Onterra Tutor🇩🇪 Germany: university admission and student visa
The German national visa for study has no English-language requirement written into it; what you need is proof you can follow your course, which for an English-taught programme means meeting the university's own English condition, and for a German-taught programme means a German test instead of IELTS. For English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes, IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall is the common ask.
The requirement at a glance
| Visa requirement | None written; the university's admission letter is the evidence |
|---|---|
| English-taught bachelor's | Typically IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, no skill below 5.5 |
| English-taught master's | Typically IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, no skill below 6.0 |
| German-taught programmes | A German test (TestDaF, DSH), not IELTS |
What people miss
- Confirm the exact figure on your target programme's own admissions page: requirements vary noticeably between universities and between English-taught and German-taught tracks of the same subject.
- Some universities accept a strong secondary or prior degree taught entirely in English as a substitute for a language certificate; check before booking a test you may not need.
- APS certification, required for some countries including Nigeria before a German student visa application, is a separate academic-credential check and is not an English test.
- Public German universities charge little to no tuition even for international students, which is why so many candidates ask about the English bar rather than the fee.
Are you already there?
Find out before you pay the exam fee. Check a real essay or record a speaking answer and get examiner-style bands in about a minute, free.
Questions people ask
Do I need IELTS for a German student visa?
The visa itself does not set an English score. You need to meet your university's admission requirement, commonly IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall for an English-taught programme, and that admission letter is what the visa application relies on.
What if my programme is taught in German?
Then IELTS is not the relevant test; you will need to show German ability, usually through TestDaF or the DSH exam, at the level your programme specifies.
Figures reflect commonly published requirements, checked September 2026, and can change. Confirm against the official government or regulator source before you book.