Can a relative in Germany sponsor my student visa? The Verpflichtungserklärung for Nigeria and Accra
Short answer
Yes, with a Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation letter) signed by a person living in Germany and covering your whole stay. The German Missions in Nigeria and the German Embassy in Accra accept it only with the remark "nachgewiesen" (the sponsor's financial capability has been verified). Accra adds one limit: if you must pay study fees, the letter does not count as proof for them. 12
On this page
What is a Verpflichtungserklärung and who signs it?
A Verpflichtungserklärung is a formal obligation: a person promises to pay for your stay. The missions point to sections 66 to 68 of the German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz). The Accra embassy words it as a formal obligation covering the entire duration of stay, signed by a person living in Germany at the local competent office in Germany.
The Federal Foreign Office says the German foreigners authorities (Ausländerbehörden) at the sponsor's place of residence are, as a rule, responsible for accepting it. The forms are available there. When it is signed, the sponsor's creditworthiness (Bonität) is checked and the signature is certified. This is our translation of a German-language page.
Both missions say the letter is accepted as proof of finance only with the remark "nachgewiesen", meaning the sponsor's financial capability has been verified.
What does the sponsor have to pay for?
The Foreign Office page says that where the invited person cannot pay for the stay from their own means, the sponsor can undertake to cover all costs of the stay in Germany. That includes any medical treatment and the return to the home country. Living costs include food, housing, clothing and other basic needs, and care in case of illness and long-term care (our translation).
Under section 68 of the Residence Act, someone who has committed to the foreigners authority or a mission abroad to bear a foreigner's living costs must, for five years, reimburse all public funds spent on those costs (our translation). That includes housing and care in case of illness, even where the spending rests on the foreigner's legal entitlement. Spending based on contributions is not to be reimbursed (our translation).
The five years start with the entry that the Verpflichtungserklärung made possible. Section 66 adds a second liability. A sponsor who committed to cover departure costs is also liable, alongside the foreigner, for the costs of enforcing a territorial restriction, refusal of entry, removal or deportation (our translation).
The Foreign Office, Nigeria and Accra pages we read do not state an income threshold or a nationality or relationship rule. The sponsor's creditworthiness is checked at signing.
How old can the letter be?
Three official pages all say six months, but they count it from different points. Check which one applies to your mission.
- German Missions in Nigeria: not older than six months, presented in original plus one copy. The page gives no date to count from.
- Accra: not older than 6 months on the intended date of entering the Schengen Area/Germany.
- Federal Foreign Office: In principle (grundsätzlich) there should be no more than 6 months between the declaration and the visa being issued, because the sponsor's finances may have changed. After that a new declaration is, as a rule, required (our translation).
Do Nigeria and Accra accept the letter as proof of money?
Accra says that for each new visa application you present a new formal obligation letter.
Accra also says that if you must pay study fees (it says this mostly applies to private universities), neither a formal obligation letter nor a blocked account is sufficient proof of funds for them. If a third party sponsors your fees, the embassy asks for a letter from the sponsor confirming the sponsorship of your study fees, a copy of the sponsor's ID (ID card or passport), and the sponsor's bank statements for the last 3 months.
The Lagos sorting list (status June 2026) lists the financial proof as "Blocked account OR Declaration of Commitment". The list never says "formal obligation" or "Verpflichtungserklärung". The Nigeria Financial means page does list a formal obligation as one of its ways to show financial means. The Nigeria pages we read do not say whether the Accra study-fee rule applies there.
If you choose a blocked account instead
The Federal Foreign Office says a blocked account can be opened at a bank or similar provider, and you are free to choose where. You pay the banking fees on top of the amount blocked in the account.
The Foreign Office makes no recommendations and accepts no liability for failed payment by providers. Its old list of providers, available until the middle of 2022, has been deleted.
Sources for this part6
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
Can my uncle in Germany sign a Verpflichtungserklärung for me?
The pages we read say the signer must be a person living in Germany and sign at the local competent office. The Foreign Office, Nigeria and Accra pages we read do not state an income threshold or a nationality or relationship rule. The authority checks the signer's creditworthiness at signing. 23
How long does the repayment duty under section 68 last?
Section 68 of the Residence Act sets five years for reimbursing public funds, counted from the entry the Verpflichtungserklärung made possible (our translation). Section 66 liability for departure and removal costs is a separate rule, and the page we read states no time limit for it. 54
Does Accra accept the letter as proof of funds for study fees?
No. If you must pay study fees (Accra says this mostly applies to private universities), it says neither a formal obligation letter nor a blocked account is a sufficient proof of funds for them. If a third party sponsors the fees, it asks for a sponsor letter, a copy of the sponsor's ID and the sponsor's last 3 months of bank statements. 2
Sources
- 1Financial meansOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 29 Oct 2026
- 2Visa for StudentsOfficialGerman Embassy Accra · checked 29 Oct 2026
- 3Informationen zur VerpflichtungserklärungOfficialAuswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) · checked 29 Oct 2026
- 4§ 66 AufenthGOfficialGesetze im Internet (Federal Ministry of Justice) · checked 29 Oct 2026
- 5§ 68 AufenthGOfficialGesetze im Internet (Federal Ministry of Justice) · checked 29 Oct 2026
- 6Opening and closing a blocked bank account (Sperrkonto)OfficialAuswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) · checked 29 Oct 2026
- 7Sorting of application - National Student (Lagos PDF, Status: June 2026)OfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 29 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.