Preparing your student visa application is a lengthy and stressful process. You go through several procedures and at the end you have no guarantee that you will be granted the visa. No matter how many documents you submit or how well you think your visa interview went, there is always a chance that the embassy will reject you.

The application procedure to get to the point where you get a response from the embassy takes months. The first step is for you to decide that you want to study in Germany and identify universities which match your interests and where you think you have a higher probability of getting admitted.

Each university has their own requirements and procedures, so you will have to prepare documents and applications for each one of them. If applications are required to be submitted through the German platform for international students or UNI-ASSIST, you might also have to pay application fees which add up to the expenses for the visa.

After you submit your university applications comes the long wait. It might take months for universities to get back to you with an acceptance or rejection letter. If you are lucky enough, you will be admitted into at least one university.

Being admitted into a university is only the first half of the process. The most difficult part comes after, when you have to apply for the visa. There are many agencies and consultants who for a fee will prepare your visa application documents and guide you through the procedure, or you can prepare everything on your own. Either way, you have to make sure that you have all the necessary documents and fulfill all requirements.

In addition to the documents, you will also be required to open a blocked bank account (Sperrkonto) containing €8,640. Why this exact amount? Well the cost of living per students in Germany is around €720 per month, which, when multiplied by 12 months gives the amount of €8,640. So in order to prove to the German Embassy that you can finance the cost of living for your first year, you will need to have this blocked bank account.

Afterwards, you will need to pay application fees and finally make an interview appointment. If all goes well, after a few weeks of the interview, you will get a positive response and you will be on your way to studying in Germany.

But what if the response is negative? What if your student visa application is rejected?

Do not lose hope! You can appeal to the embassy or you can resubmit your application. The wisest approach would be to prepare the application again and resubmit it. That is because the German Embassy will have a reason why they rejected you with the current application in the first place so there is little you can do to change their mind.

You are most likely wondering why your application got rejected. You put so much effort into it and it still wasn’t enough. There might be several reasons why this happened, and if you are able to identify where your application went wrong, you have a better chance of improving it when you reapply.

Also, if you are in the process of preparing your application, you might also benefit from knowing what the reasons for visa rejections are.

So here are 6 reasons why your student visa application could get rejected in Germany.

Your finances

The German Embassy will not let anyone into their country so they can starve or not be able to pay rent. They need to ensure that you have a strong financial background so you can cover your living costs for the entire duration of your stay. So the first reason that they might reject your visa application is because they believe you do not have the financial means to finance yourself.

Even if you opened the blocked bank account with €8,640 in it, you will need to have this sum of money for each year that you are studying. If the Embassy has looked at your financial statements and suspects that, for example next year you will not have €8,640 in your bank account, they will reject you.

Tip: When you submit your financial and bank statements, make sure you have more than the required amount in your bank account. This way, the Embassy will know that in cases of financial emergency, you have more funds in your account to cover expenses.

Your academics

Germany’s education is regarded as one of the most difficult. They refuse to accept any student who does not have a good academic background and shows little potential for succeeding. You might have submitted your academic documents and you thought that they were fine, but if the Embassy does not believe that you can withstand the tough academic programs that Germany has, or if your academic records are not up to German standards, they will ultimately reject you.

Tip: If you don’t have excellent grades or academic background, you have the chance to prove your potential during the interview. Try to come up with reasons about why you would be a great candidate and how you will improve your academics. Visa interviewers will appreciate that you are making an effort to improve your academic potential.

Your language skills

Sometimes it is difficult to communicate with people with whom you speak the same language and there is always potential for misunderstandings. Imagine how difficult it is if you don’t speak the language to a level where you can effectively communicate!

You might have attended German language courses and done ok on the examinations, but when you go to the interview you will have a chance to prove these skills. First of all, to apply for the Germany student visa you need at least a C2 level language proficiency level of German. In addition, you also need to be able to speak English.

If your application does not prove that you have good language skills or if during the interview you do not demonstrate that you are proficient enough in German, the Embassy will reject your application. This is because it is highly important for you to be able to have a language level where you can understand and respond in German.

Tip: If you are aware that your language skills are not good enough, postpone your application. Work on improving your language and then apply. It is better to wait longer until you know your language is better than get rejected for this reason.

Your study program

When applying for a Master’s program, most students apply for a field related to the one they had during their undergraduate studies. The rest might want to change careers or get different qualifications, so they go into a field where they do not have any academic background.

If your undergraduate degree was in Fine Arts, and you are applying for a Master’s Degree in Engineering, your choice of fields will raise some eyebrows. The Embassy representatives will question your choice of study programmes and they might reject you on the grounds that you are inconsistent.

Tip: It is best to apply to a master’s program which is related to your undergraduate studies. However, if you want to switch careers and study something else, make sure you have proof of work or other experience within the new field so that you can justify the change.

Your profile

Every developed country has a certain profile of people that they want to allow entrance in their country. Most of them want young and skilled people who can fill the vacant job positions that natives of the country cannot. They are always looking for people who have potential to improve the economic landscape of the country.

Germany too is looking for young and skilled people. If you do not fit the age group or if your field of study is not required in the country or the particular state your university is in, the Embassy will have enough reason to reject you.

Tip: Research the requirements of the country for skilled labor before you decide on your field of study. Try to match your experience and background with a subject that is also being required in the country or in the state you want to go to.

Your interview

Interviews are always stressful! Visa interviews are twice as stressful as others. It is easy to become nervous and not say the right thing or trip on your words. That is why preparation is always necessary and important.

The interviewers will ask you all sorts of questions, starting from your background and then they will test your knowledge of Germany and your field of study. If they sense that you are unprepared or even worse, you are giving incorrect answers, they will have reason enough to reject you.

Tip: Research and prepare for your interview. Research student visa common interview questions and then practice them at home. Read and become informed about Germany, the state you are going, your university, and field of study. The more you know and the more you prepare, the better your interview will go.

*Extra tip: Some documents in your application carries more weight in your admission than others. The motivational letter is one of those highly important documents