If you are a citizen of a country that does not belong to the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), you will need a residence permit to take part in a German language course or a student exchange.

The German course must be an intensive language course that serves to acquire comprehensive German language skills and not to prepare you for your studies.

The duration of the intensive language course must be limited in time. Attending and following up on the course should take up all of your working time. As a rule, this means lessons from Monday to Friday with at least 18 lessons per week. Evening, weekend or part-time language courses are not sufficient.

In a student exchange, you take part in a temporary school stay, which usually lasts no longer than one year and is often organized by student exchange organizations. You can also choose a privately or commercially organized exchange year. No direct exchange is required in order to obtain a residence permit. This means that no return visit by a guest student is necessary.

During the language course and the student exchange, you must be able to cover your living expenses and health insurance without drawing on public benefits. The current rate of the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) applies as a guideline for student exchanges and the BAföG rate plus 10 percent for language courses.

You can take up employment of up to 20 hours per week during your stay for the language course. The student exchange stay does not entitle you to take up employment.

If you have not yet reached the age of 18 at the time of the student exchange, your parents or legal guardians must consent to your stay in Germany.

The procedure is usually carried out in German.