PhD Handbook

23 • Anerkennung ausländischer Bildungsabschlüsse (ANABIN) www.anabin.kmk.org/ 5.3 TYPES OF VISA FOR YOUR TIME AS A PHD STUDENT IN GERMANY What kind of visa to require? This information is deliberately general because the type of visa and the specific allowances are highly dependent on your personal situation. It is strongly recommended that you talk to the human resources department at your institute and the authorities “Ausländerbehörde” about your particular visa requirements and regulations including to what extent you can work/earn money. As a foreigner living in Germany, you must have an approp- riate residence or working permit (“Aufenthaltstitel”) issued by the Foreign Office (“Ausländerbehörde”) to remain in the country. What type of visa you need depends on your needs and the purpose of your stay in Germany. Common visas include: student visa (§ 16), work visa (§ 18), skilled specialist visa (§ 19) and the research visa (§ 20). It is important to check the specific regulations for your visa as to whether you are allowed to work, to what extent you are allowed to work or earn money, your eligibility for unemploy- ment money (“Arbeitslosengeld”) or parental support (“Eltern- geld”), and if your visa can be renewed or extended. If you receive a working contract (“Arbeitsvertrag”) after being a student, it may be advisable to change the type of visa you have because paid parental leave (“Elterngeld”) and unem- ployment benefit (“Arbeitslosengeld”), in many cases, cannot be paid to student visa holders. Working visas are usually attached to the employer, particularly for the first two years. Student visas may also have more restrictions on the number of working hours allowed per month. Important documents to take with you when applying for a visa/working permit: - valid passport - copy of your university enrolment papers - copy of your work contract - biometric passport photo - evidence of city registration Suggested questions to ask • If my visa is attached to my employer and my work contract, what are the options to extend my residence permit? This is important for the end of your PhD, in case you run out of funding through your work contract, but have not yet submitted. • Do the regulations of my current/this particular visa enable me to get “Elterngeld” or “Arbeitslosengeld”, if needed? If you have some problems between your institute and the “Ausländerbehörde”, then get the two sides to talk to each other to help resolve the problem so that you don’t find your- self caught in the middle of a tussle between the two. Find some useful information here: www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_aufenthg/residence_act.pdf The Federal Foreign Office also has valuable information about visa regulations for Germany.

Seitenübersicht