How to Move to Germany as a Language Student
One of the easiest and most popular ways of moving to Germany is as a language student. Here you can undertake intensive German language classes to not only boost your German language skills but also bolster your future employment opportunities in Germany.
So how exactly do you move to Germany as a language student? Follow our checklist below…
German Language Visa
Unless you are an EU/EEA citizen, you will need to apply for a German Language Visa in order to attend a language school in Germany.
The visa is one of the simpler visas to apply for and allows you to live in Germany for up to 1 year while undertaking intensive German language classes.
To find out how to apply, see our guides:
Health Insurance
When living in Germany, it is a legal requirement that you have suitable health insurance. Adequate insurance is not only essential if you have a medical emergency or accident but it is also a key prerequisite for obtaining a German Language Visa.
For language students in Germany, our favourite health insurance is Feather’s Expat Health Insurance. To find out why this policy is well suited, see our German Health Insurance Guide.
Accommodation
When arriving in Germany as a language student, a priority will be finding suitable accommodation. To ensure you have a roof over your head from day 1, we recommend that you book a short-term, furnished apartment before arriving in Germany.
Once in Germany, you will then have plenty of time to navigate Germany’s vast rental market and secure a longer-term place to call home.
To explore your options, see our German Apartment Hunting Guide.
Once you have found suitable accommodation in Germany, it is essential that you complete your address registration (Anmeldung). For further guidance, see our German Anmeldung Guide.
Banking
When studying in Germany, you will no doubt want easy access to your money while avoiding foreign transaction fees, slow money transfers and costly ATM fees.
The best way to achieve this is by opening a German bank account, which can be opened online in just a few minutes. In particular, we recommend opening an account with N26 or bunq, two market-leading online banks that are perfectly suited to language students in Germany.
For further tips, see our Banking in Germany Guide.
Personal Liability Insurance
While optional, everyone in Germany should have personal liability insurance, which covers you in the event of personal injury or property damage to a third party. Without this, even fairly innocuous accidents and mishaps can have grave financial consequences.
When it comes to personal liability insurance providers, our favourite policy is with Feather. For further information about the benefits of private liability insurance and why you should have it when living in Germany, see our Private Liability Insurance Guide.
Language Schools
To study German, you will of course need to be enrolled at a German language school. To be eligible for the German Language Visa, you will need to be enrolled in at least 18 hours of lessons a week.
To help you find suitable courses, here is a list of high-quality language schools in major German cities. German language schools often provide visa and housing support so this is definitely something to consider when choosing your school.