Assalam O Alaikum! This post is intended to assist students of Pakistan in their quest to pursue a masters degree from Germany. After reading this post, all the details starting from the process of applying to German universities to getting a student VISA will be clear to you.

Image of Ger and Pak Flags

Source: istock

Before Applying

Why study in Germany?

If you wish to pursue your masters abroad, Germany is one of the most, if not currently the most attractive choice for students from Pakistan. Here are the main reasons why:

  • The public sector universities in Germany have zero tuition fees. This is because the German Government believes that education is a right of the people and should not be charged for. Thus, the cost of studying in Germany is very low compared to countries like the USA, Canada and Australia.

  • German Universities are recognized all over the world and have world-class rankings. Therefore, top quality education is provided in Germany.

Before Applying

What are universities like in Germany?

Universities in Germany are very different from universities in countries such as the USA or Canada. There is relatively little hand holding at German universities. You don’t get points just for attending, or for small daily assignments. Rather, typically, your entire grade depends on one or two exams or papers and going to lectures is not mandatory. Also, unlike US universities, German universities do not have expensive athletic facilities, free food services and other posh facilities. They are simple and functional. For more information on what German Universities are like, check out this Quora question

What are the costs for studying in Germany?

As mentioned, there are no tuition fees in German public universities. However, there is a small semester fee (which is charged at the start of every academic semester) and is usually around 200-300 Euros.

The main cost one should be concerned about if planning to study in Germany is the cost of living. The average cost of living is around 850 Euros per month which is around 200,000 PKR. The major portion of this is the rent for your place of stay, which is around 300-400 Euros. Other living costs include the cost of food, leisure activities etc.

Before coming to Germany from Pakistan, it is required that the incoming student demonstrates proof of funds before arriving in Germany. This is mandatory and is done through something called a Blocked Account. A blocked account is an account that must be opened inside a bank in Germany. Once that account has been opened, it is required that an amount of around 11,000 Euros (around 2,500,000 PKR) be deposited inside the account as the amount that will cover the living expenses of the student for the first year. The proof of this amount in the blocked account is mandatory for getting a student VISA from the German Embassy in Pakistan.

However, there is good news. Since there are ample part-time and full-time well-paying job opportunities in Germany especially in the Computer Science/ Engineering sector, most masters students are able to support themselves to a very good extent from a job and the amount in the blocked account remains largely unused.

Applying

When to apply?

In Germany, most universities provide the option of starting Masters studies in the winter semester or the summer semester. Therefore, one can apply for the winter semester (which starts around October) or the summer semester (which starts around April). The application submission deadlines for the winter intake is around July-August and for the summer intake it is around December-January. However, to maximize chances of acceptance, it is recommended that you apply well before the deadlines.

Where to apply?

Application forms vary slightly from university to university. Many universities have made the application process fully online (meaning that the application is filled and submitted on the university’s website. In addition, the required documents such as official transcripts are also sent via email to the university). However, some universities may require you to send documents in hard form via postal service. You will have to check these details on the website of the particular university you are applying to.

Check out Uni-Assist. This is a website run by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and offers a portal for applying to different universities. Check out this youtube video that explains what Uni-Assist is for and how to utilize it.

What are the requirements for applying?

The essential requirements for applying to Masters programs in German Universities are:

  • An undergraduate degree in the intended field of study. (There is usually a CGPA cutoff as well for good universities).

  • Proof of English proficiency which is usually an IELTS or TOEFL score report. Universities have their own cutoffs for these scores.

  • A detailed Statement of Purpose (SOP) that explains why you wish to join the intended program and how it links to your future aspirations.

  • 2 or 3 recommendation letters, preferably from proffessors that taught you at your undergraduate university.

Additionally universities may also require:

  • Proof of German Language proficiency (if the course to be studied is in German).

  • A GRE or GMAT score report.

  • Work experience or research experience.

Is there an application fee?

The application fee required by most universities ranges between 50 to 120 EUR, which is paid online using VISA or Mastercard. However, some universities do not have an application fee.

After Applying

What do I do after getting accepted?

Let’s Assume that you were accepted into your program of choice. The subsequent steps that are necessary are:

  • Open a blocked account in a German Bank. For doing this, a popular choice is fintiba.

  • Get your student VISA from the German Embassy. There are 2 German Embassies in Pakistan, one in Karachi and one in Islamabad. The one in Islamabad handles all the VISA applicants from Punjab, KPK and Islamabad whereas the one in Karachi handles the applications from Sindh and Balochistan. Therefore, if you are from Islamabad or anywhere in Punjab, you need to send your application to the German Embassy in Islamabad.

NOTE The German Embassy in Pakistan takes about 6 months to grant an applicant their appointment for the student VISA. Therefore, You must apply for a VISA well before even applying to universities so that your appointment does not delay the start of your semester.

Complete Recommended Timeline for Applying to Germany.

  1. Start preparing over a year before you plan to apply:
    1. Get your IELTS cleared.
    2. Take the GRE test.
    3. Get Solid recommendation letters from reputable professors at your undergraduate university.
    4. Write a statement of purpose which is tailored to the university that you are applying to. Take at least a month to do this.

  2. Apply for a VISA at the German Embassy in Pakistan. This is the most crucial step for one simple reason. It takes around 6 months before you get an appointment with the German Embassy. So it is recommended that you apply for the appointment, even before you apply to the universities. This is so that when you hopefully get an acceptance from a university, your appointment will be well before the start of your first semester and you can get your VISA in time. In case you do not receive an acceptance, you will have to cancel your appointment, since you cannot be granted a study VISA if you do not have an acceptance letter.

  3. Apply to the university as early as possible, possibly as soon as the applications open. For example, if you are applying for the winter intake and the application deadline is in July, you should apply by April. This will give you an advantage because there are relatively much fewer applications with the universities at the beginning of the period and you will have a better chance of getting an acceptance. In addition, you will receive your acceptance sooner, so you will be able to apply for a place in the student dormitories in your university which fill up really quickly. Also, you will be able to open a blocked account and transfer the required funds sooner as well.

Image of German flag

Source: Wikipedia