Christmas Markets in Germany

Frohe Weihnachten aus Deutschland! Merry Christmas from Germany!

How quickly time flies, it was just a month ago when the Christmas Markets sprung up all over German towns and now it's already Christmas Day!

Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkt)

Christmas Markets in Germany, also known as Weihnachtsmarkt, are one of the most interesting places to visit in December. The aroma of grilled sausages, Glühwein (mulled wine) and cinnamon permeates the air in every Weihnachtsmarkt that one visits. In addition to that, stalls usually have elaborate decorations in order to attract visitors, resulting in a spectacle of colours, lights and patterns.

The top 10 most common items in the Christmas Markets are:

1) Sausages

Germany + Sausages = Happiness!

Bratwurst mit brötchen (~15 cm sausage with bun) typically costs 3 Euros; you can also opt for additional toppings such as curry (Currywurst) or onions for additional 50 cents.

On the left hand side of the grill platter in the picture above, you will notice that the sausages are longer than usual. Indeed they are, those sausages are half-a-meter long! One of these extra long sausages with baguette costs 4.50 Euros.

2) Steaks

In addition to sausages, some stalls offer a large range of grilled products including steaks. A good option if you want to have a full meal in the Christmas Market.

3) Glühwein

A warm drink is the best way to keep oneself in high spirits during the gloomy, cold winter! Glühwein (mulled wine) is a lovely combination of red or white wine with spices that is served warm. In addition to Glühwein, non-alcoholic beverages are also served, such as Kinderpunsch (mixed fruit punch) and hot chocolate.

There are typically small tables around the Glühwein stall where customers usually hang around while sipping their warm drinks. It is interesting to see these tables acting as a venue for ad-hoc social hotspots among visitors of the Christmas Market.

A 0.2L glass of Glühwein typically costs 2.50 Euros, but you will have to additionally pay 2-3 Euros as Pfand (deposit), which you will get back once you return the glass.

4) Reibekuchen

Reibekuchen can be roughly translated into potato pancakes, which are deep-fried until crispy. Each piece is almost the size of your hand. For 3.50 Euros, you will get 3 pieces of Reibekuchen plus Apfelmus (apple puree) sauce. It may appear to be a mere dessert, but it can be deceptively filling!

5) Chocolates and Nuts

The stall in the picture sells a huge variety of nuts, hence it has called itself the "Almond King". In addition to nuts, such stalls offer colourful "love chocolates" with interesting captions. Natürlich the most common phrase is "Ich liebe dich!" to catch the eyes of loving couples.

6) Champignons

A portion of fresh champignons usually costs 4.50 Euros. In my opinion, it is rather costly, nevertheless an alternative if you do not fancy meaty food in the Christmas Market.

7) Handicraft

In addition to food, visitors with a passion for fine arts would enjoy shopping for handicrafts in the Christmas Market. These miniature sculptures are carved out of wood in great detail. However, these works of art do not come cheap, a small souvenir can cost over 10 Euros!

8) Woodwork

Lifetime supply of wooden spoons and ladles!

9) Merry-go-round

A visit to the Christmas Market is not only a joyous occasion for adults, even the kids can have fun! The music played in the merry-go-round adds to the festive ambience in the Christmas Market.

10) Windmill

Looking for the Christmas Market in town? Simply look out for windmills! These windmills are always located at the edges, somewhat indicating the borders of the Christmas Market. Beneath these windmills, one will always find Glühwein stalls.

Bonus Content: Live Performance in the Christmas Market of Cologne!

Last but not least, Merry Christmas 2015!

Academic Culture in Germany

Although each German University have its own culture and tradition, there are some practices that are common within the academic community in Germany.

"German Punctuality" - myth or reality?

In general, when an appointment is set up at a specific time, it is expected of all parties to be present at the specified time. But there are defined exceptions to the rule...

The Academic Quarter

Prior to arriving in Germany, I was informed via e-mail on several occasions that there would be events organised for students on specific dates and times, accompanied by the phrase "No Academic Quarter".

