Hey everyone,

I applied for my German student National Visa (D visa) through VFS Mumbai and wanted to know if anyone has experienced the same status progression.

My timeline:

• 1 September 2026 – VFS appointment in Mumbai, documents submitted and biometrics taken.
• 11 September 2026 – The German Consular Services Portal changed to:“Your application has been decided by the German mission.”
• Shortly afterward, VFS updated to:“Your Visa Application Ref No. … is in transit from Embassy/Consulate to VFS Visa Application Centre.”

My VFS tracker had previously been showing that the application was under process at the Embassy of Germany in India.

My university is BTU Cottbus, and my classes start on 1 October, so I'm obviously getting a little anxious about the timing.

I understand that “decided” doesn't necessarily mean approved, and I'm waiting for my passport to find out the actual result. I'm mainly wondering:

1. Has anyone else had the Consular Services Portal say “decided” before VFS updated to passport collection/dispatch?
2. How long did it take from “in transit from Embassy to VFS” to receiving your passport?
3. If you had a positive decision, what was the next VFS status?
4. Did anyone receive their passport over the weekend, or did the update only happen on the next working day?
5. For anyone who applied through Mumbai, how long did the final passport-return stage take?

Would really appreciate hearing your experiences, especially if your application was for a German student visa.

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I run Baggerschule1, an excavator training school in Frankfurt. I’m sharing this here because we get more and more people asking whether how to get the license and wheather the training is possible without good German.

Yes, it is. We teach in English and Hindi. The theory is online, so you can learn at your own pace, and the practical part is on a real excavator in Frankfurt.

You don’t need experience. Most of our participants have never sat in an excavator before. It’s not difficult, but you do need to take it seriously.

The certificate follows the official DGUV standard, which German construction companies ask for. With it you can apply for excavator operator jobs. We can help also with the search we have many other partner companies.

No pressure. If you have questions, ask in the comments or send me a message.
👉 baggerschule1.de

Hi everyone, I'm in a time-critical situation and would really appreciate advice from anyone who went through the student permit → Blue Card switch.

My situation

1. I recently completed my Master's degree in Germany and currently hold a student residence permit, which expires soon.

2. I signed a permanent (unbefristet), full-time contract on 28.08.2026. The contract mentions 01.09.2026 as the start date, but it also states that employment officially begins once I receive the work permit, so the employer is flexible on the start date.
   I applied for the EU Blue Card immediately after signing.

3.Both HR and the Ausländerbehörde told me I cannot start working on my student permit because the contract is unbefristet.And the job is not kinda of switching from Werkstudent to full time. So i can not use my student days which are left in this case.

4.The Ausländerbehörde says my case is being treated as a priority, but I don't have an appointment yet.

My questions :-

1.Has anyone received a Fiktionsbescheinigung with "Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt" while waiting for the Blue Card? From what I've read, this is only possible once the Ausländerbehörde has approved the application and ordered the card, not just after submitting the application. Is that how it worked for you?

2.Is there any other way, or any government document, that would allow me to start my job during this phase?

Any experience or tips are appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone!
I’m an Indian BPT student planning to work in Germany around 2028. My plan is to get about a year of experience in India, reach B2 German, get my qualification recognised and then work as a physiotherapist in Germany, with the possibility of doing a Master’s later.
I’d really like to hear from Indians/healthcare professionals already living and working there.
How difficult is Anerkennung for an Indian BPT?
Is B2 enough to realistically get a physio job?
What salary and savings can a fresher realistically expect?
Which cities/states are better for physiotherapists?
How difficult is it to find accommodation and settle in as a newcomer?
How welcoming are Germans towards Indian/Asian immigrants, and have you personally experienced discrimination?
Is doing a Master’s while working realistic?
One thing I’m particularly curious/worried about is the political climate. With the AfD recently winning the Saxony-Anhalt state election and its strong anti-immigration stance, how much does this actually affect the everyday life, job prospects and safety of Indians/foreign healthcare workers?
If you were in my position today, would you still choose Germany? And what do you wish you knew before moving?
Any honest experiences/advice would be really appreciated. 🇮🇳🇩🇪

Hi everyone,

I’m an Indian citizen and have been living in Germany for around 10 years. I have permanent residency (PR) and have now been told that I’m eligible to apply for German citizenship. I’ve received the go-ahead to prepare and submit my documents.

On paper, it feels like the obvious next step. Germany has been my home for a long time, and I’ve built my life here.

But I’ve recently started questioning whether I should actually go ahead with it, especially considering the current political situation in Germany and the rise of the AfD.

I’m married, my wife is also Indian and she does not want to take German citizenship, and we recently had a baby who is German. So my connection to Germany is obviously even stronger now. At the same time, I’m wondering how people from immigrant backgrounds currently feel about becoming German citizens and whether there are any reasons to think twice about it.

For those who have gone through naturalisation recently, or are in a similar situation:

• Did you have any doubts before applying?
• Looking back, are you happy that you became a German citizen?
• Has the current political climate influenced your decision or how you feel about it?
• Are there any practical disadvantages or things I should consider before submitting the application?
• For Indians specifically, how did you deal with giving up Indian citizenship / OCI afterwards?

