Route: studying in Berlin

Visa (§ 16b), the steps in order, timing and what to prepare in Indonesia.

Legal basis: § 16b AufenthG (residence permit for studies). You apply for a national visa at the German Embassy in Jakarta before you travel; you cannot turn a tourist stay into a study permit in Berlin.

Steps

1. Check what your Indonesian certificates are worth – an SMA diploma alone is usually not enough for direct admission. See Admission with Indonesian certificates.
2. Learn German (or English for an English-taught programme) and take a recognised exam: Learning German in Indonesia.
3. Apply to the university, directly or through uni-assist. Public universities in Berlin charge no tuition, see Costs of studying.
4. Prove your funding: blocked account, a scholarship, or a declaration of commitment from someone in Germany.
5. Get the apostille and translations for your certificates: Documents from Indonesia.
6. Apply for the visa through the Foreign Office portal digital.diplo.de or the Embassy appointment system, then attend your appointment in Jakarta.
7. Travel, register and collect your residence permit in Berlin: After arrival in Berlin.

Documents for the visa

Passport, school and degree certificates with apostille and translation, language certificate, admission or Studienkolleg letter, motivation letter, CV in table format, health insurance and proof of funding. Missing documents are the most common reason a file stalls.

Fees and timing

• Visa fee €75, not refundable.
• Embassy Jakarta states that national visas in many cases take about six weeks to three months; its § 16d leaflet names up to twelve weeks. We found no separate figure for study visas. Apply as early as your admission allows.
• Since 1 January 2024 a refusal can no longer be challenged by "remonstration" (asking the mission to reconsider).

Study-applicant visa (§ 17)

If you do not have an admission yet, § 17 (2) AufenthG allows a permit of up to 9 months to look for a study place, with funding secured and up to 20 hours of work a week. We could not confirm that the missions in Indonesia issue these in practice; ask the Embassy before you plan on it.