First thing that came to mind...No Quarter

"A victor gives no quarter when the victor shows no clemency or mercy and refuses to spare the life in return for the surrender at discretion (unconditional surrender) of a vanquished opponent."

My fear was fortunately proven to be unfounded! Academic Quarter is an entirely different story:

"An academic quarter or Akademisches Viertel is the quarter-hour (15 minute) discrepancy between the defined start time for a lecture or lesson and the actual starting time..."

What does this mean for students? Classes which have the Academic Quarter or "c.t." will begin 15 minutes after and finish 15 minutes before the scheduled time, which are effectively 30 minutes shorter. This system provides students with sufficient time to grab a snack and coffee in between classes effectively without being late. In addition to that, certain Universities have very huge campuses so students would need some time to travel from one faculty to another.

On the other hand, "No Academic Quarter" or "s.t." implies that students are expected to be present at the scheduled time for the full duration of the lecture/lesson.

"To knock or to clap" - that is the question

Put yourself in the shoes of a new foreign student in a German University:

You attend your first lecture of the semester.
You meet new German classmates and listen to an interesting introductory lecture.
Time flies, and the lecture comes to a close.
You put your hands together, preparing for an applause.
Everyone else starts knocking their tables!

Knocking is indeed a common practice in German Universities to show appreciation and respect for the presenter. From my own observation, students knock on the tables at the end of every lecture and tutorial/seminar session.


To summarize, there are 2 key points to remember when participating in academia in Germany:
1) Look out for Academic Quarter (s.t. or c.t.)
2) Knock the table at the end of the session instead of clapping

DOTA 2 Frankfurt Major 2015

At last, I can write about DOTA 2 and Deutschland in a single blog post!

Frankfurt Major 2015 is the first event of Valve's Dota Major Championships, and the main event is held in Festhalle Messe, Frankfurt. I took this golden opportunity to travel to Frankfurt to watch my favourite game live.

The Festhalle Messe is not far from Frankfurt Am Main Hauptbahnhof (Main Station), I arrived at my destination after a short 15 minutes walk.

After passing the security check, one can purchase DOTA 2 merchandises from the not-so-"Secret Shop" before entering the main event area.

Lina and Windranger shopping for items...

Although I am a BIG fan of Techies, I was unwilling to spend 25 Euros on just a Techies T-shirt!

Some avid fans of DOTA 2 cosplaying as various heroes such as Sniper, Rogue Knight, Lina and Crystal Maiden. I also spotted Windranger and Elder Titan.

Signing session - Someone even brought a large gaming mat imprinted with the map of DOTA to be autographed!

Last but not least, the main event area! Fortunately, it was not crowded that day so I could get a good view while seated closer to the stage. Some pictures of LGD Gaming vs EHOME...

Lovely ladies of ice and fire watching the game too :)

Overall, it was an exciting and refreshing experience to spectate a live DOTA match. The crowd cheered and applauded after every great teamfight. Looking forward to more game conventions and tournaments in Germany!

Fare-evasion in Germany (Schwarzfahren)

Lecture-free periods are the best time to explore other cities in Germany! Common modes of public transportation for intercity travel are the regional trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, or holiday buses called "Fernbus".

If you are travelling by train, you can check the daily train schedules beforehand: Deutsche Bahn journey planner. Currently there is also a special promotion for BahnCard, a card that you can purchase to enjoy 25%, 50% or 100% discount for Deutsche Bahn services for 1 year. At this point of writing, the promotion is valid until 31 January 2016. More information here: www.bahn.de/micro/view/probebahncard

Honor System and Schwarzfahren

German train services use the honor system, where passengers are allowed to move freely inside the train stations without restrictions. It is the responsibility of the passenger to purchase a valid ticket from the ticket machines that are located all over the train station prior to boarding a train.

Most students studying in German Universities would receive a student card (Studierendenausweis), which allows them to travel on the trains without purchasing a ticket. However there are typically 2 conditions:

1) Valid for free travels within a specific region/state/train line only
2) Valid with proper identification only (Nur mit Personalausweis gültig)

Occasionally, a Deutsche Bahn inspector will board the train and request for a valid ticket or pass. If you...

