• The Federal Foreign Office offers a tool to determine whether a visa is necessary: Visa Navigator 

• EU/EEA citizens do not need a visa to enter Germany. Please bring your proof of health insurance or the European Health Insurance Card with you to prove that you are adequately insured for the duration of your stay. Please also note other important information in the sub-item "Health insurance".
   
• Non-EU/EEA citizens should ask the Federal Foreign Office of Germany whether they need a visa.
   
• Students from third countries with a residence permit for another EU country have to possibilities
  a) You can apply for a study visa for Germany before arrival.
  b) Alternatively, students can ask the International Office to submit their application für residence at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). To apply via BAMF, please contact the International Office at least 6-8 weeks before your arrival. Important information about the documents that need to be submitted is available on the BAMF website.
  
  Important: Your residence permit as student in another EU country must be valid for your BAMF application and throughout your mobility! It is the basis for permission from BAMF!

Please note:

• For your studies in Paderborn you need a visa for study purposes and not a tourist visa! It is not possible to later convert a tourist visa into a residence permit for study purposes

•  To apply for a visa to enter Germany, you need the letter of admission from Paderborn University, which will be sent to you automatically (Fr. Schrade - International Office) as soon as your application in Paderborn is successful.

•  You should apply for your visa as early as possible at the German embassy/consulate in your home country. Processing can take up to 8 weeks. Therefore, it makes sense to make an appointment at the German embassy/consulate before you receive the notification of admission and to submit the first documents. You can submit the admission letter later.
   
•  The visa is only valid for entry into Germany, not for the stay. After you have arrived in Germany, please contact the local immigration authorities to have your visa converted into a residence permit. After the visa is issued, you have 90 days to do so. Corona pandemic: Information on entering Germany is available on our website. Please contact Ms. Schrade if there are problems or delays with your visa.

Students at German universities are required to provide proof of sufficient health insurance coverage at the time of enrollment and to maintain this coverage during their studies.

All students must therefore contact a statutory German health insurance company. This decides whether you are sufficiently insured or whether you must take out insurance in Germany.

• Detailed information on health insurance for exchange students

• Note: The new electronic student registration procedure of the statutory health insurances

In addition, taking out liability insurance is also very useful.

For more information on health insurance and liability insurance in Germany, among other things, click here.

Within two weeks after moving into your room, you have to registers at the reseidents' office.

For registration, you need the following documents:

• Passport  / identity card
• Registration form - available here (see downloads)
• "Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung" (Landlord confirmation) -  This certificate from your landlord confirms that you have actually moved into the specified accomodation. Residents of a dormitory receive the document from the Studierendenwerk Paderborn (student services) after they have signed their rental agreement.
• Rental rontract

 Please note: You need the "Anmeldebescheinigung" (registration certificate) to apply for a residence permit and, for example, to open an account at a bank - so keep the document safe!

After successful registration, the broadcasting contribution service should now get in touch with you; otherwise you will have to take the initiative yourself. You can find more information about this here. This fee is not voluntary!

We recommend our exchange students to open a local bank account for payment transactions in Germany in order to be able to easily process the payments for rent, semester and health insurance contributions, etc.

Ask your buddy to help you set up a bank appointment and open an account.

You need the following documents to open an account:

•    Passport / Identity card
•    Registration confirmation from the city of Paderborn (residents' office)
•    Current certificate of enrolment

Paderborn University of does not charge tuition fees.

However, students are required to pay a certain amount per semester - Semesterbeitrag - which includes, among other things, the following:

• fee for the semesterticket - it entitles the holder to free use of public transport in North Rhine-Westphalia
• fee for the General Student Committee (AStA)
• fee for social services / Studierendenwerk Paderborn (STW)

After we have received your semester fee and your digital health insurance notification, we can order your semester ticket and your student ID. You can download the semester ticket here, your student ID will be sent through the post. 

Links:

• asta.uni-paderborn.de/en/university-politics/semester-fee/
• asta.uni-paderborn.de/en/service-en/semester-ticket/

Upon moving into the Studierendenwerk (STW) dormitory, you will receive the following documents together with your key:

• Rental contracts
• General rental conditions
• Internet declaration and terms of use
• SEPA* form (direct debit authorisation for the monthly rent by the dormitory/hall of residence)
• Info sheet STW Contacts
• Move-in protocol (this document records the condition of the flat when you move in and should be kept until you move out)

TO DO'S AFTER MOVING IN

The following steps are required to receive the internet login details and "Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung" (landlord confirmation for registration with the city council and health insurance company) to register with the council.

1. Signing and filling in the documents received

First of all, both rental contracts must be signed by you. Then please fill in the internet declaration and the SEPA* form.

2. Forwarding the documents to the STW

Please put the signed rental contracts and both filled in documents as soon as possible into the letterbox of the dormitory administration to start the processing by the STW. The dormitory administration is located opposite the University's X building on Mersinweg. The letterbox (see photo below) is emptied daily (Mon. - Fri.).

3. Checking your letterbox:

After a few days, you will receive the following documents in your letterbox from the caretaker:

• A countersigned rental contract
• Your log-in data for the Internet (customer and flat number)
• The landlord confirmatiom

Administration:

Name: Gülhan Özbük
Room: 0.02 in Mersinweg 2
Phone: +49 (0) 5251 89207-630
Email: housing-exchange(at)stwpb(dot)de

Office hours: Wed. 10:00 - 12:00 and Thu. 13:30 - 15:30

Caretaker:

Name: Frank Schrameyer
Room: Vogeliusweg 18
Phone: +49 (0) 5251 65021 Mobil: 0162 2354366
Email: vogeliusweg(at)stwpb(dot)de

Office hours: Mon - Fri 8:30 - 9:30 and 13:00 - 14:00