- Studying
- Research
- University
- Online Services
British citizens require proof of their right of residence in Germany. This applies both to British citizens already living in Germany and to British citizens planning a longer-term stay in Germany.
British citizens may continue to enter Germany without a visa. For stays of more than three months, a residence permit must be applied for within the first 90 days of the stay at the foreigners authority responsible for the place of residence. It is important to note that you may not take up employment until you have been granted a residence permit that expressly permits this employment. To do this, contact the foreigners authority responsible for your place of residence directly.
Immigration Office Potsdam: auslaenderbehoerdeurathaus.potsdampde
Immigration Office Berlin: Online registration for British nationals
We advise British nationals to obtain regular information from the German Embassy in London, the British Embassy in Berlin, and the relevant immigration offices in Potsdam and Berlin.
For an initial overview, please check the information given below and the visa navigator of the Federal Foreign Office.
If you have questions, we will be happy to provide you with individual information!
You do not need a visa to enter Germany.
If you plan to stay longer than three months in Germany, you have to register your place of residence at the <link http: vv.potsdam.de vv produkte up-external-link at the citizen services office in>Citizen Services Office in Potsdam or in one of the <link http: service.berlin.de standorte buergeraemter up-external-link at a citizen center in>Citizen Centers in Berlin (EU citizens), or apply for a Residence Card (Switzerland) at the <link http: vv.potsdam.de vv oe up-external-link registration office in>Foreigners’ Registration Office in Potsdam or <link https: service.berlin.de standort en up-external-link registration office in>in Berlin.
You do not need a visa to enter Germany.
If you plan to stay longer than three months in Germany, however, you will need a residence permit. You can only apply for a residence permit from within Germany. Depending on where you live, the Foreigners’ Registration Office in Potsdam or the Foreigners’ Registration Office in Berlin will be responsible for issuing a visa.
For stays of up to a maximum of one year, it is possible to apply in advance for a national visa for the entire stay; consult with the German embassy in your home country. If you receive a visa under this procedure, you will not have to apply for a residence permit in Germany.
You can find information on the required documentation and application forms for the residence permit here.
Whether you need a visa to enter Germany or not depends on the purpose of your stay.
You do not need a visa to enter Germany if the main purpose of your stay is to study here.
If you plan to stay longer than three months in Germany, however, you will need a residence permit. You can only apply for a residence permit from within Germany. Depending on where you live, the <link http: vv.potsdam.de vv oe up-external-link registration office in>Foreigners’ Registration Office in Potsdam or the <link https: service.berlin.de standort en up-external-link registration office in>Foreigners’ Registration Office in Berlin will be responsible for issuing the residence permit.
You can find information on the required documentation and application forms for the residence permit <link up-bullet-link on the application for a residence>here.
For stays of up to a maximum of one year, it is possible to apply in advance for a national visa for the entire stay; consult with the German embassy in your home country. If you receive a visa under this procedure, you will not have to apply for a residence permit in Germany.
You will need a visa to enter Germany if you will get a work contract in Germany.
Please apply for a visa in a timely manner (about 8 weeks before you plan to arrive in Germany) in the <link https: www.auswaertiges-amt.de en aussenpolitik laenderinformationen up-external-link diplomatic>German Embassy or the appropriate German Consulate in your home country or your current country of residence. There you will receive all of the necessary information and documents for your visa application.
If you plan to stay longer than three months in Germany, you will need a national visa (D visa). The national visa is a residence permit that allows a longer-term stay (for example, for studies or research) or employment in Germany. The national visa is normally issued for a period of three months. Once in Germany, you must extend your national visa at <link up-bullet-link registration>the local Foreigners’ Registration Office into a longer-term residence permit. Please contact us and we will be happy to support you!
If you stay in Germany does not last longer than twelve months, there is an option to apply in your home country or current country of residence for a D visa for the entire duration of your stay (under Article 18 Paragraph 2 of CISA - Convention of 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement). Please contact us and we will be happy to support you!
Tips & additional information:
The Schengen visa (C visa) only applies for stays of up to three months and cannot be extended. This is why a Schengen visa is more appropriate for tourists, not for students or scholars who will stay for a longer period of time in Germany. This is why you should apply for a national visa, not a Schengen visa.