1) ...cannot produce a valid ticket because you have forgotten or lost it...
2) ...buy a ticket for Second Class but sit in First Class...
3) ...travel beyond the train stations printed in the ticket...
4) ...produce a student pass without a printed ID with your photograph (such as Passport)...

....then you are called a Schwarzfahrer, which literally means a "Black Rider"! The fine for fare-evasion is 60 Euros.

ACHTUNG!
Recently I have witnessed scenario #4 myself and the Deutsche Bahn inspector insisted on solid proof that the student card belonged to its owner. The inspector was not satisfied until a physical document with photo was shown; even an official document without photo or a scanned copy of the Passport on the smartphone was not sufficient.

In short, foreign students - always have your Passport with you!

Important Checklist for Long-term Stay in Germany

If you are a new international student in Germany, your checklist will contain the following:

1) Accommodation and bank account

2) Health insurance

3) University enrollment

4) Foreigner office (Ausländerbehörde)

5) Citizen office (Bürgeramt)

From personal experience, it is highly recommended that you make payments for your accommodation, if you have been offered one by the Studierendenwerk (Student Services) as well as the University semester contribution fee (typically ranges from 100-200 Euros per semester) before coming to Germany. Beware of scams when dealing with private property owners who ask for deposit before inspecting the accommodation yourself.

1) Accommodation and Bank Account

Getting an accommodation and bank account in Germany is somewhat a "chicken-and-egg" process.

When signing the Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement), you will need to provide your bank account details in which you will permit the landlord/landlady to debit money from that account on a monthly basis, in addition to Kaution (Deposit). On the other hand, you will need to provide proof to the bank that you have an accommodation, which is the Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement) so that certain important mails such as ATM/Debit card can be mailed to you.

Remember your Deutsche Bank blocked account? You can use your Deutsche Bank blocked account for all your day-to-day transactions as long as the monthly limit (currently 670 Euros) is not exceeded. You have to visit the nearest branch to activate your account, which may take several days. Documents required:

1) Passport

2) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement), if you have found a permanent accommodation

3) Proof of blocked account (same document used in Visa application)

If you have already secured an accommodation and there is a Deutsche Bank ATM or branch near your accommodation and/or University, you're good to go! But you may not be so lucky...

1) Deutsche Bank may not be so convenient

You have already secured an accommodation, but you wish to open another bank account in a nearby bank because there is no convenient Deutsche Bank ATM and branch for your regular banking needs (Wikipedia - List of Banks in Germany). You will need to bring your Passport and Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement). You may be charged 5 Euros per month for the savings account if you are over the age of 25 years, otherwise it should be free. I recommend bringing your Letter of Admission just in case there are special offers for students.

2) Have not found a permanent accommodation

It is highly recommended to find an accommodation before coming to Germany, here are some useful links:

http://www.wg-gesucht.de/

http://www.immobilienscout24.de/

Once you have inspected the room in person and agree on the rental terms, note down the address of your new accommodation and proceed to pay the deposit via bank transfer. The deposit amount (and other expenses) may exceed monthly limit of the Deutsche Bank blocked account so you may have to open a savings account in another bank instead.

Once you have your bank account and accommodation in place, you can proceed with the next step.

2) Health Insurance

I highly recommend public health insurance because upfront payment for medical fees is not required, which saves you the trouble of getting your medical claims approved.

The drawback? It is initially more expensive than private health insurance (about 80 Euros per month and more if your age is 30 years and above). Nevertheless, public health insurance may be comparatively cheaper than private when you join the workforce in a few years time. If you have no plans to stay in Germany after your studies, private health insurance may be the cheaper option.

IMPORTANT: You are unable to switch to public health insurance once you have opted for private health insurance! 

