Moving from China to Germany: APS, Funds, and Cities
Chinese student visas go through an APS check in Beijing. Funding a German blocked account also has to fit China's yearly limit on buying foreign currency.
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Around 169,000 Chinese citizens live in Germany. A large share of people who arrive now come to study. Among new non-EU students, China is one of the largest groups, after India. Others come for skilled work, a research stay, or to join family.
If you are moving from China yourself, a lot of the process is still the same as for any other non-EU citizen. What you apply for depends on why you are coming: study, a job you already have, looking for work after you arrive, or joining family. The guides below have the rules for each of those. This page then further covers what is different when the application starts in China, and where people from China often move.
Which visa matches your situation
The table below shows which guide matches your situation. If you are still choosing a route, start with Which Visa Do You Need in Germany.
If this is you | Open this |
|---|---|
University, preparatory college, or a language course that leads to study | |
Job offer and a recognised degree, below the Blue Card salary | |
Job offer at the Blue Card salary | |
No job yet, and you want to search from Germany | |
Research stay with a host institute | |
Spouse, child, or parent joining someone in Germany | |
Already in Germany on another status |
A tourist visa is not a way to switch into work or study after you land. Changing Your Residence Purpose in Germany explains when a switch inside the country is even possible.
After the visa, the first weeks are also the same for every passport. Register your address within 14 days. Address Registration in Germany walks through the appointment. Health insurance has to be sorted for the visa and again once you are living here, which Health Insurance in Germany covers. A German current account is covered in Opening a Bank Account in Germany, and how hiring actually filters CVs is in Finding Jobs in Germany as a Foreigner.
What is different when you apply from China
When you want to study
For a German student visa, you need a certificate from the Academic Evaluation Centre (Akademische Prüfstelle, APS). You register on the APS site, pay the fee for your procedure, and then either sit an interview or take TestAS, depending on which procedure you are in. The standard China procedure costs 2,500 yuan. When you submit the student visa through the APS visa service, that fee includes the German student visa fee. You do not pay the visa fee again for that submission path.
Send the application dossier to APS Beijing. There is no separate document-processing office in Shanghai for this file. APS checks whether the academic record is plausible. A university still decides admission, and the mission still decides the visa.
Living-cost proof for the student visa is the same idea as for other nationalities, but paying it from China is often the hard part. The details are under Paying from China below.
When you want to work
The work and research visas themselves are not different. You use the same skilled-worker, Blue Card, researcher, or Opportunity Card routes as other non-EU passports. Use the table above for which guide to open. A job file does not start with the student APS interview, and a qualifying salary usually means you do not open a blocked account the way students do.
What is different is practical. Book with the German mission responsible for your place of residence in China. If you are applying for an Opportunity Card and need to show savings, China’s foreign-currency cap can still block the transfer. That is covered under Paying from China below.
Paying from China
China caps how much foreign currency a resident can buy. The personal facilitation quota is the equivalent of 50,000 US dollars per calendar year. Buying the currency and sending it abroad are two steps, and the bank checks both. A student living-cost deposit often fits under that cap. Tuition, or a move for more than one person, can push you over it. The bank can still refuse a transfer that looks unclear, even when you are under the cap.
Do not borrow another person’s quota or split the transfer to hide where the money came from. That can get the quota frozen. Ask your own branch which papers it wants, such as an admission letter or a blocked-account confirmation, and whether this year’s cap still has room.
The euro amount Germany expects is in Student Visa for Germany and Opportunity Card in Germany. If your only banking history is in China, give a German bank extra time after you arrive and ask which foreign documents it accepts before you promise an employer a German IBAN next week.
Where people from China often move
In absolute numbers, the larger Chinese communities are in major metros such as Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf, often several thousand people each. Düsseldorf and nearby Duisburg stand out for trade, logistics, and company offices, which is also why those cities have denser Chinese commercial infrastructure, from shops to specialist services.
In some university and research cities the Chinese community is smaller in absolute numbers, but still a large share of the international campus and lab scene. Dresden is a clear example: the Chinese population is usually only around 1,500 to 2,000 people, far below Berlin or Munich, yet China is consistently among the top countries of origin at TU Dresden for international students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs.
A job or a university place outside those patterns is just as valid. Best Cities in Germany if You Already Have a Degree compares places for work, and Best Cities in Germany for Studying covers the university shortlist. Housing works the same way for every passport, so start with Finding an Apartment in Germany, or jump straight to Düsseldorf, Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, or Dresden if you already know the city.
Common questions
Do Chinese students need APS for a German student visa?
Yes for the usual study route. You register with the academic evaluation centre in Beijing, pay the procedure fee, and complete an interview or TestAS. When you submit the student visa through the APS visa service, the 2,500 yuan fee includes the German student visa fee. The certificate is what you then use for the student visa. A normal work visa does not start with this student check.
How do I pay a German blocked account from China?
China lets a resident buy foreign currency up to the equivalent of 50,000 US dollars per calendar year. A student living-cost deposit often fits under that cap, but the bank still checks the purpose and can say no. Tuition or a move for more than one person can push you over the cap. Do not use someone else’s quota. The amount Germany wants is in the student visa guide.
Which German visa do Chinese citizens apply for?
The same set as other non-EU citizens: student, skilled worker, Blue Card, Opportunity Card, research, or family reunification. Your passport does not add a China-only work visa. The China-only step is the academic check if you are going to study, and the foreign-currency cap if you must show savings.
Where do people from China usually live in Germany?
The largest absolute numbers are in major metros such as Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf. Trade and company hubs like Düsseldorf look different from university and research cities such as Dresden, where the Chinese community is smaller in headcount but concentrated among students and researchers. Plenty of people live elsewhere because that is where the offer is.
Useful links
- APS China
- German mission in China: national student visa
- Make it in Germany: visa quick-check
- Destatis: foreign population by citizenship
Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. While we endeavour to ensure the information is accurate and current, we provide no guarantee, express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the content. Users act solely at their own risk. For binding decisions, please consult with the relevant municipal authorities or a qualified legal professional.