Contact Us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. 

56 Passauerstraße
München, BY, 81369
Germany

+49 176 86 32 51 05

Yana Immis Educational Consultant Study Abroad Blog.png

Study Abroad - Blog

Latest on the blog: Study Abroad, International Students, Study Abroad Because, Go Abroad, Scholarships Abroad, Success Stories, Visa, Blocked Account & Accommodation – stay up to date with news by clicking here.

Study In Germany Without Blocked Account

Yana Immis

Is it possible to study in Germany without a blocked account?💰👀⁠ 👉 YES, if you fulfill one of the requirements.

Listed as one of the prerequisites for obtaining a German visa above 90 days, proof of sufficient funds for the visa duration must be presented.

If you are coming from abroad to study in Germany or to search for a job, chances are you might be required to open a blocked account. In this article, you will find all the latest options for the blocked accounts, exceptions and the steps required to open one.

Study In Germany Without Blocked Account

Blocked Account Exceptions

Studying in Germany without a blocked account is possible if you fulfill one of the requirements listed below:

  1. Scholarship from an educational establishment (full list of scholarships is available here).

  2. Confirmation of government funding or approved student loan in Germany

    • Scholarship must come from a reputed government or Educational institution (e.g., DAAD, Max Planck)

    • The sum must cover your living expenses

  3. Invitation from a friend or relative living in Germany (Verpflichtungserklärung)

    • This person will be responsible to support you financially during your studies

    • The reason for the invitation must be clearly stated: “Studium” (studies)

    • This document must be obtained in person at an Alien’s Registration Office in Germany

In case you do not match any of the requirements above, the blocked account becomes a mandatory prerequisite for the visa in order to study in Germany.

Blocked Account Amount

Study In Germany Without Blocked Account 2

A student is allowed to withdraw a monthly sum of €934 after reaching Germany, hence the blocked account balance at the time of the visa application must be €11,208 (2023).

This is the minimum living standard for 12 months in Germany in 2019. If you are studying for a shorter period and need a blocked account for a German language course or Job Seeker Visa, then you need to open an account with the amount equivalent to the number of months you plan to stay in Germany.

Blocked Account Options

The bank account for students, who require a visa (India, China, Pakistan, Russia, Colombia, etc.) must be opened before the visa application. You can open a blocked account from your home country at:

Here you can find more useful information about the Blocked Account and #1 Online Blocked Account Choice for International Students.

Study In Germany Without Blocked Account 3

The last few years, more and more available options for opening a blocked account appeared to simplify the visa process for the foreign students, as an example, country-specific banks:

  • Kotak Mahindra (India)

  • Isbank (Turkey)

  • UBL Bank (Pakistan)

Citizens from countries like Japan, Australia, Chile, Brazil, who have visa-free entry to Germany would be required to open an account after coming to Germany. There is plenty of available banks to open the blocked account in person after the arrival:

  • Hypovereinsbank

  • Commerzbank

  • Postbank

  • Sparkasse

If you are unsure which group of students you belong to (nationality wise), find your country on the list for the visa regulations here.

Blocked Account Documents & Deadlines

The list of documents is subjective due to nationality and the bank provider. However, the majority of the documents include:

Study In Germany Without Blocked Account 4

  1. Valid Passport

  2. Application Form

  3. Offer Letter

    • Conditional / Provisional Letter will suffice

  4. Income Statement and /or Bank Statement

  5. The Prepaid fee to open the bank account at the provider

It is highly recommended to start looking for the blocked account as soon as you have decided on the university choice. You need to monitor the visa appointment dates and calculate at least 2 weeks to 1 month time to allocate to the blocked account opening procedure.

On average, it takes 1 week to open the blocked account and transfer the sum followed by 1 week processing time. Afterward, you will receive the confirmation e-mail, which is sufficient for the German Embassy.

Attention: due to the extended queues (mostly May to November), the processing times vary.

Blocked Account Procedure

First, you need to decide on a provider. According to the provider, you are either required to submit an online form or to send the documents via DHL Express shipment. However, the majority of the procedures include:

  1. Step one is to choose the bank you would like to open the account with

  2. Step two is to fill-out application form taken directly from the website of the provider

    • Deutsche Bank requires proper legalization at the German embassy

  3. Step three is to organize the money transfer

    • Deutsche Bank requires information on the sources where the money is coming from and their relation to you

Afterward, you will receive the confirmation, which you would need to take with you during the visa interview together with the other documents.

52 Comments
categories Useful Tips
tags 2019

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT)

Yana Immis

To study in Germany international students are required to go through nine circles of hell. But in the end it is very rewarding.

Today we will discuss all the necessary points for you to apply to a German university, successfully get a visa, and arrive. Take notes and enjoy the read!

