By Aminu Mohammed
Germany is a popular destination for international students because of its excellent education system and relatively lower costs compared to other countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Public universities in Germany do not charge tuition fees but only a semester fee, making it more affordable. There are three ways to study in Germany, including scholarships, a blocked account, and the Declaration of Commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung in German).
If a prospective student has secured admission from a German university but cannot get a fully-funded scholarship or does not have the required funds for a blocked account, he can still find a sponsor who is a permanent resident in Germany to issue him a letter of financial sponsorship.
If you are a Nigerian student, you may find it quite expensive to study in Germany with a blocked account due to the economic situation in Nigeria and the devaluation of the naira. A blocked account is a process in which you sponsor yourself throughout the duration of your studies in Germany. To obtain a student visa, you must have at least €11,208 in a blocked account deposited with a bank in Germany. At the current exchange rate in Nigeria, this amount is about 20 million naira. Students usually use Fintiba, a bank based in Frankfurt, Germany, for the blocked account.
However, despite the economic situation in Nigeria, a prospective student can still study in Germany through a sponsor who is a German citizen or permanent resident. The sponsor can issue the student a letter of commitment to enable him to apply for a student visa. The letter of commitment is a form of attestation that serves as proof of sustenance funds and creditworthiness that a prospective student can use for the duration of the study.
How to Obtain a Sponsorship Letter
The letter of commitment, also known as a sponsorship letter, is issued to a German resident by the Immigration office for the purpose of sponsoring a prospective student for the duration of the study in Germany. The German resident must attest through a letter of commitment that he has the financial capacity to take care of the prospective student for the duration of the study in Germany. The German resident must also meet specific criteria before the letter of commitment is issued to him by the immigration office.
If you are a student looking to study in Germany with a sponsorship letter, then you must have a relative who legally resides in Germany. This relative can be your brother, sister, uncle or aunt. They need to visit the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde in German) in their city to request the sponsorship letter on your behalf. Additionally, they must provide documents that demonstrate their financial capacity to support you during your studies, covering your accommodation and living expenses.
Requirements for issuing a Letter of Sponsorship
The German Immigration office has established certain criteria to assess the eligibility of a German resident before issuing the Letter of Commitment. To assess the eligibility, the immigration office requests some documents from the sponsor, such as proof of income, resident permit, and accommodation, among others. The immigration office scrutinizes the documents of the German resident to check if he or she has the adequate income, savings, and financial capability to support a student’s expenses throughout the study period. Additionally, the immigration authority verifies if the sponsor is a legal resident and has a registered address in Germany.
After the immigration office is satisfied that the German resident meets all the requirements and has the capability to sponsor a student’s education in Germany, the Declaration of Commitment is issued to the resident. The sponsor then sends the document to the prospective student, who can apply for a visa at the German embassy in Nigeria or any other country.
Prospective students who seek to study in Germany through a sponsorship letter should first try to obtain admission to a German institution before requesting such a document. They should then ask their relatives to obtain the letter of commitment from the immigration authority in their respective cities.
Many students from different countries who are currently studying in Germany have come through sponsorship from a relative, such as an uncle, aunt, or elder brother. However, students who intend to ask for a sponsorship letter from their relatives should be prepared to work hard to cover their living expenses while studying in Germany.
