Star­ting your studies in Germany

Congratulations on your decision to study in Germany! The first step you need to take is to check whether your education qualifications are accepted in Germany.

Once you have clarified that your qualifications are recognised here, you need to choose a degree programme. The Higher Education Compass provides details of over 21,000 study programmes in Germany together with admission requirements, application deadlines and contact details. 

If you are a non-EU citizen, you will most likely require a visa to travel to and study in Germany. The German Federal Foreign Office provides up-to-date information on visa requirements and exemptions. 

Please note that you need to have health insurance to cover the time from your arrival in Germany to enrolment as a student if this period cannot be covered by the public health insurance funds. This is known as incoming travel insurance. 

If you require a visa to enter Germany, you must provide confirmation of this insurance on your visa application. 

When applying for a student visa, you also need to prove that your financing is secure. This can be done by setting up a blocked account in Germany. 

For more details on this and studying in Germany in general, go to the website of the Federal Foreign Office. 

Even if you don’t need a visa to enter the country, you must ensure that you have adequate travel health insurance cover. We recommend that you get in contact with your current healthcare provider for confirmation of this. 

Health care in Germany is mandatory.  

If you come from the EU or another country with which Germany has a social security agreement , you are covered by the insurance in your own country.  

If you are student from a country without a social security agreement with Germany, then you will need to take out health insurance cover. TK offers an award-winning service. It was rated the best health insurance fund for students by the Focus Money business magazine (issue 16/2003). What's more, over 50% of international students opt for cover with TK.

When you become a member of TK, you will automatically be registered in the German social security system and you will be sent your social security certificate with your social security number by post. This is known as the Sozialversicherungsnummer or Rentenversicherungsnummer in German. Please note that these are both terms for the same thing. And yes, many German citizens find this confusing too! This process can take up to 4-6 weeks.  

As a foreign student, you need this social security number if you wish to work in Germany. Your employer requires this number even if you are working student or are in marginal employment (known as a mini-job with a maximum income of 538 EUR per month). 

Ideally, you should arrange accommodation before travelling to Germany. A good starting point is to contact your university’s international office. They will be able to provide you with valuable information on accommodation.  

As a student, you can choose from several options: You may decide to live on campus in a halls of residence. Alternatively, you could opt for a private apartment or a shared apartment - this is known in German as a "Wohngemeinschaft" or WG for short. 

Important: You must register your address at the local registration authority within two weeks of arriving in Germany. Further details on registration can be found here. When you register your address, the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern [Federal Central Tax Office] will be notified automatically. This office will then issue you a Steuer-ID [Tax ID].  

You need a Tax ID to open a bank account in Germany.

We highly recommend that you open a bank account with a German bank when you move here. This will not only make paying your health insurance contributions but your day-to-day life in Germany much easier.  

Remember to have your Tax ID and confirmation of address registration with you when you go to the bank. 

When you enrol at university, you must submit proof of German statutory health insurance. We will handle this for you and send a confirmation electronically to your university. If you download the TK-App , you can also get a certificate of insurance as confirmation. 

Are you a third country national, i.e. not a national of one of the Member States of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, then you will also have to apply for a student residence permit within 3 months of entering Germany. A student residence permit allows you to live in Germany whilst studying at a German university. The permit is issued by the Ausländerbehörde [Foreigner’s Authority].

Students from some non-EU countries are exempted from the requirement to get a residence permit. Make sure to check with your embassy which rules apply for you.

The permit is usually granted for the whole period of study. If you unable to complete your studies within the validity of the permit, you can apply for an extension. Make sure to submit your extension request to the Foreigner’s Authority before your current permit expires.