Visa application was the process that I dreaded the most of all other things I needed to do to prepare for my move and study in Cologne. Perhaps it’s because there were just so many simple things with lots of details to be filled in – all alone, all by myself. The entire process is literally paperwork, which is the very thing I hate.
Despite the fact that I only had to go to the embassy twice, and for a very short time (for the application process and optionally later for visa and passport pick up), I spent quite some time and money gathering information and all documents needed for the application. Information about application procedure and documents required for student visa could be obtained online for free from the German Embassy website. But making an appointment and asking about the question in the application form with the information center via 9 Baht per minute 1900 number costed me a fortune. As well as the cost of certified German translation of my primary (!!), secondary and upper secondary school certificates.
And to save time and money, here’s some lesson that I’ve learned:
1. It’s better to wait to have all documents required than submit only some of them.
Most importantly, the admission letter and proof financial sponsorship. I spent almost a month waiting for the latter to arrive in my inbox and felt very tempted to just submit without one. The wait turned out to be very worthwhile, since having these two unquestionable documents speeded up the application process.
2. Try filling the form before making an appointment.
Maybe it’s just me, but some questions in the form can be very hard to answer, especially if the English and Thai translation didn’t exactly mean the same thing. For example, in English “Do you have insurance that covers your stay in Germany” and the same question in Thai: “ท่านได้ทำประกันชีวิตที่มีผลคุ่้มครองถึงภายในประเทศเยอรมนีหรือไม่ (Have you had insurence that covers your stay in Germany)”
I found it very hard to answer that question because I, at the time of application, don’t have a health insurance that would cover my stay in Germany, but I will have to apply for one when I registered as a student. So, I had to call that 1900 number again, which costed me more, and more money again. So, next time, try to fill in the application first and ask about the questions that might be problematic when making the required appointment call.
3. Bring the original document and a copy of them with, even if unsure whether they’re required.
I wasn’t sure if I had to submit the expired passport, so I brought them with, and it turned out that I had to. In case of other documents, I submitted them all, unrequired or unnecessary documents were returned during the interview while the staff checked and re-organised them.
4. Check the passport and visa immediately after pick-up
Not because you might get someone else’s but because you might get something eles you didn’t expected. I had expected to get a 90-day-multiple entries visa that I had to apply for a student residence permit once I arrived. Instead, I got 90-day single entry visa. I didn’t check it when I picked it up, and it bugged me for days, which comes to the lesson #5
5. Ask twice, to at least two different person
As a consequence to #4, I had to call the money-sucking call center again to ask about my visa. (My concern was whether I would need a new visa if I’m back in Thailand during my study) The first time, the answer was yes, but the second time the answer was yes if I came back during the 90 days which the visa is valid, and no if I have already obtained the residence permit.
Visa finished! But after arrival, I still have to apply for a resident permit at the local immigration office and register into the Cologne district after arrival.
