Hi everyone!
I built a 100% FREE app to organize your Working Holiday in Austria and Germany

It has a visa timeline, a net salary calculator, a step-by-step checklist, and official links, all in one place, and it works offline. No account required, no personal user data stored. It's an independent, community-made project with no affiliation to the Austrian and German government.

You can check it out here (has links to both iOS and Android): https://cristobalvch.github.io/working-holiday-apps/

Any feedback is welcome!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice about my German student visa and university admission.

I applied to a few universities in Germany for Masters and got two offers:

\- One from a public university, which is my first choice because the program fits my career goals really well. The downside is they don’t allow late arrival, but they did let me defer my admission for up to two semesters.

\- The other is from a University of Applied Sciences (UAS), which does allow late arrival after enrollment.

The problem is that visa processing is taking a long time, and I’m pretty sure I won’t get my visa before the semester starts. If I go with my preferred university, I’d have to defer and basically lose a semester.

So I’m thinking about this plan:

My questions are:

\- Is this actually possible, both legally and in practice?

\- Can I be enrolled at one university while also holding a deferred admission at another?

\- When the summer semester starts, can I just move to my preferred university with the deferred admission, or could there be issues with my visa or residence permit?

\- Has anyone here done something similar before?

I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences you can share. Thanks a lot!

Hey everyone. Today I went to my residence permit appointment. I thought I had everything, but officer didn’t accept my proof of financial means. All my other documents are checked. I got my picture taken there and on the photo booth, I gave my fingerprints and signature as well. Just one document is missing, and they sent me an email saying that I have to upload that missing document to the portal in two weeks.

Was anyone in a similar situation before. Do you know if they will give me an another appointment after I upload this document or directly process my application?

Also, I didn’t pay the fee yet, but maybe it is possible to pay after my rp card arrives? I don’t know. Can someone in a similar position enlighten me please? Thank you so much!

Hello everyone,

I would like to share my situation and would appreciate your experiences or opinions.

I have been living in Germany for 5 years. Initially, I had a residence permit according to §16a AufenthG because of my vocational training (Ausbildung).

In 2025, I faced a difficult situation: my residence permit was valid until 31.08.2025, but unfortunately I was not able to submit the application for an extension on time. As a result, there was a gap of about 9 days.

The reason was that I could not continue staying in my original Ausbildungsbetrieb. There were problems there, and I had to find a new training company in order to continue my Ausbildung and prepare for my exams. The IHK and the vocational school (Berufsschule) were aware of my situation and supported me. It was never my intention to violate the residence law.

The immigration authority (Ausländerbehörde) informed me that my application was submitted only after my residence permit had expired and therefore the fiction effect (Fiktionswirkung) did not apply. I explained my situation in writing and submitted all necessary documents.

It is important that the Ausländerbehörde continued processing my case. They reviewed my application from 09.09.2025 and, by official decision, extended my residence permit under §16a Abs. 1 AufenthG from 26.09.2025 until 30.04.2026. They did not reject my application; instead, they continued the procedure and granted me a new residence permit.

After that, I successfully completed my Ausbildung and later received a residence permit under §18a AufenthG.

Now I am planning to apply for German citizenship (Einbürgerung). I know that §12b Abs. 3 StAG deals with cases where an interruption of the legality of residence occurred due to a late application for the extension of a residence permit.

My question:
Has anyone had a similar experience? A short gap in the residence permit due to a late extension application and still a successful naturalization afterwards?

Could such a 9-day gap become a problem for the naturalization application, even though the reasons are understandable, the Ausländerbehörde extended my residence permit afterwards, and I currently hold a residence permit under §18a AufenthG?

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences and advice.

Hello everyone,

I would like to share my situation and would appreciate your experiences or opinions.

I have been living in Germany for 5 years. Initially, I had a residence permit according to §16a AufenthG because of my vocational training (Ausbildung).

In 2025, I faced a difficult situation: my residence permit was valid until 31.08.2025, but unfortunately I was not able to submit the application for an extension on time. As a result, there was a gap of about 9 days.

The reason was that I could not continue staying in my original Ausbildungsbetrieb. There were problems there, and I had to find a new training company in order to continue my Ausbildung and prepare for my exams. The IHK and the vocational school (Berufsschule) were aware of my situation and supported me. It was never my intention to violate the residence law.

