u/Low_Butterfly_6201

Hi everyone!

I’m an international student moving to Germany soon and I wanted to ask students who are already there for some advice about what we should do after landing.

I’m mainly confused about the initial process, so it would be really helpful if someone could share their experience.

A few things I wanted to know:

🏠 How did you find accommodation and what should we be careful about while renting a room?

📝 How does the Anmeldung work and how do we register ourselves after arriving?

🏦 Which bank would you recommend for students? I’m looking for something with low or no monthly fees and a good mobile banking app.

📱 Which SIM card or mobile network is affordable and reliable for students?

🩺 Is there anything we need to do regarding health insurance or other important registrations after arriving?

📋 Are there any other important things that we should take care of during our first few days or first week in Germany?

If you’re already studying or living in Germany, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your experience and any tips you wish you had known before moving.

Even a simple first week checklist for a new international student would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance! 🙌🇩🇪

Hey everyone,

I’m from India and I’ve been admitted to a university in Germany for the October 2026 intake.

I’m currently preparing to apply for my student visa through the **CSP portal from the Bangalore Visa Application Centre**.

My university has given me **October 15, 2026, as the latest date to arrive**, so I’m a little worried about the timeline.

I wanted to ask if anyone here has recently applied for a German student visa through Bangalore, especially around August.

If I submit my application through CSP now, is there a realistic chance that I could receive my visa before October 15?

I’d really appreciate it if you could share:
When you applied
Whether you applied through CSP
How long your processing took
Whether you received any updates during the process

I understand that processing times can vary, but I’m just trying to get an idea of what I should expect and whether I need to start discussing alternatives with my university.

Any recent experience or advice would be really helpful. Thanks in advance! 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’m an Indian student who has been admitted to a Bachelor’s programme at a university in Germany.

I applied for my German student visa this month (August 2026), and my visa application is being processed through the Bangalore Consulate.

My university has informed me that I’m allowed to arrive late, but the latest date I can arrive on campus is October 15, 2026.

I wanted to ask other Indian students who have recently applied through Bangalore:

How long did your student visa take to get approved?
Is it realistic to expect the visa by October 15 if I applied in early August?

Has anyone recently received their German student visa from the Bangalore Consulate within 2 months?

What happens if the visa is not issued before the university’s final arrival date?

Any recent experiences or advice would be really helpful. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I have a few more questions and would really appreciate your help.

1. School Leaving Certificate/Documents
I’m an Indian student who has already completed a Bachelor’s degree in India and will now be pursuing another Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Business and Law at Trier University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Trier).

While applying for the German student visa through the CSP portal, what documents should I upload under “School Leaving Certificate”?

Should I upload only:

Class 10 certificate
Class 12 certificate
Or should I also include:
Bachelor’s degree certificate
Bachelor’s transcripts/marksheets
APS certificate
Any other educational documents

How did you organize and upload your educational documents?

2. Health Insurance (TK)
During my university enrolment, I selected Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) as my statutory health insurance provider.

My university confirmed that my insurance status has been transmitted by TK, but I have only received an application number from TK.

I haven’t received any insurance confirmation letter or certificate.

Is this normal?
For the visa application:

Do I need a confirmation letter from TK?

Should I contact TK and request a document confirming that my insurance will become active from the date I arrive in Germany?

What health insurance document did you upload for your student visa?

If anyone has recently applied for a German student visa, especially through VFS India/CSP, I’d really appreciate your guidance.

Thank you so much for your help! 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’m an international student admitted to Trier University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Trier) for the Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Business and Law program. I’m currently preparing my German student visa application, and this is my first time dealing with the German university and visa process. I’d really appreciate guidance from students who have already been through this.

Here’s my situation:

I received my Letter of Admission (Zulassungsbescheid) from the university.

I have already paid the semester contribution fee.

I emailed the university asking whether they would issue a new admission/enrolment letter after receiving the payment.

They replied that this is the only admission letter and that I should upload this same letter in the CSP portal while applying for my visa.

Now I’m confused because I was expecting another document after paying the semester contribution.
My questions are:

Is this how it normally works at German public universities?

After paying the semester contribution, do universities issue another admission letter or an enrolment confirmation, or is the original admission letter enough for the visa application?

Should I also upload the semester contribution payment receipt along with my admission letter in the CSP portal?

What documents should I expect or request from the university after paying the semester contribution (e.g., confirmation of payment, Certificate of Enrolment/Immatrikulationsbescheinigung, student ID, or any other document required for the visa process)?

I haven’t received any new documents from the university after making the payment, so I’m worried I might be missing something important.

If you’ve studied or are currently studying at Trier University of Applied Sciences or any other German public university, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your experience and let me know which documents you uploaded for your visa application.

Thank you so much for your help!

I need some advice from people who are studying or living in Germany.

I’ve been admitted to Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld (Hochschule Trier) for the Bachelor’s in Sustainable Business and Law, but I’m still waiting for a decision from Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences for the Bachelor’s in International Relations.

I’m unsure whether I should accept Hochschule Trier now or wait for Rhine-Waal. I’d also like to know what Birkenfeld is really like.

Is it student-friendly, or does it feel more like a small village? Are there enough part-time jobs for international students, and does the semester ticket make it easy to travel to nearby cities for work?

How is the international student community, and what are the career prospects after graduating from Sustainable Business and Law?

If you had to choose between Hochschule Trier and Rhine-Waal, which would you recommend and why?

My priorities are good career opportunities, access to part-time work, and a welcoming environment for international students.

I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thank you!