List of documents to bring to the health insurance office, appointment is not required:

1) Passport

2) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement)

3) Letter of Admission from the University

4) Bank account details (IBAN number)

Your application should be processed immediately, and before you leave the office make sure that you have received the following:

1) Health insurance number

2) Proof of health insurance for the University

3) Proof of health insurance for the Foreigner Office

3) University Enrollment

University enrollment procedures may vary, but health insurance number and proof of health insurance is mandatory. You will also need to pay the semester contribution fee via bank transfer prior to enrollment.

Once you are successfully enrolled, most universities will issue a Studierendenausweis (Student ID) which you can use to enjoy free public transportation in your city/state! You should also receive a confirmation of enrollment, which is required for the next step.

4) Foreigner Office (Ausländerbehörde)

With your Student ID, you are now more mobile and capable of travelling all around town. Nächste Haltestelle: Ausländerbehörde! (Next Stop: Foreigner Office!). Opening hours are short, appointment is required and made only via telephone. The appointment has to be made about 1 week in advance, but I believe that the waiting time really varies depending on number of foreign students and Universities in the city.

Documents to bring:

1) Passport

2) Two biometric passport photographs

3) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement)

4) Letter of Admission from the University

5) Confirmation of Enrollment from the University

6) Proof of health insurance

7) Proof of blocked account (same document used in Visa application and Deutsche Bank account activation)

You will be required to fill in a multi-page form about your personal details. Worry not, the form is multi-lingual! Fortunately, the officer was friendly, spoke English and guided me through the lengthy form. As if taking my fingerprints wasn't enough, I had to write down the colour of my eye too!

Once everything is complete, you should receive a one-page document that you will need for the next step.

5) Citizen Office (Bürgeramt)

Welcome to the Bürger office, where no burgers are served! No appointment is needed, and relative to the previous step, this one is really simple.

Documents required:

1) Passport

2) Document from the Foreigner Office (Ausländerbehörde)

3) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement)

You will be issued a document that states your current address of residence. Should you move to another accommodation in the future, you must inform the Citizen Office (Bürgeramt) of your new address.

That's it for now! Hope you found this guide useful, und Tschüss!

Just Landed in Germany and Arrival Tips

After a long-haul flight, I am finally here - Flughafen Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt International Airport), Germany!

Natürlich, passengers with an EU passport can use the Immigration Autogates, whereas other passengers including myself had to wait in line to have our passports inspected by the Immigration Officers. There was no such thing as a "Passenger Information Card" to fill in, which was really surprising as this is a common practice in other countries.

If you are a tourist, the Immigration Officer would like to know the duration of your stay. If you are studying in Germany, you must have a German Student Visa attached in your passport, which has a validity of 90 days only (Reference: How to apply for a German Student Visa).The duration of your course will definitely exceed this, hence you should always have your Zulassungsbescheid (Letter of Admission) ready to present to the Immigration Officer upon request. Unsurprisingly, everyone went through the Green Lane after collecting their luggage and surprisingly, there were no Custom Officers conducting random spot-checks!

If you land in Terminal 2, please take note:

1) You do NOT need a luggage trolley! The luggage trolley costs 1 Euro and the nearest Airport exit is not even 2 minutes walk from the Customs checkpoint. There may be some used trolleys at the exits which you could take if necessary.
2) If you plan to travel by train to other cities, the Bahnhof (train station) is in Terminal 1. You can take a free shuttle bus to get to Terminal 1. The bus arrived and departed on time, of course. German punctuality!

Upon arrival at Terminal 1, you would face a dilemma - "to take an escalator up, or down, that is the question". Das ist eine schwere Entscheidung! (That is a heavy/hard decision). Heavy because you are most likely burdened by over 30kg of luggage, and hard because you have not the slightest clue on which one to choose.

Prior to arriving in Germany, I have conducted some research on how to get to my destination city from Frankfurt Airport by train. I already knew that I should be looking out for Regional Trains, or Intercity Express (ICE), and that my destination is the central train station of my city (Hauptbahnhof or Hbf), after which I will arrive at my accommodation. Apparently that is NOT sufficient, at least if one does not wish to drag one's luggage all over the place.

This is one area I feel Frankfurt Airport is lacking; simple guides and designated facilitators for tourists who just want to commute to other cities from Frankfurt via train or bus.

