International Students

Do you come from a country in the EU, the EEA or from Switzerland?

Applicants from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not require a visa to enter Germany. Applicants require only a valid ID card and confirmation that they are registered as resident in Germany.

Not from the EU or EEA?

International students from certain countries do not require a visa to enter Germany. Visit the website of the German Federal Foreign Office to find out whether you need a visa.

• German Federal Foreign Office

You are required to register your address with the Berlin registry office as soon as you have found accommodation. Students who are planning to stay in Germany for longer than three months must apply for a residence permit.

• Registering your address
• Studying in Germany: residence permit
• Berlin Immigration Office: residence permits

Do you need a visa?

Nationals from many countries require a visa to enter Germany. If you are affected by this requirement, you should act early to apply for a visa.

Please note: This process can take a number of months. Please consult the German embassy in your home country for further information. The German Federal Foreign Office provides a list of German diplomatic missions throughout the world.

• Studying in Germany: the visa
• German Federal Foreign Office

Are you planning to study in Berlin for longer than 90 days? If so, you need to apply to the Berlin Immigration Office for a residence permit within three months of your arrival.

• Studying in Germany: residence permit
• Berlin Immigration Office: residence permits

How can I apply for a visa?

You can apply for an entry visa at the German diplomatic mission in your home country.

You will normally be required to present the following documents:

1. Proof of admission to a German university
2. Proof of health insurance
3. Proof of any credits earned in previous degree programmes
4. Proof of German language skills or any plans to participate in a German course
5. Proof of how you intend to support yourself financially during your studies

Please note: This process can take a number of months. Please consult the German embassy in your home country for further information. The German Federal Foreign Office provides a list of German diplomatic missions throughout the world.

• Studying in Germany: the visa
• German Federal Foreign Office

A student visa

The visa which you require depends on whether you already been admitted to a degree programme in Germany. As soon as you have your official admission, you should apply to the immigration authorities for a visa for study purposes.

Please note: Do not under any circumstances enter Germany as a tourist. A tourist visa cannot subsequently be converted into a visa for study purposes.

A visa for study purposes is usually issued for three months; you must apply for a residence permitwithin these three months. 

How can I apply for a residence permit?

After checking your documents, the Berlin Immigration Office will convert your visa into a residence permit for study purposes. This residence permit is valid for two years.

Applicants for a residence permit for study purposes must usually provide the following documentation:

1. A completed application form
2. Your passport and a biometric photograph
3. Confirmation of registration
4. Proof that you hold health insurance
5. Proof of financial support
6. Confirmation of enrolment from your university

Please address any questions to the Berlin Immigration Office.

• Residence permit for study purposes
• Studying in Germany: residence permit

My residence permit will expire soon. What should I do?

We recommend that you apply to the Berlin Immigration Office to extend your residence permit three or four weeks before your current residence permit expires.

• Berlin Immigration Office

Did you enter Germany as a refugee?

A number of other rules apply to refugees. Please find out more from the Berlin Immigration Office:

• Studying
• The asylum application procedure

Why do I need proof of financial support?

Before you can commence your studies at the HWR Berlin, you must prove that you are able to support yourself financially for an academic year. This means submitting “proof of funds”, which is usually required when you apply for a visa in your home country. You will definitely need proof that you have financial support when you apply for a residence permit in Germany at the latest.

How much money do I need?

As of September 2024, international student applicants are required to demonstrate that they have 11,904 euros per year.

How can I prove this?

There are a number of methods of demonstrating that you are financially secure.

1. You can ask your parents for proof of their income and financial status.
2. A person resident in Germany can guarantee to cover the costs of your studies.
3. You can pay the sum of 11,904 euros into a blocked account.
4. You can submit a bank guarantee.
5. You submit proof that you are in receipt of a scholarship from a recognized provider.

We recommend that you inquire at the German embassy in your home country to find out what form this proof should take.

Further information is available here:

• Studying in Germany: proof of financial support
• Blocked account requirement check
• Proof of Financial Support: Guide to Sperrkonto

Why am I required to register my address?

Every resident in Germany is required by law to register their address in an official register.

Where should I register?

You can register at any one of roughly 40 citizens’ centres in Berlin (Bürgeramt) within 14 days after arrival in Berlin. You will need to register your new address every time you change accommodation. You will be issued with confirmation of registration, upon having registered your address. You will require this confirmation in order to do a number of things such as opening a bank account or signing a mobile telephone contract.