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT) 7

What is required to study in Germany?

To be able to study in Germany you need to have:

1. Health Insurance & Sufficient Funds

In the shape of a blocked account or alternatives. In Germany, you must have the insurance at all times by law.

Read more information about the available options here:

2. Proof Of The Relevant Tests

Or a confirmation from employer/university that you worked/studied in English. When you choose your course, make sure to check the language of teaching. You are only required to provide the language test confirmation from the language of your teaching.

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT) 3.jpg

As an example: you will study in English, which means there is no need for you to complete a German test.

a. IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge Advanced Tests

b. GMAT or GRE

See more useful articles for you to know how to pass these tests:

3. A recognized German University Entrance Qualification

A Secondary School qualification if you are willing to study at an Undergraduate level in Germany. If you are looking for Master or MBA studies, you are required to have an accredited Bachelor's Degree.

Both options you can check as the Hochschulzugangsberechtigung (HZB), meaning 'higher education entrance qualification' at the following website.

4. Minimum GPA Requirements Set By A University

You can check and convert your GPA to the German system here.

5. Relevant Work Experience

The majority of the MBA programs require you to have 2-3 years of work experience.

Important: pay attention to what kind of work experience is required:

  • Is it full-time, part-time, or an internship?

  • Is it 2 or 3 years long?

  • Is it required to complete work experience after the Bachelor's Degree issue date?

You need to present all these points in the German embassy when applying for a visa to be able to be granted permission for a long-term study visa (allowing you to work as well).

Not only are you required to present it in the embassy, but the majority of these requirements are also a necessity during the German university application process.

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT)4.jpg

Are There Specific Entry Requirements To Study In Germany?

All the data you need to know from the DAAD website

Whether you can study in Germany with a foreign degree or certificate depends on the equivalence of your degree to a German standard of teaching.

  1. If you are from an EU country, then the possibility of direct enrollment is close to 100% for German Universities.

  2. If you are outside the EU, the possibility you are required to study an additional year in the Studienkolleg or a university in your country is very high.

  3. If you are unsure if the visa & separate admission is required, go through this test to determine if you do.

  4. If you would like to know admission requirements as per your country, please please see the Database on admission requirements as per your country here. More than 130 countries’ data is available.

If your school-leaving certificate is not recognized as a higher education entrance qualification, you can take a Foundation course or Pathway or Studienkolleg if the minimum entry requirements for that specific course are fulfilled. Should you successfully pass the program, you are given the right to study at any university or at only one specific course.

Make sure to consult the admission department of the university as well as Uni Assist. Attention: if unsure, always ask the academic/admission office of the chosen university or an educational consultant. You can always ask me here.

IB Entry Requirements For Germany

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT) 5.jpg

The International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB diploma) is a school-leaving qualification that is awarded by the Geneva-based, private sector International Baccalaureate (IB) Organisation and can be earned at thousands of schools worldwide.

With the IB Diploma with a certain set of subjects, you are allowed to enroll in a German university Bachelor program directly! Here is how:

An example of the German Business School Entry Requirements for IB Students:

o min. 24 points

o 2 language courses (at least one must be an advanced foreign language; “Language A”)

o A scientific subject (biology, chemistry, physics) – must be “Higher level”

o Mathematics SL/HL

o A social-scientific subject (business, history, geography, economics)

o 6th compulsory subject must be one of the following (visual arts, music, theatre arts, a further modern foreign language; Latin, classical Greek; general chemistry, applied, chemistry, environmental systems, computer science, design technology; philosophy, psychology, social anthropology, Business Management)

o The subjects demanded need to be graded with the IB-grade 4 at the minimum

o If only one subject is graded with the IB-grade 3, it can be equated, if a further subject of at least the same aspiration level is graded with the IB-grade 5

Should the entry requirements not be fulfilled, you need to apply for a Studienkolleg/Pathway/Foundation course and the university will decide upon the minimum points and subjects required for you to enroll.

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT) 7.jpg

Mandatory subjects for alternative majors:

  • Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Pharmacy:

    • Mathematics SL and Biology HL or Chemistry HL or Physics HL

  • Mathematics, Natural Sciences (i. e.: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geosciences, Environmental Sciences, Home Economics, Food, and Nutritional Sciences):

    • Mathematics HL and Biology SL or Chemistry SL or Physics SL

  • Technical study courses (i. e. Architecture, Informatics, Electronics and Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Medicinal Technology, Vehicle and Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Library and Information Systems, Supply Technology):

    • Mathematics HL and Biology SL or Chemistry SL or Physics SL

  • Psychology, Law, Business, Humanities, Sports Science:

    • Mathematics HL or SL and Biology HL/SL or Chemistry HL/SL and Physics HL/SL

      • Either Maths or a Science has to be at HL

COVID19 May 2020 IB Diplomas

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT CORONAVIRUS COVID COVID19

With adapting to circumstances around the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, IB Diplomas issued in May 2020 as authorization for university admission, on condition that these terms apply in addition to the updated Agreement of the Recognition of the IB Diploma.

