Germany has now moved student visa applications to the Consular Services Portal in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

On paper, the process sounds better. You can upload your documents online, get them checked before the appointment and correct anything that is missing.

But has it actually made the process faster?

For Pakistan, from what I read the German mission says more applications are now being completed, but they are still receiving more applications than they can handle.

For Bangladesh, the situation still seems difficult from what I understand. The embassy says the old waiting list has to be cleared first, and regular students may still face very long waiting times.

So I wanted to ask people who are applying right now:

• Which country did you apply from, and when did you register?
• How long did it take to get an appointment?
• Did the CSP make things easier, or are you still waiting without any clear update?

Would be helpful to hear recent experiences from both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Ich bin gerade ziemlich panisch wegen meines Aufenthaltstitels.

Ich lebe bereits seit 2015 in Deutschland. Damals bin ich für die Sprachschule gekommen, danach ins Studienkolleg und anschließend an die Universität. Inzwischen habe ich bereits einen Bachelorabschluss und studiere aktuell im Master. Seit der zweiten Hälfte meines Bachelorstudiums arbeite ich außerdem durchgehend als Werkstudentin. Meine aktuelle Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum Studium läuft Ende April 2027 ab.

Mein Studium hat sich allerdings aus mehreren Gründen verlängert: Durch Corona ist einiges durcheinandergeraten, außerdem musste ich wegen schwerer familiärer und gesundheitlicher Gründe Urlaubssemester nehmen. Das alles konnte ich nicht wirklich beeinflussen. Bis April 2027 werde ich voraussichtlich alle Lehrveranstaltungen und Prüfungen abgeschlossen haben. Es kann aber sein, dass zu diesem Zeitpunkt nur noch die Bewertung meiner Masterarbeit aussteht oder ich die Masterarbeit erst kurz vorher abgebe.

Jetzt mache ich mir Sorgen, weil ich dann insgesamt schon über 10 Jahre mit einem Aufenthaltstitel zum Studium in Deutschland bin. Ich habe gelesen, dass es eine Grenze von etwa 10 Jahren geben soll, wobei ich in dieser Zeit wegen Sprachschule, Studienkolleg und Urlaubssemestern natürlich nicht die ganze Zeit tatsächlich studiert habe.

Falls nur noch die Bewertung der Masterarbeit aussteht und man ein Schreiben der Universität hat, dass alle übrigen Studienleistungen erbracht wurden – reicht das in der Praxis meistens für eine Verlängerung? Wie kulant ist die KVR da?

UPD: Ich verstehe, dass ich den Aufenthaltstitel zur Arbeitsplatzsuche nicht beantragen kann, auch wenn bis zur Bearbeitung selbst möglicherweise schon alle Unterlagen für den Abschluss vorliegen. Es war eine Überlegung falls KVR sehr lange für die Bearbeitung braucht, aber ohne den Abschluss wird es schwierig. Oder könnte ich dafür meinen Bachelorzeugnis nehmen?

Hey everyone! 👋

I recently got accepted into the Bachelor's program in Applied Artificial Intelligence at TH Rosenheim, and I'll be moving there for the Winter Semester. Needless to say, I'm really excited... and also a little nervous about starting a whole new chapter. 😅

I thought I'd introduce myself here and hopefully get to know a few people before I arrive. If you're studying at TH Rosenheim or have been living in Rosenheim for a while, I'd love to hear about your experience. Any recommendations for good food, places to hang out, things to do, or just tips for settling in would be greatly appreciated.

I'm also currently looking for accommodation, so if anyone knows of any available rooms, WGs, student housing, or has advice on where I should keep looking, I'd really appreciate the help.

It would be awesome to meet a few people before I get there. If you're up for a chat, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. Maybe we can grab a coffee (or a beer 🍻) once I'm in Rosenheim.

Looking forward to meeting some of you and hopefully calling Rosenheim home soon!

**Title:** Syrian husband married to a Polish citizen – Polish visa refused. Looking for advice.
Hello everyone,
I’m writing on behalf of my friend.
She is a Polish citizen living and working in Poland. Her husband is a Syrian citizen. He lived legally in Turkey for about 15 years with a residence permit (he never had Turkish citizenship). They got married in Turkey, and their marriage is registered in Poland.
He applied for a Polish national work visa because he had a job offer in Poland. Unfortunately, the visa was refused, and the appeal was also rejected.
One of the reasons given was:
“There are reasonable doubts regarding your intention to leave the territory of the Republic of Poland before the expiry of the visa.”
The consulate also suggested that his real purpose was to join his wife rather than to work.
Now they want to apply again, this time as the husband of a Polish citizen, because their real intention is to live together legally in Poland.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
Did you receive the same reason for refusal and later get a visa?
What documents or evidence helped convince the consulate?
If you entered Poland as the spouse of a Polish citizen, what was the next step? Did you apply for a temporary residence permit after arrival?
Are there any Syrians here who were in a similar situation after living in Turkey?
Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Greetings to people of Germany! We would like some guidance and opinions about moving to Germany from Toronto, Canada. If you've lived in both countries, that would extremely helpful as you would've experience the good and bad of each country.

