International Students

It is important for international students to apply for a visa or residence permit in good time. To find out whether you need a visa and/or residence permit, you can use the Visa Navigator.

If you need a visa to enter Germany, submit the application to the relevant German Mission as early as possible. The visa must allow you to study at the University of Bayreuth. Therefore, always apply for a study visa, not a Schengen visa! Processing times vary and often take several months. Please note that the university has no influence on the visa process.

If you do not need a visa to enter Germany but have to apply for a residence permit after entering the country, please make sure that you can provide all the necessary documents (see below) in good time before entering the country.

Approximately four weeks before your visa or your 90-day visa-free stay expires, you must apply for a residence permit at the immigration office at your place of residence (Bayreuth or Kulmbach). You can find basic information on the required documents here.

An important prerequisite for applying for a visa or residence permit is proof of financial means. Usually, this proof is provided by a blocked account. You can find more information on this topic here.

International students in Germany spend an average of €900-1000 per month on living costs. These costs can vary considerably depending on where you live and your lifestyle, and this overview is for illustrative purposes only.

• Accommodation (rent including utilities):
  • SWO student residences: €200 - €360/month (depending on residence and room type)
  • Private student residences: €350 - €550/month
  • 1-room flat: from €450/month
  • Room in a shared flat: from €320/month
• Semester fee: approx. €165/semester
• Health insurance: approx. €140/month
• Broadcasting fee (GEZ fee): approx. €19/month
• Internet access: approx. 20 €/month
• Food: from €250/month

This overview includes the expenses that are to be expected in any case - all other costs (e.g. for travelling, purchases and events) are very individual and therefore not listed.

Please note: International students from third countries must provide proof of funding of at least €992 per month (€11,904 per year) when applying for their visa and residence permit.

The University of Bayreuth does not manage any student dormitories.

Instead, the Studierendenwerk Oberfranken (SWO) operates several dormitories close to the campus and in the city. After receiving their university admission, students can apply for a dormitory room online.

There are also several other dormitories, you can find an overview as well as more tips on finding accommodation here. Private rooms in shared apartments, as well as small private apartments are regularly offered on the platform wg-gesucht.

Please note that the university is unfortunately unable to assist you in your personal search for accommodation. The search for accommodation is your responsibility.

In Germany, health insurance is compulsory for all students. You can find a basic overview of the health insurance system in Germany here. There are numerous statutory and private insurance providers and you should compare the offers in order to choose the right insurance for you. There are also combined packages especially for international students, usually consisting of travel health insurance, student health insurance and (optionally) a blocked account.

If you are already over 30 years old, you unfortunately no longer have access to statutory health insurance and will have to take out private health insurance instead.

For enrolment, the university requires an electronic notification of your insurance status from a German statutory health insurance provider. If you are insured with a statutory health insurance, this notification is usually sent automatically. If you are privately insured or have an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), please contact a German statutory health insurance provider - either by e-mail or after your arrival in Bayreuth. Present your insurance confirmation or EHIC and the letter of admission from the University of Bayreuth and ask for the notification of exemption from the statutory health insurance obligation to be sent to the university.

Although liability insurance is not compulsory, it is highly recommended. It protects you financially if you accidentally damage any property of others. Most people in Germany have such insurance as it is not expensive and protects you from having to pay for such damage yourself.Enrolment

For exchange students: Enrolment takes place via the MoveOn platform. As soon as you are able to enrol, you will receive an email with the enrolment form and the link to the platform. You will find a list of the required documents in your admission letter.

For regular students: You can find information on the required enrolment documents in your CAMPUSonline account under ‘Enrolment’. Please note that the documents must be submitted in paper form to the student administration office. You have the option of either sending the documents in advance by post or dropping them in the mailbox at the student administration office (next to the door to office 1.09 in the ZUV building) after your arrival.

The following applies to all students: Your student status will only become active once your enrolment has been completed, but no earlier than the first day of the semester for which you have enrolled. This means that you cannot register for courses, access the university's online services, obtain your student ID or use the student bus ticket beforehand. It is therefore recommended to enrol as soon as possible.