You will take an escalator up if your train is departing from platforms (Gleis) 4,5,6 and 7, whereas you will take an escalator down if your train is departing from platforms (Gleis) 1,2 and 3. There are ticket machines (Fahrkarten) both upstairs and downstairs. I made a wild guess and took the escalator up, but found out later that my train was going to arrive at platform 3, which was underground :(

A picture of the ticket machine:

In order to save yourself some trouble, I strongly recommend using this Deutsche Bahn Train Timetable to get a good idea of the train service before coming to Germany.

A few important things to look out for before using this tool:

1) Train station nearest to your destination/accomodation. The Hauptbahnhof/Hbf (Central Train Station) of your destination city may not always be the closest station to your accommodation.

2) Your time of arrival in Frankfurt Airport. You should look for trains to your destination city that will depart at least 1.5 hours after you land because you need some time to clear Immigration, Customs, luggage collection and maybe take a shuttle bus if applicable.

3) Location of platforms. As mentioned earlier, UP - 4,5,6,7 ; DOWN - 1,2,3

Once you have identified a few possibilities, take note of the respective platform number (Gleis) of each train service. This will allow you to immediately head towards the correct platform and purchase your train ticket when you arrive in Germany.

Purchasing a train ticket can be a little tricky if you do not know German at all, here are a few things you should know:

1) You are buying a ticket for an adult (Erwachsene), not Kinder.

2) You would most likely prefer not changing trains. If so, make sure that Umsteigen column value is 0.

3) You may prefer a Class 2 ticket because it is more economical. Look out for the big "2" label on the train coach when boarding.

Here is a screenshot of one of the stages of buying a train ticket. Some information have been redacted:

Endlich, I had a valid ticket and knew exactly which platform I should be waiting at. The underground train platforms at Frankfurt could use a new coat of paint and did not look as good as the underground LRT stations in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the trains were all pünktlich (punctual), as expected. The Regional Train is impressive, equipped with tables, washrooms,  squeaky clean and barely any external noise could be heard as the train sped through the countryside and cities......

Step-by-step Guide to Studying in a German University

What attracts students to study in Deutschland? In my opinion, one of the biggest factors apart from the quality of education is that most, if not all German state universities charge NO TUITION FEES!

Alright, now, now, before you get all excited and jump off your seat, there are many steps that you need to follow before you can actually step into Germany to study!

I had to go through the hassle of fulfilling various admission criteria and countless trips to the Malaysian German Embassy before getting all the paperwork in ordnung (in order).

I hope this post will help all prospective students who wish to study in Germany.

Step 1: Verify that your current institute of higher education is recognized in Germany.

Visit this site: http://anabin.kmk.org/no_cache/filter/institutionen.html

Click on the "Suchen" (search) tab, search for your country (Länderauswahl) - Malaysia. You can also search for your college or university by name.

H+ , H+/- are acceptable.

Step 2: Search for a degree program in Germany.

A very good starting point is the official German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) website: https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programs/en/

Step 3: Fulfill Application Requirements.

Bahasa Malaysia Certificates -> English/Deutsch

All academic documents for university application must be either in English or German (or French?). This should not be a problem for Degree and Pre-U certificates, but Malaysian school leaving certificates (Sijil Berhenti Sekolah + SPM certificate) are usually in Bahasa Malaysia.

In this case, you will need to engage the services of a certified translator. Unfortunately, you cannot do the translations yourself even if your Bahasa Malaysia skills are superb! (unless you are certified)

Link to list of translators: http://www.kuala-lumpur.diplo.de/contentblob/3927030/Daten/5033817/translatorslistjan2015.pdf

Translation cost per document is about RM 100, so be prepared to fork out RM 200 to translate both Sijil Berhenti Sekolah and SPM certificate. Once translated, you will need to get the German Embassy to certify the documents translated by your certified translator. CERTIFI-CEPTION!

Cost of Embassy translation validation = EUR 25 = RM 106.

