Information and Services for the DSH Course Students

Welcome to our website which gives you information about the DSH courses of the International Office of the University of Paderborn.

You want to study in Paderborn and would like to acquire the German language skills required for your studies? With the University of Paderborn you have made the right decision! Our DSH courses are offered in quarters and allow a flexible start.

It makes no difference whether you are already learning in advanced level or still a beginner, our competent language instructors from the Centre for Language Studies (ZfS) will guide you step by step from level A2 to the DSH exam.

Please note: As of October 2021, A1 courses will no longer be offered. To participate in our courses, applicants must have at least A1 level.

For more information about the organization of the lessons, exams and vacations, please visit the website of the Centre for Language Studies (ZfS).

Formalitäten

From the winter semester 2021/22 onwards, the semester ticket will only be available in digital form for the first time.

If you have any technical questions or problems, please contact the IMT. If you have any general questions about the Semesterticket, please do not hesitate to contact us.

For German course participants: You can change the address on PAUL yourself. You can download the instructions here.

For applicants: It is very important that you always inform International Office about your current address by sending us an e-mail after moving to a new place. Just in this case you can receive important documents (e.g. tickets and student ID) by mail to your new address.


Tip: If you already know that you will be moving and you already know your new address, you can request a redirection order online at the website of post office. In this way your mail will reach you even though you have not informed everyone about the change of address. A redirection order is only a short-term solution and is also limited to a period of time, so you still need to inform us about your new address.

Registering at the Residents‘ Registration Office: In Germany, all persons moving into a flat/house have to register at the city of their residence. Within two weeks of entering Germany or moving within Germany, you must register at the local Residents‘ Registration Office (Einwohneramt). You can find more information under the following link

For the enrollment you must transfer the semester fees. Please get informed in time about the amount of the semester fees and transfer the money within the deadlines. You can find further information about the semester fee and the deadlines [here]. The amount of the semester fees is:

  • Winter semester 2023/24: 347,82 Euro (Course start: October)
  • Summer semester 2024: 352,75 Euro (Course start: April)

The bank details for the semester fees are as follows:

Account Holder: University of Paderborn
Financial Institution: Sparkasse Paderborn-Detmold
IBAN: DE74 4765 0130 1010 0376 93
BIC: WELADE3LXXX

Intended Purpose: Please enter your matriculation number first and then your first and last name

 

Please note: As a DSH course student you must re-enroll before the beginning of the next semester. You can re-enroll by transferring the full amount of the semester fees for the coming semester. If you do not re-enroll in time, the de-registration procedure will be initiated.

In addition to the semester fees, as a German course participant* you also have to transfer the course fees for each quarter. The fee for the course is 500 Euro per quarter. Please inform yourself in time about the payment deadlines. If you have any questions regarding the course fees, please contact Ms. Veronika Simon.

You can find more information [here] under Course Fees

The transfer information for the course fees:

Recipient: University of Paderborn

Credit institution: Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen

IBAN: DE22 3005 0000 0001 4632 15

BIC: WELADEDD

Purpose: DSH, (your own) matriculation number, last name, first name

*For refugees: Qualified refugees who have a good chance of staying in Germany and who live in Paderborn or the surrounding area have the opportunity to apply for funding from the "NRWege ins Studium" programme on a quarterly basis. The application alone does not guarantee funding. The course fee will only be covered if you are accepted. Please include a copy of your current residence permit with your application. If you have any questions, please contact us at the following e-mail address.

Do you need a certificate of participation for the Foreigners' Registration Office? The certificates of participation for all levels will be distributed by the teacher in class at the earliest one week and at the latest two weeks after the start of the course.


The vacation certificate for the elementary level, intermediate level I and intermediate level II will be distributed by the teacher at the end of the course on the day of the last written examination. For organisational reasons, an early issue is not possible. Further information about the certificates of attendance and the vacation certificates can be found on the website of the Centre for Language Studies (ZfS). If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Veronika Simon.

Services

As a German course participant you need a residence permit for your stay in Germany. For this purpose you have to apply for a residence permit at the Immigration Authorities of the city of Paderborn. You must submit the following documents with every application for granting or extension:

 

  •     Completely filled out application form
  •     Certificate of the purpose of the stay (e.g. German course certificate or certificate of participation or matriculation)
  •     Proof of financing (payment of a security deposit into a blocked account in Germany; proof of the parents' income and financial circumstances)
  •     Proof of health insurance
  •     Passport (valid at least for the duration of the residence permit which you have applied for)
  •     A biometric passport photo

What are the fees?