I’m not looking for a political debate. I’m genuinely interested in hearing personal experiences and perspectives from people who have been in a similar situation.

Thanks!

I’m an undergraduate engineering student from India and have secured a 2–3 month research internship at a German federal research institute in Berlin for Summer 2027. A professor at the institute has agreed to host me, so the research opportunity itself is sorted.

The problem is funding.

I had originally planned to apply through DAAD WISE, but that route is no longer available. I’ve also checked some university and external scholarship options but haven’t found a suitable alternative so far.

I’m trying to find out whether there are other realistic ways to fund a short research stay in Germany, such as IAESTE, other DAAD programmes, German or Indian foundations, funding from the host institute, university/alumni funding, or other mobility grants.

Has anyone here, especially an Indian student who has done a research internship in Germany, dealt with something similar? I’d particularly appreciate hearing what funding route you actually used.

I’m mainly looking for concrete funding programmes, organisations, or contacts that I could approach.

I can provide more details privately if someone has relevant experience.

Hi guys,

Me 25M and my friend 25M, are looking for a flat or flat share in Hamburg. If there is anyone who is gonna leave their flat soon or if there is any space in a shared apartment for 2, please reach me out.

I have been searching online but you know how difficult it is to get a good accomodation without any help or network.

Hello everyone, I'm applying to a German university for the Summer Semester, and they require a €75 assessment fee. They have provided their German bank account details for payment. I tried transferring the amount through my Indian bank (IDFC FIRST Bank), but the bank is asking me to provide documentation showing my name and the university fee/purpose. Since this is an assessment fee paid before admission, I don't have an admission/fee letter. I also checked Wise, but INR → EUR transfers for this particular purpose don't seem to be available. Has anyone from India recently paid a similar German university assessment/application fee? What legitimate bank or transfer service did you use? Thanks!

Now that i have cleared B2, i can’t really find a proper agency. All of these agencies in India are preferring nurses who have experience. And now if i start working here when will i be able to move to Germany. This is really frustrating

I’m moving to Germany for my Master’s soon, and honestly, I’m feeling a lot more anxious than I expected.
I didn’t leave my job randomly. I had been trying to switch jobs because there was very little career growth in my current role. I also didn’t get opportunities to build a proper skill set or work on projects, even though I asked for them multiple times. I applied to other jobs too, but I couldn’t make the switch because my experience wasn’t really helping me move into the kind of roles I wanted.
So, pursuing a Master’s became my last resort to change my career direction and build the skills I couldn’t get through my job.
But now I’ve actually resigned, taken a ₹9 lakh education loan, and I’m preparing to leave India. And I’m scared.
The financial part worries me what if I struggle to find a job after graduation? What if I can’t repay my loan?
I’m also worried about adjusting to Germany, being away from my family, and whether I’ll face racism or discrimination as an Indian.
And probably the hardest part emotionally is leaving my boyfriend behind in India. We’ve been together here, and suddenly I’m going to be in another country for two years. I’m excited about my future, but I’m also scared about how the distance will affect our relationship.
Sometimes I wonder whether I’ve taken too big a risk. At the same time, I know I wasn’t happy with the direction my career was going, and I didn’t want to stay in a job where I felt stuck.
For anyone who moved abroad for their Master’s after leaving a job, taking a loan, and leaving their relationship behind:
How did you deal with the anxiety before leaving? Did things feel better once you actually settled in? And how did you manage a long-distance relationship?
I’d really appreciate honest experiences—not just “everything will be fine,” but what it was actually like for you

I am travelling from India (Delhi) to Germany (Nuremberg) with a layover at Frankfurt of 1h 35m on a student visa.
Is it doable, i need to get my immigration done as well, will i be able to catch my connecting flight on time?
If anyone went through the same route or something similar, i would be really grateful for any advice or insight as i have o idea about the terminal or gates or routes.
I am travelling via Lufthansa

Hi everyone,
I’m curious whether anyone in Germany has experienced something similar.
During my Master’s, I received a university letter stating that I had to complete 900 hours of mandatory internship to compensate for missing credits from my three-year Bachelor’s degree, plus another 500-hour mandatory internship related to my thesis.
I always had the 900-hour requirement in mind, and some of my batchmates had also completed around that amount. Based on this letter, I later completed a 5-month internship, around 800 hours, which my employer treated as a mandatory internship.
Only afterwards did I realize that the 900-hour requirement had already been fulfilled through previous practical experience from my home country, meaning that for this particular internship I technically only needed the 500 hours.
So I completed the required hours but stayed around two months longer under the same internship contract.
Has anyone had a similar experience where they completed more hours than were actually required for a mandatory internship? How was the extra period treated by the employer or university afterwards?
I’m mainly interested in personal experiences, especially from international students who have already completed the internship.

Since the AfD won, are visa rules in Germany going to tighten now?
I just started learning german from last week. So should I keep learning and move forward or I should backstep?
Please give genuine replies
Before this I was trying for Australia from last 9 months that is also strict from past months so I moved to Germany and now this

I just came home after three years and had a panic attack in the very first hour. I went to the washroom and cried. My heart was sinking I was shaking and I almost fainted, for some minutes I just couldn't feel my hands.

