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International Degree Students

Have you been granted admission to our university? Congratulations and welcome to Bayreuth! In order to ensure that you get the best possible start to your studies, we want to provide you with a full range of support! Here you will find all the most important information you'll need.


Visa Application and ImmigrationHide

A first important step for many international students coming from so-called third countries is the application for a student visa at the German diplomatic mission of the home country. If and how the application for such a visa should be done is explained on this website.

We highly recommend researching the regulations and requirements as well as the appointment schedule regarding the visa as early as possible. The international Office of the University of Bayreuth is not able to schedule appointments or inquiry about the status of the visa at the diplomatic missions.

Living Costs Hide

International students in Germany spend an average of €900 on living expenses per month. These costs can vary considerably, depending on your place of residence and lifestyle, and this overview is merely illustrative.

  • Accommodation (rent including utilities):
    • SWO student dorms: €200 - €350/month (depending on dorm and type of room)
    • Private student dorms: €350 - €550/month
    • 1-room apartment: starting at €450/month
    • Room in a shared apartment: starting at €320/month
  • Semester fee: ca. €145/semester
  • Health insurance (provided you do not already have a European Health Insurance Card): ca. €130/month
  • Broadcasting fee (GEZ-Gebühr): ca. €19/month
  • Internet access: ca. €20/month
  • Groceries: starting at €175/month

This overview takes all necessary expenses into account – all other costs (for example for travelling, shopping, eating out and events) obviously vary from student to student.

Application for Student Dorms and Tips on Looking for AccommodationHide

The Studentenwerk Oberfranken (SWO) manages several student dorms on and off campus.

All students admitted to the University of Bayreuth can apply for a room in the student dorms. In order to do so, this application form needs to be filled in. Following this application form, an automatic email with a link to confirm the application will be generated and sent to the email address you submitted. This link has to be confirmed – otherwise the SWO is not able to allocate a room!

Further useful information regarding the search for suitable accommodation can be found here and in the Guidlines for international Degree Students. In general, it is advisable to secure accommodation before travelling to Bayreuth as especially at the beginning of the semester it can be very difficult to find.

FundingHide

In particular, students from third countries who require a visa for study purposes should ensure that they have sufficient funding from the outset. It is often not enough to first apply for a scholarship or a part-time job in Germany.

One of the largest scholarship databases is provided by the DAAD. The International Office of the University also offers international students the opportunity to apply for a study grant. However, this is only possible for outstanding students in higher semesters and therefore no financing is available, which can be claimed at the beginning of the studies.

Of course, it is also possible to find a part-time job in Bayreuth, either at the University as a student assistant or in a company in the city. It should be noted, however, that a good knowledge of the German language is often necessary for this. Furthermore, international students who have a visa for study purposes must note that the maximum working hours are usually set there. The DAAD has compiled a clear overview of all important information on the topic of 'Part-time jobs in Germany'.

Travelling and Important Public HolidaysHide

Bayreuth and Kulmbach can be reached by train or bus from all major airports within Germany. This website gives an overview over all methods of transportation, times and prices from the different airports and train stations to the University of Bayreuth. Within Bayreuth, we recommend using the app of the local bus network (called VGN) as this generally shows the most reliable connections.

The Welcome Services as well as all other administrative bodies are only open during the weekdays (Monday to Friday). Supermarkets and other stores in Bavaria are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Basic Information on InsuranceHide

Health insurance is mandatory for enrolment at the University. International students must contact one of the statutory health insurance providers upon arrival in Bayreuth and sign up for an insurance policy. Students who have a European Health Insurance Card or an equivalent document must have their existing insurance confirmed by a German health insurance company. The DAAD provides detailed information here.

People staying in Germany for an extended period or renting a furnished apartment should think about getting private liability insurance – some landlords even require this prior to signing a rental contract. More information can be found here.

German Courses prior to the SemesterHide

In cooperation with the Institute for International Communication and Foreign Cultural Exchange (IIK), the International Office offers a fee-based German course with two levels prior to the semester start. The first course is suitable for students with little or no knowledge of German (A1) to familiarize themselves with the language for the first time and learn the most important phrases to make living in Bayreuth easier from the start. The second course is targeted towards students who already have a good command of the German language and want to refresh and deepen their knowledge (B1/B2).

These German courses are an additional offer for international students and cannot be used to earn certain German certificates, which qualify for starting to study in Germany.

One month prior to the beginning of the semester the Welcome Services will send out more information regarding the registration and schedule.

Orientation WeekHide

Orientation week prepares new international students for their studies at the University of Bayreuth, explains structures and processes at the university and life in Germany. Therefore, this is a central element of the first weeks in Bayreuth, and international students are required to take part! Participation is mandatory for all international students!

Detailed information regarding the date and form of the orientation week will be communicated to all admitted students by the Welcome Services via email.

Buddy ProgrammeHide

The Buddy Programme offers international students a great way to connect with students from the University of Bayreuth, ask questions and find new friends before even coming to the University of Bayreuth.

