Visa and entry
Visa and entry
Entry requirements may vary depending on your country of origin, your nationality, and your purpose for coming to Germany. The Visa Navigator provided by the Federal Foreign Office will help you to find out whether you need a visa and if so, which type.
If you do need a visa, we recommend that you contact the German Embassy or Consulate General responsible for your country at the earliest possible opportunity. They will be able to provide you with detailed information on the documents required and the application process. For a research or teaching stay, you will normally need a visa for research. To apply for a visa, you will usually need a hosting agreement and, if applicable, proof of financial resources and/or proof of a blocked account. According to experience, you will need to demonstrate that you have around €1,000 per month at your disposal. We will gladly provide you with a hosting agreement in which Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences confirms your acceptance as a visiting scholar. The prerequisite for obtaining a hosting agreement is that your planned stay has been agreed with the host faculty at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and that funding has been clarified.
If your spouse and/or children wish to accompany you during your stay, please inquire at your local German diplomatic mission about the appropriate visas or residence permits and the necessary documents (certified marriage certificate, birth certificates, etc.).
If you wish, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences can arrange for a Welcome Guide (a student from the university) to meet you at the station and take you to your accommodation. We will also help you set up your workplace and find your way around Osnabrück or Lingen in the first few days and weeks of your stay.
After arriving in Germany, you are required to register your residence with the Foreigners’ Office (Ausländerbehörde) and, if necessary, extend your residence permit. To do this, you will need your passport and a landlord’s certificate from your landlord, among other things. We will be happy to accompany you to this appointment.
We recommend that international scholars visiting Germany for a longer period (4-5 months or more) open an account with a German bank or savings bank, enabling them to pay the rent and health insurance contributions, for example. You will also receive an EC card with your account, which can be used for everyday payments. To open an account for you, the bank will usually need to see your certificate of registration (Meldebescheinigung) issued by the Residents’ Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt), which you will receive during your appointment with the Foreigners’ Office, as mentioned above. Please note that banks often charge account maintenance fees. If you intend to make frequent payments to a foreign account, it is worth asking whether your foreign bank cooperates with a German bank. This might speed up payments to or from abroad and have an impact on the charges for cross-border credit transfers.