Visa
Please inform yourself as early as possible at the German diplomatic mission in your country whether you need a visa to enter Germany for the purpose of studying or whether you have to apply for a residence permit after your entry here. Please also find out which documents exactly you need and prepare them carefully.
If you need a student visa, you need to apply for it in time at the German diplomatic representation in your home country. Under no circumstances is it possible to first enter Germany with a tourist visa and then transform it into a student visa on site.
If you need a visa to enter Germany, you will need, among other things, proof of funding. This must also be presented every year for the subsequent residence permit. The Finanzierungsnachweis is used to show that each international student can pay for his or her living expenses. Therefore, 934 euros must be proven for each month and 11,208 euros for a whole year. This money must be available to you and are usually blocked with Fintiba, Coracle or Expatrio and then transferred monthly to a German bank account.
For more information on blocked accounts, please contact the International Office.
Travel
Please read carefully our detailed Travel directions , which you will receive with your Admission letter and which can be found in the download area at the bottom of the page.
Enrolment
Upon arrival, each student must be enrolled at RWU. Enrollment is done during the Welcome and Orientation Program and the International Office will assist you in this process. You will be informed by e-mail before arrival which documents you need to bring with you and which things you need to have done.
Resident Registration Office
Foreign students must register at the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) of the city or municipality where they live within the first 14 days of their arrival in Germany. During the Welcome and Orientation Program we will do this together with you.
You will need to show your passport or ID and answer questions about your address, religion and marital status. If you are living in a dormitory, please be sure to provide your room number as well!
Since 01.11.2015, you must also show the so-called housing provider confirmation when registering. Your housing provider must fill out this form before you register at the Residents' Registration Office and hand it over to you.
Foreigners' Registration Office
Every foreigner has to register at the Foreigners' Registration Office in his or her place of residence within the first seven days after entering Germany. This is done automatically when you register at the Residents' Registration Office.
Nationals of all non-EU countries must apply for a residence permit as soon as they have all the necessary documents. The application documents must be submitted before the visa expires, i.e. at least 4 weeks before. You will receive the appropriate application form from the Foreigners' Registration Office, as well as a list of what documents you need and what fee you have to pay.
The residence permit is usually issued for one year, usually until the end of the semester after next. After that, the residence permit has to be renewed annually and thus every year you have to prove an amount of money to cover your living expenses. Please note that this sum must actually be available to you. If you entered Germany with a blocked account, you must block the minimum annual sum on your German account again for each renewal of your residence permit.
Please be sure to note: The residence title is issued for the purpose of studying in Germany and is also tied to the course of study at the university for which you have applied for your visa. Therefore, the residence title will be lost after dropping out of your studies and you will have to apply for a new residence title if you want to continue to stay in Germany.
You can change your course of study within the same university or to another German university within the first 18 months after starting your studies (semesters 1-3) without any restrictions. However, you must register early with the relevant foreigners authority. From the fourth semester onwards, a change of study program can only be permitted within the framework of an individual discretionary decision by the responsible Foreigners' Registration Office.
Insurance
According to German law, every student at a state college or university is required to have sufficient health insurance coverage. The presentation of a health insurance certificate is a prerequisite for enrollment. Your residence permit for Germany is also tied to a valid health insurance policy.
Please be sure to note that health insurance policies taken out in a non-EU country are not recognized at RWU. We strongly recommend that you take out a statutory German health insurance policy. The International Office can help you with this during the Welcome and Orientation Program and also before your arrival. You will receive further information with your admission letter.
If you are entering Germany with a visa, you will need travel health insurance for your arrival and the first time in Germany.
If you are coming from an EU country, please bring your EHIC (European Health Insurance Certificate) with you to Germany. You will receive this card from your national health insurance at home. If your home country has a social security agreement with Germany, please bring the appropriate form with you.