Can I start attending classes in Germany on a Schengen visa while waiting for my student visa to be issued?

You cannot begin your actual degree classes on a short stay Schengen visa while your student visa application is still pending. University enrollment and long term study require a National Type D visa, and entering Germany as a tourist with study intentions can be treated as an immigration violation.

Schengen Visa Versus Student Visa

What You Can Do Instead

• Citizens of a small list of countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, and South Korea, can apply for the residence permit from inside Germany.
• Everyone else must wait in their home country until the visa is stamped.
• Ask your university about attending initial lectures online during the delay.
• Request a formal deferral to the next intake if the wait is long.

My Advice

Email your university's international office the moment you sense a delay, and ask specifically for a written deferral option or hybrid attendance for the first weeks. Most offices see this often and will work with you if you raise it early rather than after classes begin.