Your guide to obtaining personal sponsorship in Germany easily

The meaning of personal sponsorship in Germany is that which a person submits when applying for a German visa for the purpose of obtaining a visa.

The personal guarantee is canceled Closed bank accountFor example, the German embassies and the German Foreign Ministry imposed on people wishing to obtain a study visa to deposit an amount of 11350 euros to obtain a student visa.

Sponsorship system in Germany 2024

It is an application paper submitted to the foreigners’ office in Germany by the sponsoring person, and in German it is called verpflichtungserklärung; It is signed by the sponsor in Germany and also stamped by the German Foreigners Office in Germany, and returned to the sponsored person to present it with his papers to apply for a German visa.

Applying for a German visa has conditions, and the most important of these conditions is the presence of a security deposit for an amount of money that is considered a guarantee for the student upon his arrival in Germany to pay his bills, living needs, and other expenses. But what if you do not have money and you have someone who fulfills the sponsorship conditions in Germany? What will you do!

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What are the conditions of sponsorship in Germany?

There are no complicated conditions, but we summarize them in the following list:

• It is not required that the sponsor be of German nationality or have permanent residency. Any person who has any type of residency other than asylum residency and subsidiary protection is able to apply for sponsorship.
• The sponsor is required to have a job that is financially sufficient for his family if he is married, and also sufficient to cover the expenses of the sponsored person (it must cover a minimum of 450 euros per month) from the sponsored person’s needs only.
• The sponsor is required to have a suitable place and sufficient living space to receive the sponsored person (usually 15 square meters are calculated for each person living in the house).

Read also: Reunification through sponsorship in Germany

Submit a sponsorship application in Germany

To submit a personal sponsorship application, the sponsor in Germany must go to the foreigners’ office responsible for him, (the Visa Department Office) and ask about obtaining an application in order to fill it out and return it to also be stamped by the office.

Documents required to request personal sponsorship in Germany

• Identity card or passport of the sponsoring person in Germany
• House rental contract for the sponsor
• Employment contract if the sponsor is an employee of a company or institution
• (Commercial register, extract from the commercial register, association register) if the sponsor is a company owner only
• Proof of financial ability by extracting a bank statement for the last 3 months.
• In special individual cases, it may be necessary to submit a Schufa report to verify your creditworthiness and is intended to ensure that the sponsor does not have any financial penalties or violations.
• If applicants can demonstrate that there is a particularly urgent need to issue a declaration of obligation (such as a death in the family),
• A copy of the passport of the sponsored person.

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Personal sponsorship to study in Germany

A personal sponsorship in Germany, known as a “Declaration of Undertaking” (Verpflichtungserklärung), can be used as proof of financial resources for international students who wish to study in Germany. However, it is not the only or most common way to prove financial ability.

Conditions for sponsoring a person to study

• A personal guarantee can be used as an alternative to a closed bank account in some cases, especially if the student has a relative or friend residing in Germany who is willing to provide the guarantee.
• The sponsor must prove his financial ability to bear the student’s expenses throughout the study period.

How to obtain sponsorship for someone to study

1. The sponsor must apply for a declaration of undertaking from the Aliens Office (Ausländerbehörde) in his area.
2. The sponsor must submit the following documents:
   • Proof of identity (passport or residence card).
   • Proof of income (bank statements or employment contract).
   • A copy of the student’s passport.
   • Acceptance letter from the German university.
3. After the application is approved, the Aliens Office will issue the original declaration of undertaking.

Important Notes:

• The original Declaration of Undertaking must be submitted with the student's student visa application.
• The declaration of pledge must be valid throughout the student's study in Germany.
• If the student does not leave Germany after completing his studies, the sponsor may bear financial responsibility for his illegal stay.

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Personal sponsorship in Germany for the purpose of tourism

A personal sponsorship in Germany for the purpose of tourism is known as a “declaration of undertaking” (Verpflichtungserklärung). It is an official document in which a person residing in Germany pledges to cover all expenses of a foreign visitor coming for tourism, including:

• Living expenses: food, drink, clothing, housing, etc.
• Medical costs: In case the visitor needs medical treatment during his stay.
• Return costs: Cover the costs of travel back to his country of origin.

