• 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.

Corona Pandemic: Information on entering Germany is available on our Website. Please contact Ms Schrade in case of 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

After you have paid the semester fee and provided proof of your health insurance, we can order your semester ticket and your student ID.

You can download the semester ticket here:

https://asta.uni-paderborn.de/en/service-en/semester-ticket/

Your student ID will be sent through the post. 

You will receive your rental contract as well as some other documents (General rental conditions, SEPA form*, Internet declaration and terms of use for Internet access) together with the key when you move in.

1. Please sign the tenancy agreements and fill out the Internet declaration and the SEPA form* for the monthly direct debit from the Studierendenwerk.

2. Please drop the documents in the STW letterbox at Mersinweg 2 as soon as possible to ensure that you receive your internet access details and landlord certificate as soon as possible. The letterbox is emptied daily (Mon - Fri).

3. After a processing time of a few days, you will receive the following documents via your letterbox:

• a countersigned rental contract
• the login data for the Internet (your customer number and flat number)
• the landlord's certificate for the registrations at the residents' registration office.

Therefore, please do not forget to check your letterbox regularly to see if the documents have arrived yet.