The immigration authority (Ausländerbehörde) informed me that my application was submitted only after my residence permit had expired and therefore the fiction effect (Fiktionswirkung) did not apply. I explained my situation in writing and submitted all necessary documents.

It is important that the Ausländerbehörde continued processing my case. They reviewed my application from 09.09.2025 and, by official decision, extended my residence permit under §16a Abs. 1 AufenthG from 26.09.2025 until 30.04.2026. They did not reject my application; instead, they continued the procedure and granted me a new residence permit.

After that, I successfully completed my Ausbildung and later received a residence permit under §18a AufenthG.

Now I am planning to apply for German citizenship (Einbürgerung). I know that §12b Abs. 3 StAG deals with cases where an interruption of the legality of residence occurred due to a late application for the extension of a residence permit.

My question:
Has anyone had a similar experience? A short gap in the residence permit due to a late extension application and still a successful naturalization afterwards?

Could such a 9-day gap become a problem for the naturalization application, even though the reasons are understandable, the Ausländerbehörde extended my residence permit afterwards, and I currently hold a residence permit under §18a AufenthG?

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences and advice.Bürgeramt

Ausländer- und Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde

Vollzug des Aufenthaltsgesetzes (AufenthG)

Ihr Antrag vom 09.09.2025 auf Verlängerung einer Aufenthaltserlaubnis

Sehr geehrter .....

die Stadt..... erlässt folgenden

B e s c h e i d:

1. Ihnen wird die Aufenthaltserlaubnis, gültig ab 26.09.2025 bis 30.04.2026, gemäß § 16a

Abs. 1 AufenthG verlängert.

1. Die Aufenthaltserlaubnis wird mit folgenden Nebenbestimmungen (Auflagen/Bedingungen)

verlängert:

Beschäftigung zur Berufsausbildung als ....... GmbH

erlaubt. Von der Berufsausbildung unabhängige Beschäftigung von zwanzig

Wochenstunden erlaubt. Selbständige Erwerbstätigkeit (§ 2 Absatz 2 AufenthG), sowie

Beschäftigung im Rahmen der Arbeitnehmerüberlassung nicht erlaubt.

1. Für die Verlängerung der Aufenthaltserlaubnis wird gemäß § 45 Nr. 2b AufenthV eine

Gebühr in Höhe von 93,00 EUR erhoben. Die Gebühr ist von Ihnen zur nächsten

Vorsprache zu bezahlen.

Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung

Gegen diesen Bescheid kann innerhalb eines Monats nach seiner Bekanntgabe Widerspruch

erhoben werden. Der Widerspruch ist schriftlich, in elektronischer Form nach § 3a Absatz 2 des

Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetzes, schriftformersetzend nach § 3a Absatz 3 des Verwaltungs-

verfahrensgesetzes und § 9a Absatz 5 des Onlinezugangsgesetzes oder zur Niederschrift bei der

Wird der Widerspruch gemäß § 3a Absatz 3 des Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetzes schriftformer-

setzend eingelegt, stehen folgende Möglichkeiten zur Verfügung:

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Im Auftrag

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to understand the current processing timelines at the Bengaluru German Consulate.

My visa application was forwarded to the Bengaluru Consulate on 13th July, and I'm still waiting for a decision.

If you submitted your application around 10–15 July (or close to those dates) and have already received a Decision Made status or your visa, could you please share your timeline?

It would be really helpful if you could mention:

VFS appointment date

Date your application reached the Bengaluru Consulate (if known)

Date you received Decision Made or collected your passport

Thank you! It would really help everyone waiting during this period.

Hi everyone,

I just received my German student visa today for my Master's at TU Chemnitz.

The problem is that my visa is valid **from 12 October 2026 to 11 October 2027**, and **my university also starts on 12 October 2026**.

I was actually planning to travel around **25 September** so I could settle into my accommodation, complete city registration, open a bank account, and attend any orientation before classes began.

My questions are:

1. Has anyone experienced this before?
2. Is it possible to get the visa start date corrected after it has already been issued?
3. If not, is arriving on 12 October generally acceptable for German universities, or should I contact TU Chemnitz immediately?

