Type D National Visa (per country) · Verified 2026-05-14
Europe doesn't have one student visa — it has nine. Each country has its own decisive paperwork.
Germany: the €11,904 Sperrkonto. Netherlands: tuition paid before the visa appointment. France: Campus France pre-approval before any embassy visit. Ireland: GNIB registration after arrival. Pick the wrong document order and you lose a semester.
- Visa Type
- National Type D Student Visa (per country)
- Processing
- 6–12 weeks (varies by country)
- Application Fee
- €75–100 typical
schedule Last reviewed:
The one thing that decides it
Each EU country, a different gate
The Type D long-stay visa is country-specific. Germany, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Spain and Italy all run their own student-visa processes with different proof-of-funds rules, different application portals, and different post-arrival obligations.
- check_circle Germany: €11,904 in a Sperrkonto (blocked account) — Fintiba, Coracle or Expatrio are recognised providers. Released €992/month after arrival.
- check_circle Netherlands: tuition + ~€14,000 in proof of funds, paid directly to the university which handles the visa application via the nuffic portal.
- check_circle France: Campus France pre-approval is mandatory before the embassy will accept your file. Allow 2 months for the pre-approval alone.
- check_circle Ireland: financial proof + Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) registration within 30 days of arrival.
Who can apply for the National Type D Student Visa
Eligibility is the easy part — most denied applications fail on documentation or interview prep, not eligibility. Make sure all of these are cleared before you book anything.
University admission
A formal admission letter from a recognised European Higher Education Institution (HEI).
Proof of funds
Country-specific — Germany €11,904 blocked account (€992/mo × 12, BAföG rate); Netherlands ~€14,000; Ireland €10,000; France through Campus France.
Health insurance
Public (Germany / NL once enrolled) or private (Ireland, France, Spain). Must be in place before visa approval.
Accommodation evidence
Some countries (notably France via Campus France) require accommodation proof for the first months.
What you'll submit
The core document stack. Your counsellor gives you a complete country-specific checklist after the free consultation — including formatting, translations and apostille rules.
Letter of Admission
A formal admission letter from a recognised European Higher Education Institution (HEI) — required for any student visa application.
Schengen Type D Student Visa
A long-stay national visa from the embassy of your destination country (Germany, Netherlands, France, etc.). UK and Ireland use their own systems.
Proof of Financial Means
Country-specific — Germany requires a €11,904 blocked account (€992/mo × 12, BAföG rate), the Netherlands ~€14,000, Ireland €10,000. We help you set these up.
Health Insurance
Either public (statutory in Germany/Netherlands once enrolled) or private (Ireland, France) — must be in place before visa approval.
The 6-step application, in order
Doing these in the wrong order is the second-most-common reason files slip a semester. Numbers matter.
- 1
Get admission
Receive your formal admission letter (Zulassungsbescheid in Germany, etc.) from the European university.
- 2
Open a blocked account / show funds
For Germany: open a Sperrkonto with Fintiba, Coracle or Expatrio. For Netherlands: lump-sum transfer to your university. For Ireland/France: bank statements.
- 3
Arrange health insurance
Sign up with a recognised provider before applying. Country-specific.
- 4
Book visa appointment
Apply at the destination country's embassy in Colombo (Germany via VFS, Netherlands via VFS, etc.).
- 5
Attend appointment
Submit documents, biometrics, and (in some cases) a brief interview. Pay the visa fee.
- 6
Decision
Visa issued in 6–12 weeks. Some countries (e.g. Germany) require an additional residence permit after arrival.
Visa fees & costs
These are visa-specific costs only. Tuition and living costs are covered in our full cost guide for Europe .
Visa Fee Summary
Why Europe student visas get refused
Most refusals come down to these four problems. Knowing them before you submit is the single biggest difference between approval and refusal.
Blocked-account / fund issues
For Germany: blocked account not fully funded or wrong type. For Netherlands: tuition payment delayed past deadline.
Insurance not adequate
Travel insurance accepted only for the first weeks; you must arrange country-recognised cover within that window.
Course-progression unclear
Switching specialisations between Bachelor and Master without a clear rationale.
Late application
Many European countries have firm visa-issue deadlines (e.g. mid-September for German winter semester). Late applications are sometimes rejected on procedure alone.
How we keep Europe applications watertight
Four things we do for every Sri Lankan Europe file before it goes near the embassy or immigration portal.
Country-specific document shopping
Each Type D needs its own paperwork stack. We map out exactly what your destination country requires — Sperrkonto setup, tuition deposit timing, Campus France submission — and run it end-to-end.
Blocked account setup (Germany)
If Germany is your destination, we walk you through Fintiba / Coracle / Expatrio account opening, deposit timing and the embassy proof letter.
Apostille & translation handling
European embassies require apostilled, translated documents. We handle the Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs apostille queue and sworn translations in-house.
Refusal recovery if it happens
If your Type D is refused, we work with the embassy's decision letter to address the specific procedural or financial concern, then re-apply.
Sri Lankan applicants we've placed in Europe
Three anonymised journeys from this year. Names changed; outcomes real.
Imasha — MSc Mechanical Engineering, TU Munich
German-taught MSc at TU Munich. We set up her Fintiba Sperrkonto with €11,904, attended the German Embassy appointment with the bank letter, and the visa was issued in 6 weeks.
Timeline
Sperrkonto opened · 42-day decision · approved
Pasindu — MSc Business Analytics, University of Amsterdam
UvA handled the visa application via the nuffic portal once Pasindu paid tuition + €14,000 to the university. We just prepared the source-of-funds letter.
Timeline
University-handled · 30-day decision · approved
Ruwanthi — PhD Biotechnology, Max Planck Institute
Ruwanthi's Max Planck research contract qualified her for a researcher visa (not a student visa), exempting her from the Sperrkonto requirement. We coordinated the contract translation and embassy appointment.
Timeline
Research contract · 21-day decision · approved
Frequently asked questions
Don't see your question? WhatsApp a Europe visa counsellor — we usually reply within the hour, weekdays.
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Can I travel across Schengen on a Type D visa? expand_more
Yes — once issued, the Type D long-stay visa allows visa-free travel across the entire Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. -
Do I need to speak German / Dutch / French? expand_more
Not for English-taught programs (1,000+ across Europe). Some German states require a basic German A1/A2 for the residence permit after arrival. -
Can I work? expand_more
Yes — Germany 120 full / 240 half days per year. Netherlands 16 hours/week year-round. Ireland 20 hours during term, 40 in breaks. France 20 hours/week. -
What about UK and Ireland visas? expand_more
UK uses its own Student Route (see /uk-student-visa). Ireland is outside Schengen and uses its own student permission system, applied for on arrival.
More on Europe
Study in Europe
Universities, costs, intakes, post-study work — the full destination overview.
Destination Guide arrow_forward paymentsCost of Studying in Europe
Tuition, living costs and total LKR budget — with and without scholarships.
Cost Breakdown arrow_forward workspace_premiumScholarships for Europe
Open scholarships for Sri Lankan students — government, university, and private awards.
See Scholarships arrow_forwardDon't risk a Europe visa refusal
Send us your offer letter (or your I-20 / CAS / CoE / LoA) on WhatsApp and a counsellor returns a 1-page file review — what's strong, what's weak, what the embassy will probe. Free. No commitment. Reply within one working day.
Message a Europe visa counsellor- check_circle Free for students — universities pay us, not you
- check_circle Average reply: under 1 hour, weekdays
- check_circle Walk in to any of 4 offices across Sri Lanka
Prefer a callback?
Drop your number — a Europe visa counsellor calls within one working day.