Visas & Residence Permits for Guest Students Guest students from EU countries, European Economic Area & Switzerland International guest students from European Union countries, EEA and Switzerland do not need a visa to enter Germany. You must register your address in Hamburg with the Hamburg Welcome Center or with a local Einwohnermeldeamt within 7 days of arriving in Hamburg and get a Meldebestätigung. You will need this if you want to open a bank account. You do not need to apply for a residence permit.Guest students from visa-waiver countries International guest students from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the USA do not need a visa to enter Germany for study purposes. You must register your address in Hamburg with the Hamburg Welcome Center or with a local Einwohnermeldeamt within 7 days of arriving in Hamburg. With this Meldebestätigung you can open a bank account in Germany.You must also apply for a residence permit(Aufenthaltsbewilligung) within three months of being in Germany. It is best to do this as early as possible. In order to get a residence permit you will need to provide proof of your finances (659 Euro/month). This can either be a letter from your home bank confirming that you have 3.300 Euro on your personal bank account for your study semester or it can be a bank statement from your German bank account, confirming that you have this money. The application for a residence permit can be made at the Hamburg Welcome Center or with a local Einwohnermeldeamt. If you have a letter from your bank at home, you can apply for the Meldebestätigung and the Aufenthaltsbewilligung in one go at the Hamburg Welcome Center.Guest students from other countries International guest students from all other countries will need a visa to enter Germany. Please do not enter the country with a tourist visa. A tourist visa cannot be converted into a study visa in Germany. You will need a visa for study purposes [Visum zu Studienzwecken].When you apply for the visa for study purposes, you must provide proof of of your finances (659 Euro/month, a total of 3.300 Euro/semester). Please apply early for your visa, as this process can often take eight weeks or more. With your visa you have the right to be in Germany for 90 days. You must therefore apply for a residence permit at the Hamburg Welcome Center or with a local Einwohnermeldeamt within three months of entering Germany. You will need to bring a bank statement showing that you have sufficient funds (659 Euro/month) for the rest of your study period in Hamburg. You must also register your address (Meldebestätigung) within 7 days of entering Germany.