What questions are asked at the German student visa interview in Nigeria and Ghana?
Short answer
Applicants report questions about who you are, your course and university, why Germany, who pays, where you will live and your plans after study. The German Missions in Nigeria and the German Embassy Accra say only that a short interview is held at your appointment, alongside an identity and document check, fingerprints and a photo.
On this page
What happens at the appointment, and how long is the interview?
Both the German Missions in Nigeria and the German Embassy Accra say that at your appointment your identity and original documents are checked, a short interview is held, your fingerprints and photo are taken and the fee is paid. Neither page lists the questions.
Apart from what the mission pages and German law say, this page is based on applicants describing their own interviews. These are reports, not rules.
One applicant at the Accra embassy in July 2025 timed the student interviews before hers at about 5 to 10 minutes each. She sat at a counter behind glass and spoke into a microphone. Her wait was much longer than her interview: she arrived at 6:30 a.m. and was called after 1 p.m.
A Nigerian applicant interviewed in 2023 says the officer wanted him loud and easy to hear.
What questions do applicants report?
Applicants from Nigeria, including several on YouTube, describe questions in these groups. Not everyone gets all of them. The Accra applicant above was asked four questions: her name, her school, her courses and why Germany.
- Who you are: your name, which visa you applied for, and in one 2023 Nigerian account, your age and how many people are in your family.
- Your course and university: the programme and school, the courses you will take, why this course and how it links to what you studied before.
- Why Germany and not home: a reported follow-up is "you can do this course in Nigeria, why Germany?". Interview accounts from Lagos applicants, some of them years old, say it can come more than once in different words.
- Money and sponsor: whether your blocked account (Sperrkonto) is funded, who your sponsor is and what they do for a living.
- Accommodation: "Where will you stay in Germany once you get there?"
- After study and people you know: what you plan to do when you finish, whether you will return, and whether you have relatives or friends in Germany.
How to answer where you will stay and what you will do after
Neither mission page lists accommodation among its student visa requirements. Applicants still report being asked where they will stay.
Applicants report that answers which do not match their documents cause trouble. Our advice, not a rule: if you have no flat yet, say where your search really stands, and do not give an address or a contract you do not have.
If you want to look for work in Germany after graduating, you can say so. German law (Residence Act, section 20) allows a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for a job after finishing your studies in Germany.
Is there a field-of-study test in Lagos?
Applicants at Lagos report a written or oral test on their field of study, alongside the short interview. Applicant reports run from mid-2025 into 2026, and older ones exist.
Experiences are mixed. Some applicants report a full test, some only an oral interview, and one second-hand report says there was no oral interview at all. The German Missions in Nigeria page mentions a short interview and no test. Be ready for one, but do not assume you will get it.
A question reported across many subject tests is to name one course from your degree and the lecturer who taught it.
A tip from us: practise saying your answers out loud before the day. The 2023 Nigerian applicant says the officer wanted answers loud and easy to hear.
Reading the answer is the easy part. Say it out loud.
The officer will ask about this. Answer in your own words, then read what your answer missed. Your first practice interview is free.
Practise saying it out loudPeople also ask
How long is the German student visa interview?
The German Missions in Nigeria and the German Embassy Accra call it a short interview. One Accra applicant in July 2025 timed student interviews at about 5 to 10 minutes each, though the wait before it took hours. 125
Is there a written test at the German consulate in Lagos?
Some Lagos applicants report a written or oral test on their field of study, but others report only an oral interview. The mission's own page mentions only a short interview, so prepare for a test without counting on one. 41
Do I need a flat in Germany before my student visa interview?
Neither mission page lists accommodation among the student visa requirements. Applicants report being asked where they will stay anyway, so be ready to say where your search stands. 124
Can I say I want to work in Germany after my studies?
Yes, if it is your plan. German law (Residence Act, section 20) allows a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for work after finishing your studies in Germany. 3
Sources
- 1Student visaOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 12 Oct 2026
- 2Visa for StudentsOfficialGerman Embassy Accra · checked 23 Oct 2026
- 3Residence Act, section 20 (job seeking)OfficialGerman Federal Ministry of Justice · checked 18 Sept 2026
- 4Student visa applicant reports, Lagos consulate and VFS Lekki, June 2025 to September 2026Applicant reportsApplicant reports gathered by VisaRoom · checked 12 Oct 2026
- 5Applicant interview videos (Nigeria, Ghana)Applicant reportsYouTube creators, see the Videos page · checked 12 Oct 2026
Official is the embassy or a German government page. Applicant reports are what applicants say happened at their appointment. Secondary is everything else we checked.
General information, not legal advice. VisaRoom isn't connected to any embassy or government, and only the embassy decides on your visa. Something out of date? Tell us.