Requirements and Form for Non-German Applicants: KfW Student Loan Guide
Currently, there are three ways in which students who are not German citizens can apply for the KfW Study Loan:
1. EU citizenship
KfW supports EU citizens who have been permanently residing and registered in Germany for at least 3 years.
2. Family member is German / EU citizen
Furthermore, an applicant can also be supported if a close family member is a German or other EU citizen and both are residing and registered in Germany.
The following are considered close family members for KfW:
Spouse or registered civil partner
Parents, if you are no more than 20 years old or if you still have a maintenance claim against your parents.
3. Education resident
The third option is to be an education resident with a German registered address. This means that someone has obtained their university entrance qualification in Germany or at a German school abroad ("Abitur" / "Fachabitur").
Important:
If you have passed an assessment examination at a preparatory college (Studienkolleg) or an aptitude test, and as a result, are allowed to study in Germany, you are not considered an education resident.
By the way, this is what the form looks like 👇🏼
Where do I get my form from?
We will provide you with the form during your application process. Alternatively, you can also find it through this link.
How to fill out the form?
Please only check one of the four options available (only the one that applies to your situation). Depending on which option you have chosen, confirmation from your university or the immigration office is required.
Section 1 - Proof for Education Residents
In this section, there are two ways to provide the required proof:
You can provide certified copy of the school report/university entrance qualification during the application process.
Your university can fill out the second option for you to confirm you are an education resident.
Section 2 - Proof for EU Citizens / Family Members of EU Citizens
Here, too, there are two options to prove eligibility:
You can provide registration certificates demonstrating continuous residence in Germany for 3 years during the application process.
The immigration office can fill out the second option to confirm that
you are an EU citizen living in Germany for at least 3 years
your spouse or registered civil partner is a German or EU citizen and resides in Germany for at least years
your parents are German or EU citizen and reside in Germany for at least years
Regardless of which option applies to your situation, only one option may be selected. So, if you check the first option in Section 1, indicating that you possess a certified copy of your school report/university entrance qualification, your university should not fill out the second option.