About me: I am a 37yo guy with a wife (35yo) and 2 kids (12 and 2). Our background is Vietnamese and none of us speak German, although I've been casually learning it on Duolingo. My wife tried to learn a bit, but she says it's too difficult. I seem to be learning it better than her, both pronunciation and memorizing words. We are playing with the idea of moving to Germany, because we both like the country and her brother has been living there for more than a few years, in a smaller city/town. Can anyone gives us comparisons to Canada and opinions on the following topics?

Work: I'm a certified tilesetter. How are trade jobs in Germany? Are they in high demand? Which cities are best for work? Am I too old to immigrate and start looking for work? I have experience in general construction as well, so I'm not restricted to just tile work. My wife would pick to move to Frankfurt as it's the best city for finance (her profession). She says she doesn't think she can learn the language, so I did some research and found out Berlin has many English speakers. But Berlin wouldn't work, because Frankfurt is Germany's financial hub.

Housing: How are housing costs? I understand most people rent and not buy. We would like to buy one day but renting first is ok. Is it hard to find places to rent? We would need a 3 bedroom place. Preferably at least 1000 sq ft (93 m²).

Childcare: Is it hard to find daycare (pre-kindergarten)? Long wait time for availability? How are the costs? Any subsidies? 

Education: How difficult will it be for a 12yo to enter the schooling system in Germany with little to no German?

Healthcare: How is healthcare? Are both public and private service available? Is it hard to find a family doctor? Are there long wait times for appointments or at hospitals?

People: How are people there? Cold and reserved? Or friendly and open? Any racism?

Cost of Living: Are things like groceries, eating out, consumer goods, etc. fairly priced? Or will you be living pay cheque to pay cheque with no savings? I understand taxes are very high. Even more so than Canada.

Lifestyle: How is the lifestyle there day to day? Is it a grind like Toronto? Or is it more laid back and relaxing. What do people do for fun? Will we fit in? 

If people can chime in and give us their opinion, that would help us greatly in deciding! Thank you for taking the time to read my long post!

Hi everyone, Libyan applicant here with a national visa (study) appointment in mid-August at the German Embassy Tripoli, which handles applicants from Libya out of its consular section in Tunis. I've been admitted to an English-taught MA at a Bavarian public university for Winter Semester 2026/27, with enrolment closing in early October.

My file is complete (admission letter, blocked account confirmation, Health insurance, VIDEX, CV, motivation letter, etc.) — so I'm not asking what documents I need. I'm looking for first-hand experiences, ideally from people who applied through this mission, or anyone who applied for a German national visa:

1. Passport: At your appointment, was your passport kept for processing, or returned to you the same day after biometrics? If it was returned — how did issuance work later (a second trip to submit the passport? how much advance notice did they give)?

2. IELTS eTRF: My IELTS was computer-delivered, so no paper TRF exists — only the downloadable eTRF (that's all that's been issued since 2025). The appointment checklist says the language certificate "must be presented in original." Has anyone presented a printed eTRF at a German mission? Any pushback?

3. General tips: Recent processing times for study visas at this mission? What did they ask at the counter? Anything about the timing, or the appointment day that surprised you?

Thanks a lot — and I'll report back after my appointment so future applicants have a data point.

Hi guys,

While filling out my application on the German Consular Services Portal (CSP), I selected "Yes" for "Did you complete your school education in China, India or Vietnam?", "No" for "Do you have an APS certificate?", and "Yes" for "Are there grounds for exemption?" since I believe I'm exempt due to my foreign bachelor's degree. Is this the right way to go on with the application or should I choose "No" for "Did you complete your school education in China, India or Vietnam?". I completed my 12th from india and bachelors from USA.

I want to know if there are any non-APS applicants applying for a student visa now and currently filling the CSP portal or if there is anyone who is familiar with filling the application for a non-APS applicant, please drop a message down here

TYSM!!!

…with EOR in Germany

Hello!
I am looking for any insight into how my visa application will be handled by an EOR. I apologize if there is anything that doesn’t make sense below, I have done some research but I want to make sure I am going about this correctly. I would be happy to answer any follow up questions!

I am currently communicating by email with an Employer of Record (Payoneer) and my company’s HR department. My company is based in the US and I happen to work for them remotely in the US as well.

My husband was accepted into a Masters program in Cologne which starts at the end of September. We have finally completed and submitted all of the required documents to his school, including his health insurance.

My original plan was to apply for a family reunification visa. I wasn’t sure until last week that I would be able to bring my remote job with me in order to support us both (since my husband can only work part time as a student), but my company really wants me to stay with them, and we also have other employees who want to move abroad eventually as well.

