Information for Incoming International Students
VISA, FINANCES & HEALTH INSURANCE
VISA & RESIDENCE PERMIT
Citizens of the EU, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland
VISA
You do not need a visa to enter Germany. Therefore, you also don’t need to submit a visa copy for enrolment at the university.
RESIDENCE PERMIT
You do not need a residence permit to stay in Germany.
Citizens of Andorra, Australia, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, Monaco, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, San Marino, UK, USA
VISA
You do not need a visa to enter Germany. Therefore, you also don’t need to submit a visa copy for enrolment at the university.
RESIDENCE PERMIT
You must apply for a residence permit for studying at the local Foreigners Office within 90 days after arriving in the Schengen area.
Citizens of another country
VISA
You need a visa to enter Germany. Make sure to apply for a national visa for studying at the responsible German mission (not a Schengen visa!).
The visa is also necessary for enrolment at the university.
RESIDENCE PERMIT
You must apply for a residence permit for studying at the local Foreigners Office at least 4 weeks before your visa expires.
FINANCES
BLOCKED ACCOUNT
Setting up a blocked account is generally required for visa and residence permit applications as proof of financial resources (min. 11.208 Euro per year).
Blocked accounts are offered by several banks (e.g., Sparkasse Bayreuth), or you can get it in a combined package (e.g., Expatrio, Fintiba, Coracle).
BANKING
Set up a current bank account in Germany upon arrival. You can choose a local bank (e.g., Sparkasse Bayreuth) or an online bank (e.g., Revolut, N26). You will generally need a city registration confirmation (Meldebescheinigung) to open a bank account (see ‘Register Address’ below). Therefore, please make sure to bring enough cash to support you during your first weeks.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Health insurance is compulsory in Germany. Generally, there are two types of health insurances, statutory and private. Please find more information below:
Please note that besides long-term health insurance, you also need to take out travel health insurance that covers you until the long-term insurance is activated (generally with enrolment). You can get long-term and travel health insurance separately, or have a look at combined offers (e.g. All-OK, Coracle, Expatrio, Fintiba, ). TK offers regular webinars on health insurance in Germany. You can find more information here.
Statutory
Private
General Information
Statutory Health Insurance (GKV) is Germany's public health system. It covers necessary hospital care, doctor visits, and prescriptions. Premiums for students are around €120 monthly.
Pre-existing conditions are covered, and bills are directly settled by the insurance provider.
Private Health Insurance is an alternative for students who exceed statutory providers’ age limit or prefer customized coverage.
Premiums are based on age, health, and coverage level. Pre-existing conditions are often not covered.
Bills often need to be paid up front by the insured person and are later reimbursed by the insurance.
If you register with a private health insurance, switching back to statutory insurance is only possible once you start employment that is subject to social insurance contributions.
If you decide to take out private health insurance, make sure to read the fine print carefully, and choose one that offers terms comparable to statutory health insurance. You should calculate with at least 70€ per month.
FOR WHOM?
enrolled exchange, Bachelor and Master students between the age of 18 and 30
enrolled students above the age of 30 and PhD students
PROVIDERS
- full list here
Consultants on campus:
- TK: Ms. Kerstin Ritter, kerstin.ritter@tk.de
- AOK: Mr. Felix Ernst, felix.ernst@by.aok.de
e.g. Provisit, CareConcept, Mawista
- full list here
PROOF FOR ENROLMENT
Your statutory health insurance provider will notify the university electronically of your insurance status.
You need to be freed from compulsory statutory health insurance by a statutory health insurance provider. Contact any of them via email or in person, provide your private insurance conditions and your admission letter from the University of Bayreuth.
ACCOMMODATION
STUDENT DORMITORIES
As soon as you received your admission, you can apply for the student dormitories operated by SWO and other private providers. Please note there is no guarantee of receiving a dormitory room.
PRIVATE HOUSING
You can find shared and single apartments via wg-gesucht. When contacting potential landlords or roommates, make sure to introduce yourself, and provide some background on why you would like to stay at the place you’re applying for.
REGISTER ADDRESS
Register your address at the local Resident Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) within 14 days of moving in. You need to book an appointment for ‘Anmeldung’ beforehand. If there are no appointments available within the 14-day period, book one of the earliest available appointments. Bring your passport and the landlord’s confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung) – signed by your landlord – to the appointment. The landlord’s confirmation is not required if you live at a student dormitory operated by SWO.
LIVING IN BAYREUTH
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Use local buses and trains for free with your valid student ID.
As a UBT student, you get a discount on the Deutschlandticket which allows you to use all regional transport (no IC and ICE trains) within Germany.
CYCLING
Bayreuth is easily accessible by bike. You can find second-hand bikes on Kleinanzeigen.
ENROLMENT PROCESS
Full Degree Bachelor / Master Students
Please send the documents listed in your CAMPUSonline account to the university by post or drop them off in person after your arrival. Simple copies are sufficient.
