Some Frequently Asked Questions Do I have enough money to finance my stay in Germany?

You are strongly advised to assess your financial resources realistically. Although the tuition fees are borne by the German government, you should have enough funds to cover your entire cost of living for the entire study duration. You should count on monthly expenses of no less than Euro 500. -- (As per the current rate of exchange, this amounts to about Rs. 35,000 per month). You should at least mentally prepare to bear all those expenses in starting some months, till you get a job. Do I want to study for a German degree? The German system of higher education is somewhat different from the Pakistan model. At a German University or "Fachhochschule", you can study for one of the first degrees - "Diploma" or "Magister" (M.A.) - the designation varies according to disciplines - or, at universities only, for a doctoral degree (equivalent of the Ph.D.), for which one of the first degrees is a prerequisite. Many German universities have started conferring Bachelor and Master Degrees, which are internationally recognized. While the Universities and "Fachhochschulen" (Universities of Applied Sciences) have equal academic and legal standing, the "Fachhochschulen" are more practice oriented and require internships in industry and/or commerce, prior to and during academic studies. There is a disadvantage in "Fachhochschulen" education that if you want to join a PhD afterwards then you need to study some extra courses in PhD. About visa, it is said we have to show Bank Draft of 7100Euro to get visa for 3 months and after arriving at Germany we have to deposit the Bank Draft in a German bank to get visa Extended from 3 months to 1 year,,, is it true ?? And after a year, in order to get extends the 1 year visa to till the end of the study, again is it required to show that same amount Bank Draft?? Yes, all the above statement is exactly correct, but it also depends on State in which you are staying e.g. Bayern (Bavaria) has very strict rules as compared to BadenWrttemberg (Baden-Wurttemberg). In some states like Bayern you have to open a conditional account of Euro 7100, so that you can draw only Euro 585 every month. In some States you need to show money in your account only for some days and then can withdraw all. In order to get visa extended from 1st year to 2nd year, it is sufficient to show the salary statement of our On-Campus/Off-campus jobs.

By rule the students should work only for 3 months (90 working days), is that all students in Germany sticking to this rule, i.e. can we do part-time jobs everyday.

On your visa you are allowed to work for 3 months (90 working days). In Germany there is a Placement Office (Arbeits Amt) which monitors your amount of work. You are issued an Tax Card (Lohnsteur Karte) and you are not allowed to work more than that, but you can get more than one Tax cards if you want to work more. In that way you earn more but you also have to pay a bit more tax. You can also do some illegal work but there are chances of being caught by Work Department. How many hours/day did current students work in Germany in part-time jobs, and how much they are earning/hour, & how much did the students are normally paid for students work inside the Univ. campus. Current students in Germany work for about 10-19 hours/ week, and earning about 300 450 Euros / MONTH. Generally students working for On-Campus will be paid very less when compared to Off-Campus jobs. Normally the living expenses will be around 250400 Euros/month for a shared life. German Universities commence in 1st week of Sep, and then which is best period for us to arrive at Germany to find Part-time jobs/students jobs/accommodation etc... (Is it advantageous to arrive in Early Aug)? Arriving in Aug' Last week is considered safe in Germany, coz. at that time people/senior students will be vacating their rooms/jobs etc., so u can have a easy search when you arrive at that time. How the Pakistanis over there manage with the food (coz Germany is not popular for Pakistani and Halal food). Pakistanis will normally self-cook themselves, coz., everything we need for our good Pakistanian food (like rice, wheat, spices etc.) will be available in any nearby supermarket or Asian Shops at an optimum price. There are many Turkish people living in Germany who sell HALAL meat, but you would have to confirm it, not all Turkish are trustable. Can we manage with little German knowledge for Jobs/Living etc. Yes, u can manage with little German, but learning German will be definitely very helpful, and so u will find big difference in your life when compared to a person with little German knowledge.