The fees for a residence permit are

- First issuance up to one year: 100,00 EUR
- First grant of more than one year: 100,00 EUR

- Extension up to three months: 96,00 EUR
- Extension of more than three months: 93,00 EUR

Fee for the change of the residence permit due to a change of the purpose of stay including its extension: 40,00 EUR

For more information and contact persons at the immigration office click [here].

In Germany, you can either live in a student residence near the campus or you can choose accommodation on the general housing market (e.g. apartment, apartment). To save money, so-called Wohngemeinschaften (WGs) are often set up. These are very popular with students because they can live cheaply and at the same time enjoy the advantages of a large apartment as well as making direct social contacts.


Student Dormitory

The Studierendenwerk Paderborn offers a variety of different housing options. In order to apply for a room at the student residence, you must first fill out the online form. Since the waiting time could be even more than nine months, you should apply as soon as possible. This is also possible if you have not yet received confirmation of your place in the language course or your letter of admission.

    Online application form
    Accommodation options

Private Accommodation

The best time to find an apartment is in March and September. At this time most rooms and apartments become available because many students finish their studies and move out. You can find private providers both online and "offline".

Online:

You can also find the most important portals of housing exchanges on the site of immobilienportale.de. The site wg-gesucht.de is also popular.

"Offline": On Wednesdays and Saturdays the local newspaper Westfalen-Blatt publishes many real estate ads for Paderborn.

Cost of Living and quality of life in Paderborn according to Numbeo

Important to Know:

If you rent a room or apartment, the landlord will usually require a deposit. The deposit is usually a maximum of 3 months rent (cold). The deposit will be returned to you after you move out, if you leave the room/apartment in a good condition and have paid all monthly rents. Any defect in the room/apartment/flat should be noted on the rental contract.

Registration at the Residents' Registration Office

When you have signed the contract, you will receive a proof of residence certificate from your landlord. This is important so that you can register your new address in the city. For the registration at the residents' registration office you need:

    Completed and signed registration form
    Copy of passport (page with personal data and page with visa)
    Completed proof of residence certificate

The AStA of the University of Paderborn is the official voice of the students at the University of Paderborn and offers the following advisory services in addition to many other services for students:

 

Course Organization

All DSH course participants who are new and have enrolled at the University of Paderborn for the first time will receive a letter by postal serive to the correspondence address containing a TAN. This TAN is needed for creating a university account. For more information and instructions please click [here].

The learning materials for the courses are uploaded by your german course teacher in PANDA.


PANDA (Paderborn Assistance System for News, Documents and Exchange) is the central learning platform of the University of Paderborn. You can find PANDA at panda.uni-paderborn.de. The access data is identical to the login data of your university account. You can log in with your university user name and password.

To organize your studies with PANDA click on [Videotutorials]

General Consulting International Office

Hotline International Office

Consultation by e-mail and telephone for international applicants

E-Mail: io-dsh(at)zv(dot)uni-paderborn(dot)de

Hotline: +49 5251 60-1818

DSH-Coordination International Office

Helen Hölting - Office I4. 107 | Phone: 60 - 56 76

Office hours: (Currently appointments will be given via e-mail)

Denis Kalushi - Office I4. 122  | Phone: 60 - 24 52

Office hours: Wed and Thu 1:00-14:30 p.m. (Currently appointments will be given via e-mail)

Admission, counselling and support for participants in the preparatory German course (DSH course)

Coordination of Refugees

Volker Verhoff - Office I4. 107  | Phone: 60 - 2381

Office hours: Wed 2:00 - 3.30 pm and Thu 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (Currently appointments will be given via e-mail)

 

Advising and support for prospective students and students with a refugee background on DSH courses, funding programs NRWege ins Studium (MKW NRW) and Welcome (BMBF)

Transition to the Main Program

Simone Rudolph Brandão - Office I4.110

Phone: 60 - 33 71

Admission, counselling and support for Bachelor and Master studies in German

Contact at the ZfS

For questions on the following topics, please contact the colleagues at the Centre for Language Studies (ZfS)

  • Course structure
  • Subject-specific advice and support on the course content, the C-Test and the DSH Examination
  • Course fees
  • Attendance and vacation certificates
  • Exam result certificates