What do I need in order to be able to register?

You will need to submit a completed registration form, your passport or ID card, confirmation of residence from your landlord and other documents as required.

Find out more here:

• What to do: registering your address
• The requirement to register your address: what does this mean?
• Citizens’ centres in Berlin

Plan enough time for your studies

Many students of the HWR Berlin work part-time to fund their studies; typical student jobs include working as a shop assistant, restaurant staff or student employee. It is not always easy to find a job in Berlin, especially if your German is not so good. You should expect to do 40 hours of work per week for your degree programme.

Do you come from a non-EU state?

If you come from a country outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), you are subject to certain restrictions on the number of hours that you can work whilst registered as a student. You are permitted to work:

• up to 120 days per year, 8 hours per day or
• up to 240 days per year, 4 hours per day

without a work permit. You can work more than 20 hours a week in the non-teaching period. This does not affect the 120-day rule, which continues to apply. You will need permission from the Employment Office (Agentur für Arbeit) and immigration authorities to work more hours. 

Do you come from an EU Member State?

Students from outside the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway, Island and Switzerland are permitted to find part-time employment or to work in a self-employed capacity in Germany. They are restricted to 80 hours a month.

When am I permitted to work?

1. Internships: Compulsory internships which make up part of your degree programme are permitted. Other internships may only be undertaken as part of the 120 working days on which you are permitted to work; alternatively you can apply to the immigration authorities for an exception.
2. Part-time student jobs: Part-time student jobs are not subject to any form of time restriction, and are not counted as part of your contingent of 120 working days per year. This kind of employment includes working as a student employee of a university or other academic institutions or for the General Students’ Committee.
3. Self-employment: If you are an international student from a non-EU state, you are not permitted to work on a self-employed basis.
4. Preparatory courses: If you are required to prepare for your studies by participating in language or other courses, you are not permitted to engage in part-time paid employment during that time.

Find out more here:

• Berlin Immigration Office
• Deutsches Studentenwerk

Sources of funding and scholarships

Do you know how you are going to fund your studies? Under certain circumstances, international students are permitted to apply to a range of scholarship programmes. The most important source of scholarships for international students is the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD):

• DAAD: find a scholarship

These websites provide information about other scholarships and sources of funding:

• International students: financing your studies
  Video: "Tips for International Students - How do I finance my studies in Germany?"
• My Stipendium

Sources of funding from the HWR Berlin

The HWR Berlin makes funding available in connection with certain degree programmes and works together with partners from industry or associations to provide scholarships.  

• Financing your studies
• Scholarships and awards

The Studierendenwerk Berlin is happy to provide advice

The Studierendenwerk Berlin provides comprehensive advice about the subject of financing your studies:

• Social counselling centre from the Studierendenwerk

What is the semester fee?

Students are required to pay a semester fee of c. 300 euros per semester, which covers an administration fee and the costs of a semester ticket. You must pay your semester fee on time before the start of the semester. Information about the exact cost of the semester fee is provided upon admission to or re-enrolment in a degree programme. Universities in Berlin do not charge tuition fees for Bachelor’s degree programmes.

• Semester fee
• Semester ticket

How much money do I need per month to live?

That depends on your lifestyle. Berlin is not all that expensive in comparison with other major German cities. Statistically German students spend an average sum of 870 Euros per month.

Monthly costs which you can expect:

• Rent: 300 to 600 Euros
• Food: 120 to 250 Euros
• Telephone: 10 to 40 Euros
• Statutory health insurance: 105 Euros
• Personal liability insurance: 5 Euros
• Study materials: 0 to 50 Euros
• Transport: The cost of your semester ticket covers a ticket for travelling on public transport.
• Sport: 10 to 30 Euros
• Clothes, going out, hobbies: 100 Euros
• Lunch in the university dining hall: 3 to 7 Euros
• A coffee: 1.50 to 4.00 Euros

Find out more here:

• Deutsches Studentenwerk

Why do I need health insurance?

