Short-term school and college visits to Germany to become visa-free, says MEA
India and Germany have reached an agreement to provide gratis visas for short-term school and college visits, aiming to strengthen student exchange programmes between the two countries. The announcement came during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Germany on Wednesday, reported gujaratsamachar.com.
‘Skilled labour strategy provides framework for mutual benefit.’
A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the broader context of cooperation. “The skilled labour strategy released by the German government offers a very good framework for mutual benefit. We have also agreed on gratis visas for short-term school and college visits to further promote student exchanges,” it said.
Germany currently hosts nearly 60,000 Indian students, making them the largest group of international students in the country. The MEA noted that many students choose to stay post-graduation, contributing to Germany’s high demand for skilled labour. “With our strategy on highly skilled labour from India, we already support the area of getting these talents to come to Germany. It’s already now a genuine success story,” the statement added.
Indian skilled workers are considered a key asset for Germany’s labour market. The Visa Center in Bangalore issued 36,000 long-term visas last year, and the number continues to rise. In 2024, nearly one-third of all student visas globally were issued in India.
