Route: study in Berlin

§ 16b permit, money, work limits, admission with a US high-school diploma, Studienkolleg.

Permit (§ 16b AufenthG)

• Full-time study at a state or state-recognised university. You can enter visa-free and apply in Berlin within 90 days (Entry), or apply for a visa.
• Work: up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year (§ 16b (3)). Student jobs at the university have separate rules. Check the rule for student assistants.
• Money: a blocked account of €992 a month (€11,904 a year) is the usual proof. The amount is revised with BAföG rates; check the Federal Foreign Office page before you pay in. The €1,091 figure applies to the language course (§ 16f), study-place search (§ 17) and the Opportunity Card under § 2 (3) and § 20a (4); it is a different rule.
• Health insurance is mandatory: Health.
• Source: § 16b, DAAD.

Admission with a US high-school diploma

• According to uni-assist, direct access exists only through AP exams with certain results; otherwise through a Studienkolleg. One to two years at a US college may also count; SAT/ACT as a route is unconfirmed. The Studienkolleg is a preparatory course ending with the Feststellungsprüfung, then subject-specific admission.
• Studienkolleg in Berlin: TU Berlin and others. Entry conditions and fees were not verified here.
• Bachelor graduates apply directly for a master's; check the programme's requirements (credit points, GPA).
• Language: German-taught programmes need DSH/TestDaF (C1-level, check per programme). English-taught programmes: whether native speakers need a certificate depends on the university.
• Applications: many Berlin universities use uni-assist; some apply directly. Deadlines: per university, not listed here.

Fees

Public universities in Berlin charge no tuition for international students, only a semester fee. Private universities charge tuition; check recognition and whether the programme is on campus, because the residence authority may question distance learning.