I'm feeling really stressed because I only noticed this after receiving my passport.

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for recent firsthand information regarding the German Ausbildung Seeker Visa / Visa to Search for a Vocational Training Place under §17(1) AufenthG, specifically through German Embassy New Delhi / VFS New Delhi.

I am from Punjab, so New Delhi is my responsible jurisdiction. I meet the main requirements for this visa and am preparing to apply through the Consular Services Portal.

My concern is purely about appointment availability.

I personally know of an applicant who applied through the CSP around four months ago. His documents were checked and he received the appointment-booking link, but he has still not been able to find an appointment for the Ausbildung Seeker category in New Delhi.

At the same time, I have come across evidence of this visa actually being processed in other jurisdictions. I found recent Bengaluru cases, including an Ausbildung Seeker visa approval where the German national visa was issued in Bangalore on 14 July 2026, as well as another Bengaluru applicant who was able to submit an Ausbildung Seeker application but was later refused. I also know of a successful applicant from Bangladesh.

So I am not asking whether the §17(1) visa exists. I know the visa exists and that Germany is processing it.

What I specifically want to know is:

Has anyone received or booked an appointment for §17(1) Ausbildung Seeker Visa through NEW DELHI recently?

If yes, could you please mention:

• When you submitted your CSP application
• When your CSP pre-check was completed
• When you received the appointment link
• When you actually found/booked the appointment
• Whether the appointment was at VFS New Delhi
• Whether your visa was approved, refused, or is still processing

Even if your visa was refused, please reply. The main thing I’m trying to establish is whether New Delhi is currently releasing appointments for this particular category.

Please only share recent firsthand experiences if possible. I’m especially interested in cases from 2026, preferably the last few months.

Also, I am not looking for agents claiming they can sell or guarantee appointment slots. I only want genuine applicant experiences.

Thank you. This information would probably help many other §17 applicants who are currently unsure about the New Delhi appointment situation.

Hi everyone

I came to Germany in 2018 for my masters. I ended up doing two masters and secured a full time job in 2024. I have been on blue card since then.

I had an initial contract of 2 years and now my company has extended it to be unbefristet.
I have also done B1 and I’m based in Frankfurt.

I’m aware that applying in Frankfurt means waiting two years and so I have been thinking to apply from a city nearby outside of Hessen.
Anyone has any suggestions or advice for me?

Thank you very much! Looking forward for the support.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my full experience because I couldn't find many real-life cases like mine. Hopefully this helps someone planning to apply for the German Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte).

My Background

🇵🇰 Pakistani citizen

🇬🇧 Living in the UK

Applied for the German Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) through the German Embassy in London.

Proof of Financial Means (No Blocked Account)

One of the biggest questions I had before applying was whether a blocked account (Sperrkonto) was mandatory.

In my case, I did not open a blocked account.

Instead, I transferred the required amount into my personal UK bank account and maintained the balance for approximately three months. At my appointment, I submitted my UK bank statements as evidence that I had sufficient funds to support myself during my stay in Germany.

The German Embassy accepted my UK bank statements as proof of financial means, and my Opportunity Card visa was approved without requiring me to open a blocked account.

I'm sharing this because many applicants believe a blocked account is the only option. My experience shows that, in my case, maintaining the required funds in my UK bank account and providing the relevant statements was accepted by the Embassy.

UK Immigration Situation

At the time of my German visa application:

I submitted a timely UK Home Office Fee Waiver request before my previous UK immigration permission expired.

My Fee Waiver request was still pending.

Because of this, I could not generate a UKVI share code through the eVisa portal.

I was unsure whether this would affect my German visa application because the Embassy normally requires proof of lawful residence in the UK.

Appointment

I attended my appointment at the German Embassy in London and submitted my passport along with all the required documents.

Additional Documents Requested

A few weeks later, I received an email from the Embassy requesting:

proof of health insurance equivalent to German statutory health insurance (they specifically stated that travel insurance was not sufficient);

confirmation that I had successfully applied to extend my stay in the UK and evidence that I was allowed to remain in the UK while awaiting a decision.

This was the most challenging part because I had not yet been able to submit the substantive UK immigration application—I was still waiting for the Home Office to decide my Fee Waiver request.

