter of Motivation
RequiredA CV in table form in English or German covering all previous training, qualifications and activities, plus a freely written motivation letter explaining why Germany, why that degree and that university, and what you plan to do after graduating.
How to get it
Written by you, no fee, uploaded in the CSP. The CV must be in table form in English or German and list all previous training, qualifications and activities. The motivation letter is freely written and has to say why Germany, why that specific degree programme and university, how you found it, and what you plan to do after graduating. Draft both before you open the portal; the questionnaire moves faster than you can write a good letter.
“CV in English or German in table form, listing all previous training, qualifications and activities”
Read the official page
1 of these are conditional: needed only if the situation described applies to you. Read each one rather than assuming, since the conditions are where applications get delayed.
This list is the same for everyone
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Bramica takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This is information, not immigration advice. Requirements change; confirm anything you are about to act on at the official source linked against it.