Getting a Student Visa When your Sponsor is Kenyan and is Based in Kenya

This may also apply to any other visa that requires the applicant to show they can sustain themselves during their stay in Germany and the person sponsoring the visit is based in Kenya.

Before you proceed to the German Embassy, you have already read the visa requirements for students.

Get the admission letter from the university/Studienkolleg. For the university, the letter of admission has your name, course and semester that you have been admitted to.
For the Studienkolleg, it is a letter inviting you to do the entry exam (Aufnahmeprüfung).
This letter will have your name, the time and place where you are supposed to appear for the exam.

Verpflichtungserklärung: (Affidavit of support)

This is an affidavit of support from your parent/sponsor/guardian in Kenya. This affidavit should be from a registered Notary Public in Kenya. In it your parent/ sponsor/guradian swears that s/he will pay for all the expenses incurred for the entire duration of your studies in Germany. They swear that they are financially capabale and have a regular source of income to support you. The text for this is usually written in a specific and official way using the law language.

After you get this affidavit of support from the notary public, you take it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nairobi, who then certifies it by giving you a formal letter with an official seal from the ministry.

To prove that you are able to sustain yourself as per the affidavit, the German embassy needs to see some evidence in form of a bankers’ cheque. This cheque is in Euros and is written in your full names as they appear in your passport. To make it easier for you make sure it is from a reputable bank or better still an international bank. (I personally used CitiBank)

Then with all your documents that have been mentioned aboved you attend the interview at the Germany embassy. Make sure you have arranged your documents neatly and in order. Be on time for the interview. Answer all the questions confidently and nothing stands in your way of getting a students visa.

NB: There are some students who upon getting the visa, return the borrowed money back and travel only with some cash. Please do not do this as the person checking your visa at the point of entry may really want to see the evidence that you have money for your livelihood. They might deny you entry if you don’t have this evidence.