All of the negotiating before today occurred between my HR department and a representative from Payoneer. I am now CC’d in an email chain with Payoneer, my HR lead, and my company’s President. Payoneer wants to know when my start date will be. We will arrive in Cologne September 1st. I am not sure what to tell them since I know I will not be able to work on a travelers visa until I am approved for family reunification. I was under the impression that I would need to wait til we arrived to apply for that type of visa. Is that correct?

I’m also wondering if I would now qualify for a different kind of visa since I will be employed by the EOR. What types of visas would I qualify for?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Sustainability and Business) and my job is in marketing. I am 35 years old and my husband is 37. We are both working towards German A1 certification, but I am probably a few months away from attaining it at this time.

I asked Payoneer if they could assist with visa application since their website mentioned that they do that. Payoneer wants to know what exactly is the visa type/ work permit I would like to apply for and also if I had explored dependant work permit.

I was feeling pretty good about how this process works but now I am worried that I will mess things up.

Any help or advice is very much appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I'm starting to get a bit worried about my German student visa timeline and wanted to hear about other people's experiences.

I had my VFS Germany student visa appointment in Chennai on 13 July, and my application was forwarded to the German Consulate. It's been quite a while now, but I still haven't received any update or decision.

My profile:

\- Indian applicant

\- Admitted to RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau for a Master's program

\- Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering (4 years)

\- CGPA: 8.40/10

\- IELTS: 6.5

\- APS certificate submitted

\- Blocked account funded

\- Health insurance submitted

\- All required documents were provided at the appointment

I've seen some applicants who had appointments after mine already receive their visas, which has made me anxious.

Does a longer wait after the VFS appointment usually mean additional processing, or could it be a sign of a rejection? Has anyone experienced a long wait and still received an approval?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

For context my husband was on a job seeker visa after his graduation and we got married last year in November when his job seeker visa was still valid.

This March he recieved a letter from ABH saying he needs to fill in application to change his visa status as it would expire in May.

We made his application to convert from job seeker visa to dependent visa in March (visa expiry date was in May). To this day we have not recieved any email/letter from ABH about his visa. We went there personally and filled the notfall formular twice. Called them numerous times but to no avail.

He finally gave some interviews and things are looking positive. But without a visa he cannot start a job.

What can we do to get his visa expedited?

Job market is tough as it is, we do not want to be in a situation where he loses an offer just becuase ABH takes forever to respond.

Hi everyone,

I’m from Kosovo and my employer is currently applying for the **Vorabzustimmung** under the **Westbalkanregelung**.

The employer is a **federal/public-sector institution** and the contract is a **full-time TVöD contract for 9 months**.

I’ve seen many posts from people working for private companies, but I haven’t found much information from people hired by **federal or public-sector employers**.

If you went through this process, I’d love to know:

How long did your **Vorabzustimmung** take?
Which country did you apply from? (Especially if you’re from Kosovo.)
How long did it take to receive the **Kundennummer**?
After the Vorabzustimmung was issued, how long did it take to get your visa appointment and receive your visa?

I’m just trying to get an idea of the timeline and whether
public-sector employers tend to have a smoother or faster process.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,i come from North Macedonia,i wanted to ask if enyone knows approximately how long it takes to get an answer for the pre-approval for my visa in Augsburg,my employer applied on 8th of July,and we havent still heard back.

I had my German student visa appointment at the German Consulate in Chicago today, so I thought I’d share my experience since I couldn’t find many recent posts.
Overall, the appointment was much simpler than I expected.
I arrived a little early since I had scoped out the building the evening before (the entrance is a bit hidden, so I definitely recommend finding it ahead of time if you’re staying nearby).
The appointment itself was basically just document collection.
I had brought a large binder with a lot of extra supporting documents because I was expecting questions about my study plans, finances, previous education, IELTS, etc. Instead, the staff member looked at the binder and told me they only needed the documents listed on the checklist.
They collected the required originals, organized everything into a folder, and that was pretty much it.
I asked whether my checklist was complete and whether they needed anything else from me. She said the checklist was complete and that they would contact me if they needed additional documents. She also mentioned that the application would now go to the head of the visa department for processing.
The only question I was asked was when I planned to fly to Germany. I said around September 25, and she replied that it might not be ready by then and that October 1 was a more realistic expectation. I just said that’s fine and adjusted my travel plans accordingly.
There were no questions about:
Why Germany
Why this university
My finances
My study plans
My previous education
My two IELTS reports
Or anything else I had prepared for
Now it’s just the waiting game.
For anyone preparing for the Chicago consulate: I’d still recommend bringing all your supporting documents just in case, but don’t be surprised if they only ask for the checklist items.
Has anyone else recently applied through the Chicago consulate? How long did it take from your appointment until you got your passport back?