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Visa to study in Germany
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dakar processes all applications for a national visa from nationals who require a visa and have their habitual residence in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau (proof required).
Nationals of Cabo Verde also require a visa to enter Germany. The Embassy in Dakar has temporarily taken over responsibility for processing visa applications from Cabo Verde nationals.
The visa process
- Book an appointment: Please book an appointment to apply for a visa via the Embassy's online appointment system.
- Personal Appearance: All applicants must appear in person at the embassy.
- Processing of the application: The embassy will process your application. Information on the duration of the visa procedure can be found here.
- Collection
Please do not send any documents to the embassy in advance. The applicant must bring all documents with him/her when submitting the application.
If you are asked to submit additional documents when submitting your application or afterwards by e-mail, always indicate the file reference (five-digit number). This can be found on the receipt under the barcode.
Required documents
All listed documents must be submitted in the original as well as a good quality photocopy.
The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents.
- A fully completed application form signed by the applicant (application forms are free of charge).
- Underage travellers:
- Minors require written consent from all the persons with custody. In addition, copies of the passports of all persons with custody must be submitted
- Underage Gambian nationals require a “Travel Clearance”. This is issued by the Gambian police.
The following are required: a copy of the family register or birth certificate and copies of both parents' identity documents
- a current biometric passport photo with a white background (do not attach to the application form)
- Birth certificate of the applicant and, if applicable, marriage certificate and birth certificates of the children
- Valid passport (valid for at least 3 months after expiry of the visa) as well as a copy of the photo page and a copy of all visas in this passport
- Copy of old passports with (already expired) German visas and copy of entry and exit stamps, if applicable
- ID card
- only for applicants without Gambian or Senegalese citizenship residing in Senegal or Gambia: a valid residence permit for one of the countries.
Letter of admission from the university in Germany
If you are studying at a private university
Signed study contract and
Confirmation from the university of the amount of the annual study costs and
Proof of financing the tuition fees
Confirmation from the university that the tuition fee for the first year of study has already been paid or
Proof that sufficient funds are available to pay the tuition fees (e.g. bank statement)
- Proof of funding
- Formal declaration of commitment (“Verpflichtungserklärung”)
- The formal declaration of commitment is issued by the responsible Aliens' Authority in Germany.
- The Aliens' Authority carries out an examination of the sponsor's financial capacity when issuing the declaration of commitment. The visa application must be submitted within six months after the issueance of the formal declaration of commitment.
- The original of the declaration of commitment must be submitted by the applicant.
- The declaration of commitment must have been issued for the purpose of study.
- or proof of the opening of a blocked account (the required blocked amount for one academic year and further information can be found here)
- or proof of recognised scholarship
- Please note that a declaration of assumption of costs by a sponsor is not sufficient! A formal declaration of commitment or a blocked account or a recognised scholarship must always be submitted.
- Important note: Applying for a visa without proof of funding will result in the application being rejected immediately!
- Formal declaration of commitment (“Verpflichtungserklärung”)
- Proof of travel health insurance from the time of entry until the start of studies
- Curriculum vitae
- Letter of motivation for your choice of study programme and future plans (maximum one page)
- Proof of sufficient language skills in the language of tuition
- German-language study programmes: You can find out more about language test providers and recognised language certificates here.
- English-language study programmes: Language certificate in English according to the admission requirements of the degree programme
Duration
To process the visa, your documents will also be sent to the local Aliens' Authority in Germany. This authority must approve the visa issue.
Therefore, the processing time is usually five to six weeks after the application documents are complete.
You should therefore submit your visa application well in advance!
If you are receiving a scholarship from German public funds (e.g. DAAD, German university or other German/European funding), the processing time is usually 15 days.
Fees
The processing fee is FCFA 50,000 and must be paid when the application is submitted.
If the application is rejected or withdrawn, the fee will not be refunded!
Further information
Information on visa processing can only be provided by embassy staff, not by security personnel or third parties. The Embassy does not work with agents, travel agencies or middlemen. Persons who claim to do so are usually acting fraudulently. Information from third parties is often incorrect. Please refer to the official information on the embassy website.
Translation of documents
All documents that are not in German, French or English must be submitted together with an officially certified translation.
Retention of certain documents
Original documents will be returned after processing has been completed if you submitted a copy when you submitted your application. Application forms and passport photos will be retained by the embassy.
Submitting an application does not guarantee a visa
A visa appointment and complete application documents do not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Refusal / “Remonstration”
If a visa is refused, you or a third party authorised by you in writing have the option of requesting a reconsideration of the application (“Remonstration”) in writing within 4 weeks, stating the reference number and a postal address suitable for delivery. Please enclose further documents. The processing time for remonstrations is at least 4 weeks, often several months.
Collection
As soon as the embassy has made a decision on your visa application, you will be contacted by phone/SMS or email.
You can then collect your passport and documents at the following times:
| Embassy Dakar |
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 13:30 |
| Embassy Banjul |
Collection is also possible at the Embassy in Banjul. When sending documents to Banjul, a two-week longer processing time is to be expected. Please allow sufficient time for this. You can find the opening hours of the German Embassy in Banjul here. |
Check your visa sticker!
When you collect your passport, check that the visa sticker is correct and complete. Any errors must be reported immediately.
Your visa contains your full name, your passport number and your photo. The validity period of the visa and the number of authorised days of stay are stated.
As a rule, the visa is initially issued for 90 days. After entering the country, you should immediately make an appointment with your local Aliens' Authority. You must then apply for a residence permit at the Aliens' Authority.
Entering the country
Please carry all original documents submitted in the visa procedure in your hand luggage when travelling. The border authorities may require you to present these documents again at immigration control.
These documents must also be presented again when applying for a residence permit at the Aliens' Authority.
The border authorities may refuse entry to visa holders even if they are in possession of a valid visa.
Data protection in the national visa procedure
Your personal data is processed and stored in the visa procedure. You can find information on this on our page on data protection in the visa procedure.
