VISAHJELP

Visa for school attendance

Under certain conditions, a visa for school attendance in Germany can be granted. A visa for the purpose of school attendance can be granted at the earliest from grade 9 onwards, if the parents bear the costs of school attendance. The school must be a general-education school with international orientation leading to the Abitur or a comparable qualification. The classes must be composed of students of various nationalities. The school is typically a boarding school (Internat) — meaning the school also provides accommodation. For minors under 18, the parents must consent to the child travelling alone to Germany. Legal basis is § 16f of the Residence Act. IMPORTANT — student exchange programmes: this information does not apply to student exchanges. If you plan a time-limited stay as part of an exchange, different documents are required — please contact the visa section by email in good time.

LAST VERIFIED · 2026-05-02 SOURCE: Auswärtiges Amt · Independent · not affiliated

From Auswärtiges Amt

“The visa fee is 37.50 euros for applicants under 18 (75 euros for applicants over 18), payable in cash in Vietnamese Dong. We cannot guarantee a specific processing time, as the procedure involves domestic German authorities. As a rule, the processing time is approximately three months. In individual cases it can take longer. After entry: Everyone who lives in Germany must be registered. Within two weeks of moving in at the latest, you should do this at the Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt. After entry, contact the foreigners-authority at your place of residence in Germany. There you apply for your residence title.”
— Federal Foreign Office of Germany · German diplomatic missions

What you need

  • You must submit a VIDEX application form (signed by the legal guardian), biometric photos, and a valid passport. Personal and school-related documents: a legalised birth certificate (for Vietnamese certificates), the parents' consent declaration (Einverständniserklärung) with authenticated signatures (for sole custody, additionally a legalised death certificate, declaration of disappearance, or court custody order of the other parent — exception for non-marital children with no father on the birth certificate), passport copies of both custodial parents, school reports (at least the most recent), the German school's admission letter with school type, grade level, and costs, evidence of accommodation (boarding school or host family), payment evidence for the first year's school fees, and a sponsor's declaration (Verpflichtungserklärung) by the school or a person living in Germany under §§ 66-68 of the Residence Act. Optionally a language certificate (5 ALTE providers); if a language course precedes school attendance, course registration with payment, accommodation, and financing evidence. Medical insurance in the three standard alternatives.

Checklist

14
01

Application and identity

  • Application form (VIDEX). Please fill it in completely, print, and sign yourself. For minors, the legal guardian (e.g. the parents) must sign *
  • Two recent biometric photos (45 mm x 35 mm). See the photo specifications template. Glue only one onto the application form and bring the second loose *
  • Valid passport (or recognised substitute travel document). The document must still have at least two blank pages *
02

Family and custody

  • Birth certificate. Vietnamese certificates must first be legalised *
  • Parents' consent declaration (Einverständniserklärung). If a custodial parent is not personally present at submission, the declaration must be submitted with a German authority's authenticated signature. In Vietnam, authentication is only possible at a German consular post. If one parent has sole custody, a legalised death certificate, declaration of disappearance, or court custody order of the other parent must be submitted as evidence. Exception: for non-marital children with no father listed on the birth certificate, no further evidence of the mother's sole custody is required *
  • Parents' passport copies. Passport copies of both or the sole-custody parent *
03

School and accommodation

  • School reports. Please submit evidence of your previous school career. The most recent report must be submitted in any case *
  • School admission letter. The German school's admission letter or school contract must show which school type and grade level will be attended. The applicable costs must also be specified *
  • Accommodation evidence. Submit confirmation of the boarding-school accommodation or the boarding-school contract. If accommodation is with a host family, please submit evidence with the address *
  • Payment evidence. Confirmation from the school that the school fees for the first year have been paid *
  • Sponsor's declaration (Verpflichtungserklärung). The school or another person living in Germany must submit a formal sponsor's declaration under §§ 66-68 of the Residence Act *
04

Language skills (optional)

  • Where applicable, a language certificate. • Goethe-Institut e.V. certificates; • telc GmbH certificates; • Austrian Language Diploma (ÖSD) certificates; • „TestDaF" from the TestDaF-Institut e.V. (institute of FernUniversität Hagen and Ruhr-Universität Bochum; exam level starts at B2 CEFR); • ECL Prüfungszentrum certificates. Note: if a language course is planned before school attendance and you already have prior skills, submitting evidence (e.g. a certificate or participation confirmation of a German course) is helpful for your application
  • Where applicable, language-course registration. • Language school's registration confirmation — must show course duration and level; • payment evidence for the course fee; • accommodation evidence during the language course; • livelihood evidence during the language course — can be a formal sponsor's declaration (see above) or a blocked account
05

Medical insurance

  • Medical insurance. Three alternatives: (1) proof of a private German insurance that meets the requirements below and starts on the expected travel date; OR (2) proof of statutory German insurance, consisting of a letter from your German Krankenkasse, plus travel insurance for the first three weeks; OR (3) proof of a private foreign (including Vietnamese) insurance, including the policy you have chosen, that meets the requirements below and starts on the expected travel date. When is an insurance equivalent to a statutory German one? • No limit on reimbursement in case of illness; • If the insured person falls ill, no deductible higher than EUR 300 per year may be required; • Pre-existing conditions must be covered; • No termination clause upon reaching a certain age, change of residence permit, or loss of residence permit; • The insurance cover may not have a time limit (or must renew automatically) *

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