Holders of a national visa can move about freely, as long as the visa is valid, for a period of up to three months within a period of six months in the <link https: www.auswaertiges-amt.de en einreiseundaufenthalt up-external-link area member>Schengen Area Member States.
Please find out in a timely manner whether your passport is valid for the entire duration of your stay. Otherwise, your residence permit in Germany can only be issued up to the expiration date of your passport, and must then be extended; this may incur fees.
For further information on visa requirements, go to the website of the <link https: www.auswaertiges-amt.de en einreiseundaufenthalt uebersicht-navi up-external-link foreign office visa>German Foreign Office.
You will need a visa to enter Germany.*
Please apply for a visa in a timely manner (about 8 weeks before you plan to arrive in Germany) in the <link https: www.auswaertiges-amt.de en aussenpolitik laenderinformationen up-external-link diplomatic>German Embassy or the appropriate German Consulate in your home country or your current country of residence. There you will receive all of the necessary information and documents for your visa application.
If you plan to stay longer than three months in Germany, you will need a national visa (D visa). The national visa is a residence permit that allows a longer-term stay (for example, for studies or research) or employment in Germany. The national visa is normally issued for a period of three months. Once in Germany, you must extend your national visa at the <link up-bullet-link registration>local Foreigners’ Registration Office into a longer-term residence permit. Please contact us and we will be happy to support you!
If you stay in Germany does not last longer than twelve months, there is an option to apply in your home country or current country of residence for a D visa for the entire duration of your stay (under Article 18 Paragraph 2 of CISA - Convention of 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement). Please contact us and we will be happy to support you!
* Exceptional cases: SAR passport holders from Hong Kong and Macau are exepmted from the visa requirement. Ukrainian citizens do not need a visa for stays of maximal 90 days within a period of 180 days - except for work related stays.
Tips & additional information:
The Schengen visa (C visa) only applies for stays of up to three months and cannot be extended. This is why a Schengen visa is more appropriate for tourists, not for students or scholars who will stay for a longer period of time in Germany. This is why you should apply for a national visa, not a Schengen visa.
Holders of a national visa can move about freely, as long as the visa is valid, for a period of up to three months within a period of six months in the <link https: www.auswaertiges-amt.de en einreiseundaufenthalt up-external-link area member>Schengen Area Member States.
Please find out in a timely manner whether your passport is valid for the entire duration of your stay. Otherwise, your residence permit in Germany can only be issued up to the expiration date of your passport, and must then be extended; this may incur fees.
For further information on visa requirements, go to the website of the<link https: www.auswaertiges-amt.de en einreiseundaufenthalt uebersicht-navi up-external-link foreign office visa> German Foreign Office.
For stays of up to a maximum of 90 days and without employment in Germany, you do not need to apply for a visa if you are a citizen of one of the following states (please note that a prolongation of your stay is not possible!):
| Antigua & Barbuda | Panama |
| Argentina | Paraguay |
| Bahamas | Peru |
| Barbados | Saint Kitts & Nevis |
| Brunei Darussalam | Saint Lucia |
| Chile | Saint Vincent & the Grenadines |
| Colombia | Samoa |
| Costa Rica | Seychelles |
| Dominica | Singapore |
| Grenada | Solomon Islands |
| Guatemala | Timor-Leste (East Timor) |
| Kiribati | Tonga |
| Malaysia | Trinidad & Tobago |
| Marshall Islands | Tuvalu |
| Mauritius | United Arab Emirates |
| Mexico | Uruguay |
| Micronesia | Vanuatu |
| Nicaragua | Vatican City |
| Palau | Venezuela |
(effective: March 27, 2018; for latest information please see:
<link https: www.auswaertiges-amt.de en einreiseundaufenthalt>
www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/-/231148
)
University of Potsdam
Welcome Center Potsdam
Am Neuen Palais 10, bldg. 8, room 1.11
14469 Potsdam
Tel.: +49 331 977-1382
Fax: +49 331 977-1798
E-Mail: welcome-center@uni-potsdam.de