The recognition is granted for the university admissions for winter semester 2020 and it will be automatically extended in case there will be no statistical deviations of student final grades, in comparison to student grades from the past 3 years of examinations

Read the latest IB Agreement on the Recognition of the 'International Baccalaureate Diploma/Diplôme du Baccalauréat International'

GCE Entry Requirements For Germany

The GCE is accepted in Germany under certain conditions as a direct subject-restricted university entrance qualification. The following conditions apply:

  1. Four examination subjects that are independent of one another and have general education (non-vocational).

  2. Must include 1 language, Mathematics or one of the subjects of the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, or physics)

  3. A minimum of three of the four examination subjects must have been passed on the level of GCE AL. The level GCE AS is sufficient for the fourth examination subject.

An example of the German Business School Entry Requirements for GCE Students:

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT) 8.jpg

o 1 language course A/AS level

o Mathematics A-level

o 1 Natural Science course

o 1 elective course as desired

o 3 out of 4 courses must be A-level. The remaining course can be AS-level

Based on the desired course of study, the following additional prerequisites must be fulfilled:

  • Humanities, law, social sciences, economics, art:

    • a subject in the GCE AL that corresponds to the chosen field of study

    • and have a GCE AL in mathematics for a course of study involving economics and social sciences.

  • Natural science:

    • a total of two GCE AL examinations in the subjects of mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.

  • Technical studies and mathematics:

    • a GCE AL in mathematics

    • and a GCE AL in biology, chemistry, physics, or computer science.

  • Medicine (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or pharmacy):

    • Three of the following GCE AL subjects: mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics.

GCE Specifics

  1. Two subjects on the level of GCE AS can be included in the assessment in place of one GCE AL.

  2. Evidence of GCE AS/AL examination subjects that are vocational in nature can only be accepted in individual cases. The “GCE Applied A Level” introduced in the United Kingdom in 2005/2006 will not qualify an applicant for university access in Germany under any circumstances.

  3. Proof of an applicant’s “key skills” will not be taken into account for university access in Germany.

  4. A language examination in English that has not been taken as part of the GCE AL/AS examinations cannot be substituted for a subject in GCE AL/AS.

  5. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), the International GCSE, and the GCE Ordinary Level (GCE O Level) certificates, which are conferred in the United Kingdom and at British international schools, will be regarded as a school-leaving certificate from a German “Hauptschule” (a school that offers Lower Secondary Education) or as a “Mittlere Reife” (an intermediate school-leaving certificate that is usually awarded after ten years of schooling in Germany) and will NOT be taken into consideration for university entrance in Germany.

American Diploma & SAT & AP Entry

Requirements For Germany

It is obligatory for your High School Diploma to be acquired after continuous attendance of the classes 9 to 12 at a US High School and to comprise a total of 16 "academic units" in the forms 9 to 12:

  • 4 units (3 units are sufficient for 11 forms) English with a minimum grade C: English IV or Honors or AP English,

  • 2 units Second Language,

  • 3 units Social Studies,

  • 5 units in total Mathematics and Science:
    2 or 3 units Mathematics with a minimum grade C: Algebra II or Trigonometry and Precalculus, 2 or 3 units Science with a minimum grade C: Biology, Chemistry or Physics,

  • 2 academic units free to choose from.

An example of a German Business School American Diploma & SAT & AP Entry Requirements

US High school degree min. 3.0 GPA out of 4.0 and one of the following:

o SAT min. 1300 points English math and writing

o ACT min. 29 points

o AP (must have taken calculus, language and a subject that exists in German high school)

SAT

Until February 2016: A total of 1,300 points must be proven in the two parts "Math" and "Critical Reading". This is not the overall score achieved; this is the sum of points scored in the parts “Math” and “Critical Reading” independent of the results achieved in the “Writing” part.

From March 2016: A total of 1,360 points must be proven in the two parts "Math" and "Evidence-Based Reading and Writing".

Starting with the admission deadline for the winter semester 2019/2020, the admission options in connection with SAT and ACT do not apply anymore. This means that SAT and ACT results do not lead to a better rating for admission to a German institution of higher education than the High School Diploma without additional certificates.

Study in Germany Requirements for International Students (IB, A-Levels, American Diploma, SAT) 2.jpg

AP

Providing your AP tests cover the compulsory subjects specified below, you qualify for direct subject-restricted admission. This allows you to apply directly to a German higher education institution for Mathematical subjects, Technology, Natural Sciences, Medicine or Pharmacy.

