Study in Germany from Indonesia: Admission, Scholarships & Visa
TL;DR: Indonesian students need their degree and transcripts verified, a 11,904 euros blocked account, and a national student visa. Indonesia has strong DAAD and German development links. Public tuition in Germany is free, and English-taught programmes are the main route.
From Indonesia, the field you choose decides how much you pay. German development cooperation with Indonesia goes back decades, and the funding that comes out of it is concentrated in a handful of subjects: renewable energy, environmental engineering, computer science and development studies. Apply into one of those and there is a realistic chance of a scholarship that covers everything. Apply into something outside them and you are self-funding a 11,904 euros blocked account like everyone else.
That is the first decision. The second one is further away but worth knowing now: Indonesia does not permit dual nationality, so a German passport later would mean surrendering your Indonesian one. Plenty of Indonesian graduates stay on a work permit and permanent residence instead, and never face the choice.
The fields where the funding actually is
Indonesian students cluster in renewable energy, environmental engineering, computer science and development studies, which lines up with both Indonesia's priorities and Germany's research strengths. That overlap is why those subjects have the best funded coverage. Match your target course to a programme that has a scholarship attached rather than picking the department first and looking for money afterwards. See what a renewable energy master's in Germany involves if that is your direction.
Scholarships open to Indonesians
DAAD funds Indonesian students directly, and development cooperation adds programmes comparable to DAAD-EPOS that pay living costs and insurance. A fully funded award is worth more than its cash value: it replaces the blocked account in your visa file, because the award letter proves your financing on its own. German political foundations run separate, smaller schemes. Start with how DAAD assesses an application.
Documents and the anabin check
For a master's you need your degree certificate and transcripts. For a bachelor's, your ijazah. Everything has to be translated into English or German and certified. Recognition is then checked against the anabin database, which records how German authorities rate each foreign institution. Our guide explains how to read an anabin entry before you apply.
No APS for Indonesia
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Indonesia is not on the APS list, so there is no verification office to clear before applying. You go through uni-assist or straight to the university, which keeps your timeline shorter than it is for applicants from India, China or Vietnam.
English-taught programmes
Germany has about 2,400 English-taught master's programmes, and that is the route most Indonesian students take. IELTS 6.0-7.0 is the usual requirement, though a degree already taught in English is often accepted in its place. The full list is at English-taught master's degrees in Germany.
The blocked account, if you self-fund
Without a scholarship, the visa needs 11,904 euros in a blocked account, released at 992 euros a month once you arrive. It is a deposit, not a fee: the money comes back to you in instalments to live on. Fintiba and Expatrio both serve Indonesian applicants. See how a blocked account is opened and released.
| Item | What Indonesian students need |
|---|---|
| Documents | Degree/ijazah, translated |
| APS | Not required |
| Language | IELTS 6.0-7.0 or German |
| Financing | 11,904 euros or scholarship |
| Visa | National D visa, EUR 75 |
The visa appointment in Jakarta
Apply at the German embassy in Jakarta for a national (type D) student visa, bringing your admission letter, proof of financing, health insurance, verified documents and passport. The fee is EUR 75. Book the appointment as soon as your admission arrives, because the wait for a slot is usually longer than the decision. The checklist is in the German student visa guide.
Working while you study
Non-EU students may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year, or 20 hours a week in term, at the 13.90 euros an hour minimum wage. That covers a useful share of living costs, and a Werkstudent job in your field is the most common way Indonesian graduates end up with a German offer. See how the 140-day rule works.
Staying on, and the passport question
You get an 18-month job-seeker visa, then a work permit, with permanent residence in about 4 years and citizenship at 5 years. Permanent residence lets you stay indefinitely without touching your nationality, which is why most graduates stop there. Naturalising is the step that forces a choice, since Indonesia does not recognise dual citizenship. See what the job-seeker permit and work permit cover.
Sources
Applying from Indonesia? A free profile evaluation will tell you which funded programmes your degree and work history actually reach.
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