In general, all third country nationals require a valid entry visa for Germany. A national visa (Type D) for study purposes, intended for stays exceeding 90 days, must be obtained from the German Embassy or Consulate responsible for your current place of registered residence. It is advised and if possible, to submit the visa application minimum 4 months in advance of your planned start date of studies at ESCP Berlin.
Please use the Federal Foreign Offices's Visa Navigator (click here to access) to check the official entry visa requirements.
You must possess your original and a valid passport at the time of entry into Germany.
Nationals of the European Union (EU) are exempt from the German student visa requirement. This includes citizens of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Citizens of Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA) - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are exempt as well.
Certain nationals enjoy a preferential treatment and can enter Germany without obtaining an entry visa according to section 41 of the German Residence Ordinance. This includes citizens of Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, San Marino, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The required residence permit for study purposes must be applied for at the local immigration office within 90 days of entry to maintain your legal stay in Germany.
IF you intend to enter Germany on the basis of a valid residence permit for study purposes issued by another Schengen Member State (e.g. from France, Italy, Spain), then please refer to further information in the dedicated section on 'Schengen residence permit'.
As a non-EU national, gainful employment (e.g. student work, mini jobs, internships, etc.) in Germany is only possible and allowed if you hold a valid German visa or a residence permit. Please refer to further information in the dedicated section on 'Working while studying'.
For stays in Germany exceeding three months, all students in general are required to complete the city registration process (Anmeldung in German) after arrival, regardless of their nationality. Please refer to further information in the dedicated section on 'Housing – City Registration'.
Important note 1: ESCP study programmes are subject to country-specific immigration requirements. Where applicable, students should obtain the relevant visa or residence permit for each EU country in advance, as the intra-European mobility notification route does not apply.
Important note 2: If you already hold a visa or a residence permit issued by the German immigration authorities, it is very important to note that a German residence title (including a national D visa, residence permit, fiction certificate) generally expire if you remain outside Germany for more than six consecutive months. Re-entry is then possible either visa-free (provided one belongs to a country of origin listed in Section 41 of the German Residence Ordinance) or with a new visa. IF your planned stay outside Germany will exceed six uninterrupted months, then please apply for a prior approval proactively by contacting the Berlin Immigration Office before your departure using the online contact forms.