Around the time I thought of moving to Germany, I wondered how I could legally stay here. I knew from my previous semester abroad, that a person could get a visa to live in Germany for a while, if they worked or went to school.
But I wanted more than that. I wanted dual citizenship. I wanted to be called a German and have a German passport, to stand proud of my heritage and ancestors.
I knew that Germany would issue you a passport if you requested one. You can have multiple passports if you live in Germany or the general European region.
However, the US will not let me have dual citizenship. To get full citizenship in Germany means I have to revoke my American citizenship.
That is something I do not want to do, because I feel I will end up back in the US someday. I don’t want to lose the right to some document that my birthright determined I was eligible for. I don’t want to go through all the trouble to fight to get my American citizenship back.
Therefore, while in Germany, I decided to come on a student visa.
This process was really challenging in 2018/2019, because there were a lot of refugees coming in, and they were occupying all the appointments at the local offices for immigration. I made an appointment online at the local Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) a few months in advance.
Americans are allowed to be in Europe for a full 90 days within a six-month time frame without needing a visa. So if you just want to travel Europe for a few weeks, you are fine. You can even get a tourist visa if you want to stay for longer than that. But those who want to move abroad, there’s more you need to know.
The way it worked for me, I was here longer than 90 days before I had my appointment at the local Ausländerbehörde, because there were simply no earlier appointments. I found out that this is okay, as long as I had confirmation that I had an appointment.
I was so scared that the police would come looking for me at my apartment because I had no visa yet! But it worked out fine, and no one came searching for me.
Before I went to the immigration office, I needed to know what type of visa I would need. There are six types of visas for Germany:
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Schengen Visa: for a short stay up to 90 days in a six-month period. It is valid in and around countries with the Schengen agreement.
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Airport Transit Visa: A visa necessary for airplane travel that puts you in a Schengen country. Most of the international airports have an international area and do not require this visa. They are Frankfurt(Main), Munich, Hamburg (4:30 am – 11:30 pm only), Düsseldorf (6 am- 9 pm only), Cologne/Bonn (4:30 am- 11 pm only), and Berlin-Tegel (6 am- 11 pm only). This type of visa I have never heard of and have never had to use yet. But make sure you know if you need it or not!
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National Visa: This is a visa for those looking to stay in Germany for a while, but there are more specifics. You must either be joining a family member/spouse in Germany, getting a job, doing research, looking for a job, studying at a university, attending training, working as an au pair, starting a business, or seeking refuge.
When I first entered Germany, I needed to complete speaking courses in order to study at a German university. That meant that for my visa, I was able to get a student visa right away.
You are given about 1 ½ years to complete these courses, and are only allowed to take the final language test for university entrance so many times before you are forced to go back to your country for not passing.
But if you do pass, you are then able to go on to study at the university. You may have to go back to the immigration office if you need to renew your visa or change your course of study at the university.
After you finish your studies, you have the option to get a working permit. The only issue with this is that you might have to leave after your first visa has been “fulfilled.” You will then have to return to your home country and then come back to Germany.
Don’t be nervous! Germans like their rules and regulations. The best thing you can do is be polite and respectful. If you have a question, ask!
A good website for more information on Visa and other official things: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Germany.html#:~:targetText=Germany%20is%20a%20party%20to,beyond%20your%20period%20of%20stay.
“If there’s even a slight chance of getting something that will make you happy, risk it. Life’s too short, and happiness is too rare” – A.R. Lucas