Foreign students coming to study in Germany this year will not be eligible for a visa if their course has been shifted entirely online. This was confirmed by the federal government just two months before the start of the so-called winter semester. 

No German student visas for online course attendees

Students coming from outside the European Union are now required to request a “certificate of presence” from their university before they can apply for a German visa - meaning that anyone whose course has been moved entirely online will not be eligible.

“Foreign students who can prove that their studies cannot be carried out entirely from abroad, for example, due to compulsory attendance, can enter the country to begin their studies,” said Education Minister Anja Karliczek in a statement. “But entry for online or distance learners will not be allowed.” 

Announcement draws widespread criticism

Comparisons were quickly drawn between the announcement and Donald Trump’s short-lived plan to do the same for online learners in the US, which was met with widespread outrage. Critics in Germany say that Karliczek is denying foreign students the experience of international exchange, which is one of the prime draws of studying abroad - while others pointed to the difficulties posed by time differences. 

“If you are admitted to a college in Germany, they should give you a visa,” said Kumar Ashish of the Federal Union of International Students in Germany. Green politician Kai Gehring said that the requirement represented yet another “bureaucratic hurdle” for foreign students: “It has not been taken into account that a student exchange is more than going to lectures and seminars. It is also about campus life and learning about Germany’s culture and society.” 

Limited number of students affected

The number of students actually affected by the rule still remains unclear, partly because the development of the pandemic makes it so difficult to plan ahead. But, according to Michael Flacke of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), most universities are planning a mix of online and physical classes for the winter semester - meaning that the number of wholly online courses is likely to be very small. 

He also pointed out that attendees of online courses from outside the EU have never been entitled to student visas. But for those currently enrolled in a course taking place both physically and online, Flacke recommends getting hold of a “certificate of attendance” from your university as soon as possible.