The orientation week takes place in the week before the start of lectures and offers new international students valuable preparation for their studies in Bayreuth.

What will you learn?

This week will cover intercultural topics, explain the university's infrastructure and procedures and provide you with important information about Germany. More specifically, you will learn what first steps you need to take after your arrival, how to choose your courses and create your timetable, use the university's online portals, register for exams, use the library, find a student job and best handle any difficulties and culture shocks.

The orientation week is an essential part of the first few weeks in Bayreuth and plays an important role in making your studies abroad successful and positive. Participation in this week is strongly recommended for all international students!

As soon as registration is possible, all admitted international students will receive an invitation by e-mail.

The Buddy Programme offers new international students the opportunity to get in touch with experienced students at the University of Bayreuth, ask questions and make friends. As part of the Buddy Programme, you will be assigned a student from the University of Bayreuth as a mentor. Your mentor can answer your questions about living and studying in Bayreuth and give you valuable tips to help you arrive and settle in Bayreuth.

New international students will be invited to the Buddy Programme by email. If you have any questions, please contact buddy@uni-bayreuth.de.

An important step after your arrival in Bayreuth is to register your place of residence at the residents' registration office. This should be done within 14 days of moving in. However, as the appointments are often fully booked well in advance, it is acceptable to register a little later as long as you use one of the earliest available dates after you move in. To register, you will need your ID card or passport and a landlord's confirmation of residence signed by your landlord. If you live in a student dormitory, the landlord's confirmation of residence is not required.

For Bayreuth: You must book an appointment at the Residents' Registration Office (Neues Rathaus, Luitpoldplatz 13, 95444 Bayreuth) in advance. Select the ‘Anmeldung’ option. After you have selected an appointment and entered your details, you will receive an e-mail with the office number and your appointment number. Please be on time for your appointment and wait until your number is called.

For Kulmbach: No appointment booking is required here. You can simply go to the Einwohnermeldeamt/Bürgerbüro Kulmbach (Rathaus Kulmbach, Marktplatz 1, 95326 Kulmbach) during opening hours.

The University of Bayreuth's course catalogue is available on cmlife. After your enrolment, you can access the courses of your degree programme directly via your account and register for courses.

If you are not yet enrolled, you can still access the course catalogue directly via the cmlife homepage and find out about the courses on offer. It is possible to filter by faculty, degree programme, language of instruction or course name.

Courses for the winter semester are usually available from the end of August/beginning of September, while courses for the summer semester are available from the end of January/beginning of February.

If you would like to continue your studies at the University of Bayreuth, make sure you re-register for the next semester in good time by transferring the fee for the next semester. As soon as your payment of the semester fee has been received, you can download the certificate of enrolment for the next semester in your cmlife account. To renew your student ID for the new semester, use one of the validation machines to update the expiry date on your student ID.

If your admission was subject to conditions (e.g. proof of A1 German level by the end of the 2nd semester), please remember that you must provide proof of fulfilment of these conditions before re-registration can be completed.

When you finish your studies at the University of Bayreuth, you should deregister. The certificate of deregistration is required, for example, to cancel some contracts or to enrol at another German university. In case you don’t actively deregister but don’t renew your enrolment for the next semester, you will be automatically deregistered at the end of the current semester.

You can download the certificate of deregistration from your cmlife account once you have deregistered. Deregistration has no immediate effect on the use of the university's online platforms. These can still be accessed six months after deregistration.

You should also take care of the following steps before leaving:

• Deregistration at the residents' registration office: If you are leaving Germany, you must deregister online (Bayreuth / Kulmbach) or in person at the residents' registration office - at the earliest one week before and at the latest two weeks after you move out. You will receive a deregistration form, which is required for the cancellation of some contracts.
• Arrange a move-out date with the landlord or caretaker: Make sure that the flat is completely cleaned and vacated on this date.
• Cancellation of the German health insurance
• Cancellation of the German bank account: Before cancelling the bank account, it is important to make arrangements with your landlord for the repayment of your deposit.

Cancellation of other contracts: These include, for example, the broadcast licence fee (GEZ), mobile phone and internet contracts.