German visa course A1 – C1

Rathaus Hamburg für Informationen zu den Visabestimmungen für die Sprachschüler*innen von TANDEM Hamburg

Your German visa course at TANDEM Hamburg: German course with a visa

 

Would you like to learn German and need a visa to enter Germany?
Whether you want to enter the country on a language visa or a student visa, you've come to the right place.

Our German intensive courses A1–C1, with 20 lessons per week, meet the official requirements so that you can submit your visa documents without any problems. 
One level lasts 8 weeks with us. So, if you want to study from A1 to B1, for example, you need to register for 24 weeks. From A1 to B2 it takes 32 weeks, and from A1 to C1 it takes 40 weeks.

Visa course at TANDEM Hamburg – What is the procedure?

  • Please complete our online registration form.
     
  • You will receive a confirmation from us with a request to transfer a deposit in the following amount:
    a) for bookings of up to 12 weeks, a flat rate of € 630.00
    b) for bookings of 13 weeks or more, a flat rate of € 1,800.00
    c) for bookings with accommodation, a flat rate of € 604.00
     
  • Please note that some foreign missions expect the entire course fee to be paid in advance and in full.
     
  • Once the deposit has been credited to our account, we will send you by email the official registration confirmationwith proof of payment (confirmation of the services booked, the costs and the amount of your payment).  With this confirmation and all other necessary documents (see below), you can apply for your visa at the  German embassy in your home country.
     
  • Please let us know immediately if there are any delays with your visa application. If you wish, we can postpone your course booking accordingly. The first postponement is free of charge; for further postponements, we charge € 50.00 each.
     
  • If your application is rejected, we will need your rejection letter. Once we have received this letter, we will refund your deposit minus a processing fee of € 200.00 and any costs incurred, such as bank charges.

Course Fees 2026

Course Fees 
One-time service fee (includes 1st course book)€ 50,00
Additional course books per half level (A1–B1), Netzwerk neu Hybride Ausgabe € 22,99
Additional course books per half level (B2 to C1), Kontext Hybride Ausgabe€ 25,99
  
3 months (12 weeks)€ 1740,00
4 months (16 weeks)€ 2320,00
5 months (20 weeks)€ 2900,00
6 months (24 weeks)€ 3480,00
7 months (28 weeks)€ 4060,00
8 months (32 weeks)€ 4640,00
9 months (36 weeks)€ 5220,00
10 months (40 weeks)€ 5800,00

 

 

 

Dates 2026

Our visa courses start on the following dates:

05.01.202602.02.202602.03.2026
30.03.202604.05.202601.06.2026
29.06.202627.07.202631.08.2026
28.09.202626.10.202623.11.2026

 

There are no classes on public holidays: 03.04.-06.4.26, 14.05.26, 25.05.26

There are no intensive courses at TANDEM on the following days: 15.12.25 – 02.01.26, 27.04. – 01.05.26, 24.08. – 28.08.26, 21.12.26 – 03.01.27

 

 

Visa – yes or no? And if so, which visa?

Here you can see whether your country requires a visa or not.

 

No visa required

  • Citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland do not need a visa to enter Germany and do not require a residence permit for their stay.

  • There are also other countries that do not require a visa. If you come from one of these countries, you can enter Germany without a visa for short stays (up to 90 days). If you wish to stay longer than 3 months, you must apply for a residence permit in Hamburg.

     

With visa requirement

* Schengen visa (short-term stay up to 90 days)
If, for example, you book an 8-week language course at TANDEM Hamburg and then want to travel through the Schengen-Area, you should apply for this visa. This visa cannot be extended and cannot usually be changed to a national visa. 


* National visa (long-term stay over 90 days)

  • Language course visa 
    This visa is issued for a period of three months to one year. Please note that language course visas cannot usually be converted into student visas.
  • Visa for searching for a place at university
    If you would like to study in Germany but do not yet have a place at university, you should apply for this visa. You must prove that you have B2 language skills if the language of your desired field of study is German. The visa is granted for 9 months, during which time you must find a place at a university and, if necessary, take further German courses up to level C1 (with language certificate TestDaF or telc C1 Hochschule). If you obtain a place at a university during this period, you can apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studying here.

  • Student visa
    You can apply for this visa if you have conditional admission to a German university. This visa can also be combined with a preparatory German courses up to level C1 and a subsequent language certificate (TestDaF or telc C1 Hochschule). After successfully completing your studies, you can apply for a residence permit for the purpose of looking for work in order to continue your stay in Germany.


    An overview of visa requirements can be found here

     

If you are unsure which visa you need to enter Germany, the Visa-Navigator from the Federal Foreign Office can help you.  

 

Language course visa: What evidence do you need?

 

Please check with your German diplomatic mission in your home country in good time (visa processing can take several months!) to find out the exact requirements.

 

As a rule, you will need:

  • Application forms completed in German
  • A valid passport
  • Proof of participation in an intensive language course (certificate from the language school, at least 18 hours per week). With a total of 20 hours per week, our intensive German course fulfils this official requirement.
  • Proof of financial means – at least € 992 per month (as of 2025) – via a blocked account or a letter of commitment.
  • Proof of health insurance for the duration of your stay
  • Passport photos
  • A letter of motivation and a CV
  • If applicable, proof of language skills already acquired

 

Helpful links

General information on the visa procedure

Visa for language learning


Student visa

Schengen Visum

After the visa – residence permit for Hamburg