Interested UBT Students can get more information here.

New international students will be automatically invited via email. If you have not received an invitation via email or have further questions, please reach out to buddy@uni-bayreuth.de.

Enrolment and Student IDHide

Students who have applied via CampusOnline and received an application for enrolment must use this to enrol directly at the University's Student Administration Office. All other students who have not received such an application must register via Welcome Services. All documents required for enrolment can be found in the admissions form.

After enrolment, every student receives an e-mail from the Student Administration Office. This e-mail contains the personal user ID (also called bt-ID) and the password for your initial login to CampusOnline. After the first registration on CampusOnline, which must take place within one week, the password must be changed in order to use all other online systems.

The student card is ready a few days after enrolment and must be picked up at Welcome Services after receiving the e-mail with the access data. If you have not received an e-mail with user data within a week, you should visit the Welcome Services.

After the student ID card has been collected at the Welcome Services, it has to be validated at one of the machines on campus (they can be found in the central administration building and the main library). With the ID card, students not only get the cheapest rate in the canteen, check out books from the library and make copies/print documents, they can also take the bus and trains within Bayreuth and its surrounding areas at no extra charge.

Semester FeeHide

The University of Bayreuth does not charge tuition fees from there students. The only contribution that has to be made is the semester fee, which is composed of the contribution towards the student services and the semester ticket in order to use public transportation within Bayreuth. This fee has to be paid by every student!

The contribution has to be paid prior to the enrolment! The respective banking details will be send out after the admission letter. As it takes up to seven business days to process the payment, this should be done as early as possible to ensure a quick enrolment. The payment cannot be done in person at the university! Without the payment, the enrolment is not possible and the ID card cannot be handed out.

City Registration Office and Foreigners AuthorityHide

An important step after the arrival in Bayreuth is the registration with the city registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt). This registration has to be done within 14 days after moving into the apartment. For the registration, only the passport as well as a document signed by the landlord (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) is necessary. We recommend making an appointment or arriving at the office early in the morning to minimize the waiting time.

Students from third countries, which did not need a visa to enter Germany or got a visa for a limited time, have to make an appointment with the foreigners’ authority to get a permanent residence permit. In order to make an appointment, international students should send an email with the important information (name, country of origin, purpose of stay and if applicable a picture of the current visa) to the foreigners authority in Bayreuth. In general, they will send back a list of documents, which need to be brought to the appointment.

International Student OrganizationHide

ESN Bayreuth, a student organisation that attends to international students, offers – in cooperation with the International Office – not only the Buddy Programme but also many events and trips during the semester. An overview of upcoming events and more information can be found on their Facebook Page.

Each semester international students can use a Facebook group to connect and network even before the semester starts. This group not only provides information for various events but also provides the opportunity to talk to other students – international and German – and ask questions.

Module Handbooks and Information Pages for the Degree ProgrammesHide

We highly recommend that you regularly visit the website of the chosen degree programme before starting your studies, as it often provides important information for first-year students (e.g. preliminary courses or introductory events). Furthermore, the module handbook should be looked at more closely in order to get an overview of the various courses that should be attended, especially in the first semester. With the help of this overview and CampusOnline, a timetable can then be created before the start of the semester.

It is helpful to inform yourself about the course of studies at the beginning of your studies. In many degree programmes there are certain hurdles (number of credits, attendance of special courses) which must be overcome by a certain semester and compulsory internships which must be completed before the end of the course of studies. Since the course of study for the various degree programmes is very individual, if you have any questions, you should contact either the programme moderators (i.e. the professors who coordinate the relevant degree programme) or the EduCare advisors of the relevant faculties directly.

Introductory and Preparatory CoursesHide

At the beginning of the semester, each study programme organizes an introductory event for all new students. This provides an overview of the course of studies, gives important information and tips and thus also offers a platform to get to know fellow students and to establish first contacts. We strongly recommend that you attend this event!

An overview of important information for first-year students can be found here.

Some degree programmes offer preliminary courses on specific topics before the semester begins. These can be found either on the website of the relevant course or here.

Renewing EnrolmentHide

Renewing enrolment for the following semester is straightforward. Circa two months prior to the semester ending, the Student Administration Office (Studierendenkanzlei) sends out an email with the request to pay the semester fee for the upcoming semester. Information on this can also always be found in the personal CampusOnline/cmlife account. Around one week after the transfer of the money, the student ID needs to be validated at the machines (either in the central administration building or the main library).

Additional InformationHide

Detailed information and useful tips regarding the administrative and academic life and studies at the University of Bayreuth can be found in the Guidelines for International Students.

Explanations for all terms and expressions in the university environment are provided in our glossary Studying at the University of Bayreuth from A to Z.

The Studentenwerk Oberfranken (SWO) offers different services (i.e. legal advice or psychological counselling) free of charge for all students.

In addition to the International Student Organization (ESN), there are many other initiatives and organizations on campus.

The universities sports programme offers students, researchers and employees a large selection of sports courses.


Webmaster: Sabine Anders

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