Apply for your national D visa

Non-EU citizens need a national visa (type D) from the German embassy or consulate in their home country. This is usually the slowest, most nerve-wracking step — mostly because of appointment scarcity.

The golden rule: book the appointment first. In many countries the waiting time for a slot is weeks or months. You can gather documents while you wait.

The typical document set (verify on your local embassy's checklist — it varies by country):

• Passport + biometric photos
• Admission letter (students) or contract + recognition documents (workers)
• Proof of financing (blocking confirmation / salary)
• Proof of health insurance
• CV, motivation letter, certificates
• Visa fee (€75, usually paid in local currency)

At the appointment you submit everything and give biometrics. Processing takes from 2 weeks to 3 months depending on country and season. Many missions use external providers (VFS Global, TLScontact) for intake — that's official and normal; the decision is still the embassy's.

If your semester start is at risk because of visa delays, email your university's international office — they deal with this constantly and can often shift your enrolment or confirm late arrival.

Red flags:

• Appointment resellers. In some countries bots grab embassy slots and agents sell them on. Book only through the embassy's own system or its named provider — bought slots get cancelled when detected.
• Any forged or "improved" document means a long entry ban, not just a rejection. Never let an agent touch the truth in your file.
• Non-refundable flights before the visa is in your passport. Processing can take three months; book flexible or wait.
• Using a generic internet checklist instead of your embassy's current PDF — requirements genuinely differ by country and change without notice.