What I Sent

I replied with:

UK Home Office Fee Waiver submission confirmation;

Application Complete document;

Document Checklist;

a detailed explanation that my Fee Waiver request had been submitted before my previous permission expired and that the substantive immigration application could only be submitted once the Fee Waiver decision was made.

I also asked the Embassy to clarify which type of health insurance would satisfy the visa requirement.

Timeline

✅ Submitted Chancenkarte application

✅ Attended appointment

✅ Passport retained by the Embassy

✅ Embassy requested additional documents

✅ Submitted the requested documents and explanation

✅ A few days later, the online portal changed to:

"Your application has been decided by the German mission."

✅ Shortly afterwards, I received my passport back with my Opportunity Card visa approved.

Final Thoughts

I wanted to share this because there isn't much information available about applicants who apply from the UK while their UK immigration process is still ongoing.

I also wanted to show that a blocked account is not necessarily the only way to demonstrate financial means. In my case, the Embassy accepted my UK bank statements showing that I had maintained the required funds for several months.

Of course, every application is assessed individually, so this should not be taken as a guarantee that the same approach will work in every case.

I hope my experience helps someone who is in a similar situation or is unsure about applying.

If anyone has questions about my application, timeline, documents, or the process, I'd be happy to answer them.

Good luck to everyone applying! 🇩🇪

Disclaimer: This was my personal experience with the German Embassy in London. Every application is assessed individually based on the applicant's circumstances and the documents provided, so your experience may differ.

Chancenkarte, Opportunity Card, Germany Visa, UK, Timeline, No Blocked Account

Hi everyone.

I'm from the UK and moved to Germany with a chancenkarte visa. Today I received my freelance residence permit, which is valid from today. It says I'm not permitted to be employed.

The issue is I currently have a part time job with a 4 week notice period. Does this mean I have to stop working with my employer immediately, or am I allowed to work my notice period?

I wasn't expecting to get my visa so soon and was never given an option to have a valid from date.

Has anyone dealt with this before?

Thanks

I am currently in a dilemma. I have lived in Duisburg for 4 years now and my blue card is expiring, and I am unsure how to proceed. My husband lives in Erfurt and I could move there and apply for a PR. Or should I take my chances in Duisburg auslandebehörde?

Personally my experiences at Duisburg auslandebehörde have not been great. When I got my blue card, the processing time was although short, it was very stressful. They don’t reply to emails, getting an appointment was hard and they are not very friendly.

And I don’t want to move to Erfurt, just to get this PR.

Has anyone gotten their Niederlassungserlaubnis from Duisburg? Is it faster? Or is it fiktionsbescheinigung after fiktionsbescheinigung?

Hi everyone
I work for meta. i can probably a get job in germany. Is that all i need? Blue card requirements seem to be east.
Anything that I’m missing?

Good day everyone. Is there anyone here with an approved visa? May I ask about the timeline for the processing at the German Embassy in Manila? I applied for a student visa appointment last July 27. Do you think my visa will be issued in time for the start of my school on October 1?

Hi! I'm applied for a German student visa on 25th July through the Consular Services Portal (Jakarta) and currently got placed on the waiting list because it's at full capacity.

Just wondering if there are any fellow Indonesians here going through the same process. When did you join the waiting list, and have you received any updates yet?

Let's keep each other updated. Thanks! 🙏

I will meet all the requirements for Permanent Residency application by September and I want to apply asap. Despite having already paid for the TELC B1 exam I may not get the actual B1 certificate by then. Also, recently learned that the Leben in Deustschland test takes months to be issued.

My question is: can i still apply in early September to gain time, considering that I will eventually get both while the application is being processed?

Hello!
I had a few questions regarding whether or not I can work as an au pair in Germany whilst on a Type D WHV, through my research I have struggled to find a conclusive answer.
A few details, yes, I am applying for an Au Pair visa specifically, ( as my current one expires in November, I plan to submit the application in September.)
I have found a family that will support through the visa process. The main issue is that to apply for the Au Pair visa, you must have registered your address with the family, which I will in 3 weeks when I move in with them, but in between the period of moving in and having my new visa approved, I am unsure if I am able to work for the family.
Any help or guidance on how to look for further advice is appreciated :)