All Non-EU/EEA/Swiss students require a student visa for stays of more than three months. Please do not apply for a tourist visa, as it does not allow you to study at Hochschule der Medien. The visa type cannot be changed in-country after arrival.

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, the UK and the USA:

You may apply for your residence permit after entering Germany without a visa. This has to be done within 90 days after entering the Schengen area*. It is, of course, possible to obtain a residence permit prior to entry at a German Embassy/Consulate in your home country. We recommend arranging for your permit (for the whole length of the exchange period) beforehand in order to avoid visits to the authorities after arriving in Germany.

*List of Schengen Area Countries.

Citizens of all other countries (excluding EU/EEA/Swiss nationals):

You must apply for an appropriate visa at a German Embassy/Consulate prior to arriving in Germany. We advise you to apply for your visa as early as possible due to sometimes lengthy processing times. Some visas are valid for the whole stay, and others have to be renewed within 90 days after entering the country. Should you later wish to extend your stay in Germany, please remember to take care of your visa arrangements. You will receive further immigration-related information during our orientation meetings.

You can find a helpful overview of visa requirements/exemptions here

Check if you need a visa here or here

More information about the visa/residence permit process can be found on the DAAD website here