German Consulate, Mumbai suggests Dos and Don'ts for Indian student visa applicants wishing to study in Germany

Despite more than 33,000 Indian students making Germany their study destination, concerns over fake papers, which include residential documents and language certificates remain among the members of the German Mission in India.

The German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackerman had stated in an interview that about 15% of such applications coming from Indian students were found to be forged, opening the latter up to more scrutiny during the review process.

In a bid to address the concerns over such documents, while also suggesting changes and an accurate process to be followed, the German Consulate in Mumbai has recommended some do’s and don’ts that Indian students need to follow while applying for their student visas to prominent institutions in Germany. Here are some of them:

Dos and Don’ts for student-visa applications

Do’s

Do follow the checklist.

Do check the exact demand-draft amount before submitting your application.

Do open a blocked account as per the amount specified on our website.

Do apply in the respective jurisdiction where you live.

Do sign your application and have two sets of all the required documents ready by the day of submission.

Don’ts

Don’t trust visa agents blindly.

Don’t look for checklists and information on any other websites or social media platforms other than the official website of the German Consulate General and our official social media pages (@GermanyinMumbai)

Don’t go to the Consulate without an appointment.

Don’t question the pending documents that you are asked for. The Consulate will only ask for documents that are essential to the processing of your application.

Don’t compare your case with a friend’s. Each case is individual, and there might be other requirements applying to you.

The amount in one's blocked account required for all student applications has increased to 934,00 EUR per month, i.e 11,208 EUR per year, with effect from October 1st, 2022, as a result of changes to the German Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) regulations that took effect on August 1st, 2022.