Proof of Language Proficiency
If language of instruction of your course is in German, you will most likely need to pass the TestDaF (German B2-C1 level).

If language of instruction of your course is in English, you will need to show that your command in English is good enough via IELTS or TOEFL. For IELTS, band requirements usually vary between 6.0 to 7.0 (out of 9). Some universities do not require this, as long as you can show that your education has been completely in English for some number of years.

Cost of sitting an IELTS examination = RM 750

Certified Hard Copies of Academic Documents

Your application to the university will most likely require certified hard copies of your documents. I would recommend getting it done at the German Embassy rather than asking for a simple stamp and signature from your education institution. Make sure that you bring all your originals as proof.

List of hard copies to be certified:

1) University degree transcript (if applicable)

2) Pre-U transcript

3) Translated SPM and school leaving certificate

4) Language certificates (eg: IELTS)

5) Passport

You are able to get one set of documents certified for FREE at the German Embassy for each university that you are planning to apply to.You just need to be able to prove that you have been communicating with your prospective universities. Best way to do it is to print out your e-mail conversations for the relevant universities when you previously made inquiries regarding the courses available.

Each set of certified hard copies will be dog-eared, bound and stamped. Do NOT remove the bindings.

Step 4: Start the application process to the university of your choice.

Personally I would recommend applying to at least 3 different universities in order to increase your likelihood of being admitted. There are 2 ways of applying to German universities:

Direct

Some universities allow prospective students to apply directly, most probably through an online application portal, followed by sending certified hard copies of your documents.

UniAssist

Many other universities insist that foreign students must apply via UniAssist, a third party processing body that performs basic check on your degree/grades and converts your GPA to the German GPA scale.

UniAssist website: http://www.uni-assist.de/index_en.html

Application fee for one university is EUR 75, and EUR 15 for subsequent universities. Assuming that you are applying to 3 different universities...

UniAssist application fee = EUR 75+15+15 = EUR 105 = RM 450

You will have to create an account, select the university and program of your choice, and then submit an application electronically. You will need to print out the form that you have just submitted online and send it...

Wait what? My thoughts exactly!

...along with your certified hard copy of your passport and academic documents (already bound and stamped by the German Embassy) as well as a printout of a form to fill in your credit card details. There is no payment portal on the UniAssist website.

DHL courier fees to UniAssist = RM 155

Additionally, you may have to request the British Council (if you are taking IELTS) to send an additional copy of your IELTS certificate to UniAssist.

IELTS additional certificate + courier fees to UniAssist = RM 165

Step 5: Wait for the outcome from UniAssist and the University.

Processing of application by UniAssist takes up to 6 weeks, there is nothing much you can do about it but wait for the outcome via e-mail and snail mail.

An attempt at making a telephone conversation with UniAssist would be something like this:

Me: Hallo, ist das UniAssist?

UniAssist: Guten Tag!

Me: Hmm, Sprechen Sie Englisch?

UniAssist: Nein, keine Englisch! / Please use the contact form on our website...

Me: ...

Reminder: UniAssist uses the modified Bavarian formula to convert your grades to German GPA. Previously I discovered calculation errors by UniAssist, hence it is crucial to double-check the results.

Link to the formula: http://www.uni-kassel.de/eecs/fileadmin/datas/fb16/ece/documents/Bavarian_formula_ECE_2012-01-24_01.pdf

Once UniAssist processes your application, you can expect to receive a reply from the universities within a few weeks.

If everything goes well, you will receive the long-awaited "Zulassungsbescheid" (Letter of Admission) from the University. If you receive more than one admission offer, it would be great to decide as soon as possible and inform the other universities that you would like to decline their offers so that the slot can be given to other students.

Step 6: Proof of Financial Stability.

In order to study in Germany, foreign students must show proof of financial stability. Assuming that your course is 1 year or longer, you will need to show that you have at least EUR 8040 in a German bank account, specifically a Blocked Account in Deutsche Bank. Alternatively, you could also show that you have been granted a scholarship to study in Germany. Money in Malaysian bank accounts or Fixed Deposits are not accepted.