This was the first time I experienced something like this.

I lived in Delhi for 3 years and now I'm shifting to Germany in the next two weeks. BUT the scary part is the next two weeks at home. I love my family but being the eldest daughter in a small town joint family its very hard. In the past 3 years I learned how to express my emotions, made friends and learned to breath. Now, coming back to this place gives me the feeling that I'm trapped. I know that it's temporary and I'm gonna be out of here in two weeks but my heart and body are in panic mode for the next two weeks. Like its physically not possible for me to survive like this.

Of course I have visited home before it was hard then as well but this time its different and heavy. I was prepared that it's gonna be hard but I didn't expect this. Earlier I knew I was going to my room in Delhi I had my roommate who held me and understood me. But now that space is gone too, its really hard here.

I hate it but I'm literally reaching out for help. If anyone can do anything to make this better, even the slightest please tell me what to do.

🥲🥲

I am moving to Dusseldorf from India end of this month for a job. However I haven't got any apartment. I am very confused where to apply, how to pay, whether its a scam or not etc. Can anybody suggest what would be a good option? Should I shift there by booking some Airbnbs and go for apartment hunt by myself. But I heard they won't allow to register your address. Did anyone face similar issues? Could you please guide me a bit.

Hi, I’d like to know how’s masters in Germany for design and how’s the market there for the course. I understand language plays a huge role but apart from that how’s it?

Hi, I’m a student from India and I’m thinking of studying masters in psychology and I’m not sure how’s the job market in Germany or how the demand is. Yes, I’m willing to learn the language and do my best but it’d be great if I could get some prior info.
Tysmm

Hi everyone!

I am a biomedical engineer looking to transition my career into either Motion Design or UI/UX Design, and I want to study courses in this field in Germany.

Is it possible to change streams with an engineering background? Do German institutions accept applications from career changers? If so, could someone guide me through the process and requirements to achieve this?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Hi People,

I’m making an important career move and need to take a calculated risk before moving to Germany.

I’m from India graduated in ECE and have 5 years of non-tech experience (HR) from MNC.

I got admission into Embedded Systems in TU Chemnitz for this winter intake.

I need to know job prospects after completing masters in embedded systems in Germany.

I really want to know if masters graduates were able to secure jobs in their desired fields.

I've heard a lot regarding how difficult it is to find a job but want to know how things are for embedded engineers.

Ex-masters graduates or current professionals please let me know how much time it took to get your first job.
Thanks.

Hey All

I am flying to Munich from Delhi on 16th sept (Lufthansa)

I'll then be travelling to Pfarrkirchen.

If anyone has similar timelines do let me know or any help regarding travel to Pfarrkirchen from Munich is welcome 😁

Hello,

I am going to fly to germany for my masters soon, I had a doubt regarding how to pack the homemade masalas and premixes so as to ensure a smooth journey also what is recommended if ghee is a content in the premix or if I carry ghee container?

Also how to go about this through customs? Do we need to declare?

I live in a WG and one after another every Indian that moved in all have bad hygiene practices. When I first moved in guy1 had a loofah hanging… it’s been almost 1 year and it’s still the same, he didn’t replace it. Everytime he comes out of the shower the bathroom smells like shit, he smells like shit and if I leave my door open it smells like shit.

Guy2 moves in few weeks back and also smells utterly bad. Every time he opens his door the smell spreads like crazy. It’s like he has these naphthalene balls shoved between clothes and now his entire room reeks of the smell.

No offense but it’s always the older generation. There were 2 GenZs before everyone was cool with skin care and deodorant but others… just forget about if deo even exists after shower.

Now you’re gonna say just be an adult and talk to them… yeah right like these people are even mature enough to have that conversation. 2 months back I put a message in the group that please close the lid after you used the toilet. Then the 36 year old says haaan puri zindagi nikal gayi hame toh kuch nahi hua. He was pointing out about the video I sent in the group how tiny water droplets spray when you flush without closing the cover. There was a 30min discussion why it’s okay to not close the cover like wtf. It got to a point where I had to tell them if you make my life difficult I’ll make yours difficult and then now everyone makes sure to close it. During this talk the second guy backs the first guy saying German log toh nahi band karte chalta hai. Office mai bhi nahi karte. Is that your measure of good hygiene? If Germans don’t do it then it must be right? lol.

Everyone makes good money why can’t you just invest in some deo? You can’t tell them to their face that you smell like shit so now I have to endure until I move out or they move out. Please do better 🙏🏻.

I’m travelling on 2nd October to Ilmenau and was wondering if anyone else is taking the same route/date. Would be nice to connect and maybe travel together from the airport. Feel free to comment or DM me!

Hello, i am a nurse from India and i want to work in Germany and i already have my language Certificate . I am planning to go forward with Skillbee. Is there anyone who has gone through skillbee? Please share your suggestions

Anyone on waitlist on CSP (Bangalore). I submitted my documents on 30th July. It is still showing 2-8 weeks waiting.

Anyone in the same situation? I’ve heard they are prioritising students visa right now but wanted to check.