How Does the German Student Visa Work, Section 16b? (2026)
The verdict
The route for anyone admitted to a German degree. You must prove EUR 11,904 for the year, released at EUR 992 a month. The permit runs two years as a rule, lets you work 140 full days a year, and turns into an 18-month job-search permit when you graduate.
Legal basis: AufenthG section 16b · Studentenvisum
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Do You Qualify?
- You have been admitted by a state-recognised institution. Admission is the condition the Act names, so the offer comes before the visa.
- The route also covers study-preparatory language courses and compulsory internships that form part of the programme.
- Your living costs are secured for the year.
The Steps, in Order
- 1
Secure admission and obtain the Zulassungsbescheid from the university.
- With
- The university, often through the central application service for international applicants
- Bring
- School-leaving certificate, transcripts, language certificates, translations
- Fee
- None at this step
- Takes
- Set by each university's intake calendar
- 2
Open and fund a blocked account with EUR 11,904, and take out health insurance, which enrolment requires.
- With
- A blocked-account provider and a health insurer, often bundled
- Bring
- Passport, admission letter, the provider's onboarding documents
- Fee
- None at this step
- Takes
- Days, depending on the provider
- 3
Apply for the national visa under section 16b at the German mission in your country of residence.
- With
- The German embassy or consulate responsible for where you live
- Bring
- Passport, the application form, biometric photos, and the proof of funds for this route; Your own mission's checklist: there is no national document list, each mission publishes its own
- Fee
- EUR 75
- Takes
- Not centrally published. Appointment and decision times are set per mission and vary from weeks to months, so book the appointment before anything else.
- 4
Convert the visa into a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) after you arrive and register.
- With
- The Ausländerbehörde of the city you registered in
- Bring
- Meldebescheinigung from the Anmeldung, passport with the visa, biometric photo, proof of health insurance
- Fee
- EUR 100
- Takes
- Set by each city, not nationally. Apply before the visa expires: a booked appointment is what protects your status if the date falls later.
After you arrive: The Anmeldung within two weeks, the Steuer-ID by post after it, and the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before the visa expires. Every deadline of the first 3 months.
What You Must Prove
EUR 11,904 for the year, released at EUR 992 a month
A blocked account (Sperrkonto)
Also accepted
- A scholarship award letter
- A declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung)
Work and Duration
Working
140 full working days a year, where a day of up to four hours counts as a half day. During lecture periods you may instead work up to 20 hours a week, counted as 2.5 working days per week.
Duration
As a rule two years on first issue and on each extension, with a minimum of one year. Where the programme runs under two years, the permit matches the programme.
What It Turns Into
On graduating you can take the section 20 job-search permit for up to 18 months, and move to a work permit as soon as you have a suitable offer. Applying from inside Germany is covered by AufenthV section 39 no. 1.
What This Route Does Not Allow
- It does not permit unlimited work. Exceeding 140 days breaches the permit rather than merely the university's advice.
- It does not survive dropping out. The permit exists for the studies named in it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do you need for a German student visa in 2026?
EUR 11,904 for the year in a blocked account, released at EUR 992 a month. That is roughly ten percent below the EUR 1,091 a month required on the Chancenkarte and the recognition, language-course and study-place-search visas.
How many days can international students work in Germany?
140 full days a year, with a day of up to four hours counting as a half day. During lecture periods the alternative is up to 20 hours a week, counted as 2.5 working days per week.
What happens after you graduate?
Section 20 gives graduates of German institutions up to 18 months to look for work, with the requirement that your living costs stay secured. Once you have a suitable offer you move to a work permit.
The Other Routes
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