Condition:
The following subject areas must be covered by your AP tests with at least grade 3:

  • Mathematics (Calculus AB or BC)

  • 1 natural science subject (Biology, Chemistry or two half AP tests in Physics C)

  • 1 language (French, Spanish, Latin, German, English Literature or English Language and Composition)

  • 1 further subject (e.g. European History, American History, Computer Science or two half AP tests respectively in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics)

Providing your AP tests cover the compulsory subjects specified below, you qualify for direct subject-restricted admission. This allows you to apply directly to a German higher education institution for Humanities, Social Sciences, Jurisprudence or Economics.

Condition:
The following subject areas must be covered by your AP tests with at least grade 3:

  • English (English Literature or English Language and Composition)

  • 1 further foreign language (French, Spanish, Latin, German)

  • 1 mathematical/natural science subject (Calculus AB or BC, Biology, Chemistry or two half AP tests in Physics C)

  • 1 further subject (e.g. European History, American History, Computer Science or two half AP tests respectively in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics)

Associate Degree

With your educational background, you qualify for direct general admission, providing you can prove two years of study at a recognised higher education institution with "college level" courses that meet the following requirements:

  • 5 independent general education subjects, thereof English, one foreign language, mathematics, and one natural science subject

  • thereof at least three subjects with three ascending semester courses

Comment
categories Useful Tips
tags 2020

Fully Funded Scholarships In Germany - Myth Or Reality? How To Finance Yourself Abroad

Yana Immis

Every foreigner needs to prove financial solvency when going to study in Germany.

The Blocked Account option is only one of the ways of financing yourself. There are also scholarships, loans, grants. Do not forget, as a foreigner, you are allowed to work in Germany while studying and to search for a job in Germany for 18 months after Graduation. Scroll down to access the full version.

Fully Funded Scholarships In Germany - Myth Or Reality How To Finance Yourself Abroad 3.jpg

If you go for a private or a public university, you are eligible to obtain either of these sources of financing if your university is state accredited and recognized. Unsure if your university is matching the criteria? Contact me for clarification.

I have prepared a dropdown of options for you to replace a blocked account. If you are not able to obtain either of the options, please consider evaluating the different blocked account options and reading more about them here.

How To Finance Your Studies In Germany?

1) DAAD Scholarship Database

DAAD ("Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst") - must be your first and foremost source of obtaining a scholarship. You can apply for one or for several options according to your nationality and the future program. Important is that the combination of scholarships covers your blocked account sum.

Important: fully funded scholarships or a combination of the different scholarships will replace your blocked account and it will no longer be necessary to submit the confirmation of the blocked funds in the German Embassy during your visa application process.

2) Deutschlandstipendium

The Deutschlandstipendium provides financial support to high performing students from all over the world.

  • Businesses, foundations, or private individuals sponsor young talent with a pledge of 150 euros per month.

  • The Federal Government matches this amount with another 150 euros.

300 euros per month for international top-class talent

3) BAFÖG (For German Students)

BAföG - state funding for students in Germany. The BAföG is only awarded to international students in exceptional cases.

Fully Funded Scholarships In Germany - Myth Or Reality How To Finance Yourself Abroad 2.jpg

4) Gi. Bill V.A. Benefits (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs)

First, you need to check if your university is approved for the organization to pay for your studies. If the university is not yet on a list, you can apply and notify the academic-admissions office of the university. The application will be considered and then the university’s academic department would be contacted for confirmation.

5) Loans & Foundations

  • Private student loans are offered country-wide by:

    • Deutsche Bank 

    • Sparkasse

    • Volksbank

    • Raiffeisenbanken

  • State student loans in Germany are offered by:

    • KFW Bank via your regional bank

    • NRW Bank (only tuition fees)

    • L-Bank (only tuition fees).

  • Foundations:

    • Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships in Germany

    • Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Scholarships in Germany for International Students

    • The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Scholarship

6) Erasmus Scholarship Programs in Germany

Erasmus is an alternative choice for international students who aim to enroll into the full-time study program in Germany. The majority of the EU universities participate in the Erasmus scheme (funded by Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus+ scholarships).

Fully Funded Scholarships In Germany - Myth Or Reality How To Finance Yourself Abroad 4.jpg

7) Work & Tax Benefits

8) University Scholarships

Make sure to check all the partner universities I work with who offer extensive scholarship choices, as an example:

  • Scholarships for sportsmen

  • Scholarships for a high GMAT result

  • Scholarships for women in leadership

9) Additional useful links with foundations, loans, and scholarships

8 Comments
categories Useful Tips
tags 2020