1. In Germany, it is a legal requirement that international students hold valid health insurance.
2. This is a precondition for enrolment and you will not be able to start your studies if you do not hold health insurance.
3. You will be required to submit the relevant confirmation from your health insurance provider upon enrolment.
4. Holders of statutory health insurance can obtain the necessary confirmation from their health insurance provider. Please request a certification for enrolment at a university (Bescheinigung für die Einschreibung an einer Hochschule).
5. Confirmation from a private health insurance provider is not sufficient; you will be required to submit certification that you are not required to hold statutory health insurance (Befreiung von der Versicherungspflicht). This certification can be obtained from all providers of statutory health insurance, e.g. AOK or Techniker Krankenkasse.

Is your health insurance accepted in Germany?

Please check whether your current health insurance is recognized in Germany. The statutory health insurance policies of the following countries are accepted in Germany:

• The Member States of the European Union
• Bosnia Herzegovina
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Morocco
• Macedonia
• Montenegro
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Serbia
• Tunisia
• Turkey

Agreements concluded between Germany and the countries on this list mean that their statutory health insurance schemes are recognized and accepted in Germany Private domestic or international health insurance policies from other countries may also be valid in Germany. Please contact your insurance provider to clarify this point. If your current health insurance is not valid in Germany, you must take out health insurance from a German health insurance provider. 

Do you come from an EU Member State?

Students from an EU Member State can usually retain their existing health insurance. Holders of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are insured in Germany. Should you wish to work part-time in addition to your studies, you may be required to take out health insurance from a German provider.

Do you come from a non-EU state?

Students from a non-EU country are required to take out health insurance from a German health insurance provider.

Should I take out statutory health insurance or private health insurance?

In Germany, students can choose between statutory and private health insurance

• If you are aged under 30, we advise taking out statutory health insurance. Coverage costs a little over 100 Euros a month, a figure which includes nursing care insurance. If you need to consult a doctor or a dentist or to go to hospital, you only need to show your insurance card to obtain treatment. Your insurance policy will cover almost all the costs.
   
• If you are aged 30 years or older, you are required to take out private health insurance. Please consult the immigration authorities as to whether it will accept your private health insurance; not all providers comply with official requirements.
   
• Please note: If you purchase private health insurance, you are no longer permitted to change to a provider of statutory health insurance.
   
• Important: If you decide to take out private health insurance, you will be required to pay for all the costs of treatment in advance; your insurance provider will then reimburse you when you submit the bills. This can cause difficulties in the case of expensive treatment. We advise you to check with your health insurance provider about what costs are covered.

By when do I need to hold health insurance?

Students must hold health insurance by the start of the semester, i.e. usually from 1 March (summer semester) or 1 October (winter semester). Please note: if you do not hold health insurance, your university is required to disenrol you.

Find out more here:

• DAAD: health insurance
• Studying in Germany: health insurance

Start house-hunting early

The HWR Berlin does not provide any student accommodation on its campus as is perhaps familiar from your home country. We recommend that you start looking for a place to live as early as possible, so that you do not experience any last-minute difficulties. Students usually live either in a hall of residence, a shared flat or a flat. The Studierendenwerk Berlin provides information about accommodation:

• Studierendenwerk Berlin: accommodation

Halls of residence provided by Studierendenwerk Berlin

Student halls of residence are spread across the whole city, and travelling up to 60 minutes to and from university is normal in Berlin. Applications for a place in a student hall of residence must be made to Studierendenwerk Berlin. As the number of places is restricted, we recommend that you also look for private accommodation at the same time.

• Studierendenwerk Berlin: halls of residence

A room in a shared flat

A shared flat is a popular alternative to a hall of residence. These websites list rooms for rent in shared flats:

• wg-gesucht.de
• wg-suche.de
• housinganywhere.com
• immobilienscout24.de

Private accommodation

Private accommodation in Berlin is usually more expensive than a place in a hall of residence. The majority of flats are unfurnished and you are usually required to bring your own furniture.

• Landlords also usually require a deposit of three months net rent (not including utilities).
• You will recover this deposit upon moving out, as long as you have maintained the flat in an acceptable condition.

You can find advertisements for flats and shared flats in a range of listings, including the Berlin daily newspapers and magazines, the university noticeboards and online:

Special offers for Students:

• berlinovo.de
• studentenwohnen-osw.de
• Howoge

Guide on flat hunting in Berlin

Please use the extensive guide below that has been created about flat hunting in Berlin.

• Accomodation in Berlin