"Hier bitte, acht tausend vierzig, in bar!"

A Blocked Account limits your withdrawal to EUR 670 per month, which totals to EUR 8040 for 1 year. Note that this statutory amount may change from time to time.

Forms for "Sperrkonto" (Blocked Account) in Deutsche Bank: https://www.deutsche-bank.de/pfb/content/privatkunden/konto_international-students-en.html#myaccordion_10767

Once the application form has been completed, you will need to visit the German Embassy to stamp the form.

Cost to stamp Blocked Account form = EUR 20 = RM 84

You will then need to send the form to Deutsche Bank in Germany in order to open the account. The Deutsche Bank branch in Kuala Lumpur is for businesses only and is unable to help students with opening a Blocked Account.

DHL courier fees to Deutsche Bank Germany = RM 155

The Blocked Account is ready about 2 weeks after Deutsche Bank Germany receives the application form. An e-mail will be sent to inform you that the account is open and that you can now deposit the statutory amount. In my case, total amount sent was EUR 8040 + EUR 50 (processing fee) = EUR 8090. You will receive a second e-mail that confirms receipt of the money in your Blocked Account. This second confirmation note is needed for Student Visa application.

Step 7: Visa Application and Collection.

The final hurdle to Germany - Student Visa. By now you are already an expert in paperwork, so this step should be relatively easy.

Make an appointment, bring my documents, passport and photo...right?

That's right, but please take note...

Appointment System

Effective 15 June 2015, appointments must be made for Visa applications. Each appointment slot is 20 minutes, and considering that German Embassy opening hours is 9am-12pm every weekday and additionally 1-3pm on Thursdays, appointment slots are very limited.

To be precise, 9 slots per weekday x 5 + 6 slots on Thursday afternoon = 51 slots per week.

Appointment is tied to your passport number, so it is strongly advised to book early. During peak period (2-3 months before the start of semester), slots for an entire month may even be full.

Photo

White background, don't show your teeth! :)

Photo reference sheet: http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/sample_photos_germany.pdf

Student Visa checklist: http://www.kuala-lumpur.diplo.de/contentblob/4395796/Daten/4966062/visastudent2014.pdf

As always, bring your originals, along with 2 copies of your documents. Separate the documents into 3 stacks, Original, Copy 1 and Copy 2.

Cost of Student Visa = EUR 60 = RM 254

According to the Embassy, Student Visa takes 6-8 weeks to process. In my case, it took exactly 1 month after which I was notified via e-mail. No appointment is needed for Visa collection, and make sure to bring along your collection receipt that you get upon submission of Visa application as well as your travel insurance and passport.

In summary, although German tertiary education is free, significant amount of preparation and paperwork are necessary. Total cost of getting a language certificate, translations, German Embassy certifications, and courier fees amounts to over RM 2000. It is advised to begin Step 1 at least 6 months before the official start date of the semester.

Thanks for reading such a long post! Hopefully you have found this guide useful and don't forget to share :)

Liebe Grüße,

Techies

First Post! Welcome to my blog :)

Hello there!

Welcome to my little corner on Blogspot. My posts will be primarily on "The 3 D's":

1) Deutschland
2) DOTA 2
3) Data (Google Analytics)

But first, let me take a selfie introduce myself briefly...

I am a Malaysian who is pursuing Master's Degree in Deutschland, so I would love to share my first impressions, experiences and knowledge on the local culture, language, food and places of interest. I'm still learning German and may occasionally use some German phrases/terms in my posts; please feel free to correct meine Deutsche Grammatik!

I love DOTA 2. My favourite hero is Techies. My name and display picture on Blogspot is Techies. 'Nuff said.

I am Google Analytics and Google AdWords qualified. This blog is my little pet project to keep myself updated on any new interface or functionality changes from Google. I am always keen to have a discussion on Google Analytics, so please feel free to drop your questions/feedback in the comments.

Note: Your browsing behaviour on this blog is recorded in Google Analytics! Thanks for contributing one User and Session count!

Liebe Grüße,
Techies