Who can provide sponsorship for tourism purposes?

• The sponsor must be legally resident in Germany and have sufficient income to cover the above expenses.
• The sponsor can be relatives, friends, or even non-acquaintances, but he must be willing to bear financial responsibility for the visitor.

How to obtain a declaration of undertaking for the purpose of tourism?

1. The sponsor must apply for a declaration of undertaking from the Aliens Office (Ausländerbehörde) in his area.
2. The sponsor will need to provide the following documents:
   • Proof of identity (passport or residence card).
   • Proof of income (bank statements or employment contract).
   • A copy of the visitor's passport.
   • A letter of invitation from the sponsor to the visitor stating the purpose of the visit and the duration of stay.
3. After the application is approved, the Aliens Office will issue the original declaration of undertaking.

Important Notes:

• The original Declaration of Undertaking must be submitted with the visitor's tourist visa application.
• The declaration of undertaking must be valid for the duration of the visitor's stay in Germany.
• If the visitor does not leave Germany on time, the sponsor may bear financial responsibility for his illegal stay.

Read also: Germany Schengen visa and conditions for applying for it.

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Personal sponsorship in Germany for work

Personal sponsorship in Germany for the purpose of work is not usually required to obtain a work visa. Obtaining a work visa in Germany mainly requires:

• Employment contract: You must have an official employment contract from a German employer that states the nature of the work, duration and salary.
• Professional qualifications: Your professional qualifications must be recognised in Germany or you must have sufficient practical experience in your field of work.
• Proof of financial resources: You must prove that you have sufficient financial resources to cover your living expenses in Germany in order to start receiving your salary.

When might sponsorship in Germany for work be useful?

In some cases, the German embassy or consulate may request that you provide a personal sponsorship as additional proof that you have sufficient financial support in Germany. This may be the case if:

• You do not have an employment contract yet: If you are looking for work in Germany, the embassy may ask you to provide a personal guarantee as proof that you have the financial support necessary to live in Germany while looking for work.
• Your income is low: If your salary is low, the embassy may require a personal guarantee to ensure that you have enough money to cover your expenses.

How can I obtain sponsorship to work in Germany?

Anyone residing in Germany who has sufficient income can provide you with a personal sponsorship. The sponsor must submit a declaration of undertaking (Verpflichtungserklärung) to the Aliens Office (Ausländerbehörde) in his area.

Read also: Germany work visa and conditions for searching for work

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What are the reasons for rejecting personal sponsorship in Germany?

The reasons for refusal of personal sponsorship to travel to Germany are due to one or more of the following reasons:

• Incompatibility with the conditions imposed by the Aliens Office in Germany.
• The embassy feels that the visa applicant is not serious for the purpose of travel.
• The embassy feels that the visa applicant is not sufficiently connected to the sponsorship applicant.
• There may be suspicion that the visa applicant wants to apply for asylum in Germany later.
• Common reasons for refusal of sponsorship are lying in the visa interview.
• The reasons for rejection may relate to security matters related to the sponsor or sponsored person.
• There are other individual reasons explained by the embassy in the personal sponsorship rejection letter.

See German Foreign Ministry website.

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Counties that allow the sponsorship system in Germany 2024

There have been some initiatives and programs in certain states to facilitate family reunification and provide support to refugees and immigrants, but these programs are often limited, temporary, and subject to specific conditions.

You can submit sponsorship in Germany at each of the foreigners’ offices in the following provinces when the conditions we mentioned are met:

1. Baden-Württemberg
2. Bavaria (Bayern) – also called the “Free State of Bavaria”
3. Berlin - a city-state
4. Brandenburg
5. Bremen – a city-state also called the “Free Hanseatic City of Bremen”
6. Hamburg – a city-state also called the “Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg”
7. Hesse
8. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
9. Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)
10. North Rhine-Westphalia
11. Rheinland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)
12. Saarland
13. Saxony (Sachsen) – also called “Free State of Saxony”
14. Saxony-Anhalt
15. Schleswig-Holstein
16. Thüringen – also called the “Free State of Thuringia”