Double Degree Students
Please send the documents listed in your admission letter to the university by post or drop them off in person after your arrival. Simple copies are sufficient.
Exchange Students
You will receive an email as soon as enrolment is possible. You can enrol fully online via the MoveOn platform.
DEADLINE FOR WINTER SEMESTER 2024/25
We recommend that you enrol by the start of the semester on 1. October 2024 to enable us to send you all the information you will need for a successful start to your studies (e.g. preliminary courses, information events) and to provide you with access to our campus management system in good time. Please note that arrival after the start of lectures (14.10.2024) is considered late arrival and may result in various disadvantages, such as a limited selection of courses and seminars and possible delays in the organization of your studies.
The last deadline to complete your enrolment for the winter semester 2024/25 is 11.11.2024. Thank you for your understanding that your enrolment must be completed by this date and that we cannot accept any enrolment documents after 11.11.2024.
STUDENT ACCOUNT
Once you have enrolled successfully, you will receive an e-mail containing all the information to activate your student account. With this account, you can access the university’s online platforms (cmlife and eLearning) as well as your university email account.
ENROLMENT CERTIFICATE
You can download a certificate of enrolment in your cmlife account as soon as your student account has been activated.
STUDENT ID
Once your enrolment is complete, you will receive information on where to collect your student ID. The card is also your bus ticket, library card and Mensa card.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS
ERASMUS DOCUMENTS
The Welcome Services or the Mobility-Team can sign the Confirmation of Arrival as well as the Confirmation of Stay. Signatures on the Learning Agreement can only be provided by your academic coordinator.
Questions concerning the required documents should be discussed directly with the home university.
TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDS
To make sure your transcript is complete at the end of your stay, you will need to hand in our “Determination of ECTS“ form, which you will receive via e-mail before the end of the semester. Complete the form for all of your courses (except those taught by the Language Centre/Sprachenzentrum), ask each of your lecturers to sign the form (electronic signatures accepted) and submit via incoming-exchange@uni-bayreuth.de
STUDYING IN BAYREUTH
IMPORTANT SEMESTER DATES
- Start of Semester: 01.10.2024
- Orientation Week: 07.-11.10.2024
- Introductory events for first semester students: 14. & 15.10.2024
- First day of lectures: 14.10.2024
- Winter break: 23.12.2024 - 06.01.2025
- Continuing enrolment for summer semester 2025: 13.01.2025 -19.02.2025
- Last day of lectures: 07.02.2025
- End of Semester: 31.03.2025
ORIENTATION WEEK
Attend the international student orientation week (7-11 October) for crucial information about campus life, academics, and resources.
You will receive an email as soon as registration is open.
SOCIAL WELCOME EVENTS
Participate in various cultural events and social activities organized by ESN Bayreuth. This is also a great way to meet fellow students.
BUDDY PROGRAM
Pair up with a local student buddy to help you settle in, navigate campus life, and integrate into the community.
You will receive an email as soon as registration is open.
INTERNET ON CAMPUS
Set up eduroam to access the university WiFi.
COURSE REGISTRATION
Register for your courses through cmlife (only possible once you have access through your university account). Consult your module handbook, student council or academic advisors for guidance.
RE-ENROLMENT
If you are studying at the University of Bayreuth for more than one semester, remember to re-enrol each semester. You will receive a reminder email from the student administration office as soon as re-enrolment opens for the next semester.
STUDENT SUPPORT AND CAMPUS LIFE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where do I find my admission letter?
For full degree students: You can download your admission letter from CampusOnline. After logging into your account, go to ‘admission’ and click on ‘notification’.
For exchange students: You receive your admission letter via email from studierendenkanzlei@uni-bayreuth.de.
Is it possible to arrive late or defer my admission to the next semester?
Yes – under certain circumstances.
You may enrol for the winter semester 2024/25 until the extended deadline of 11 November 2024, but please be aware that lectures start on 14 October 2024. If you choose to enrol late, please contact your degree programme coordinator ahead of your arrival to find out if and how you can still join classes for the winter semester after your arrival.
Alternatively, to defer your admission, please re-apply for the same study programme for the next possible semester in CampusOnline. For your new application, you only have to upload your previous admission letter. You can skip all other asked-for documents in CampusOnline if they have not changed. You will then receive your new admission letter as soon as possible. Please note that, should there be changes in the admission requirements, a renewed admission might in some cases not be possible or only under different conditions.
Can you help me to get an appointment at the embassy/inquire about the current status of my visa application?
No. Unfortunately, the International Office of the University of Bayreuth has no influence on the visa processing at the German Missions and is therefore not able to schedule appointments or expedite the process.
For my visa application I need a contact person from the university. Who is that person?
Please enter your study programme coordinator’s name and contact information in the reference person section of the VIDEX form. You can find the necessary information on the study programme website (Study programme finder > select your programme > scroll down).
Can I pay the semester fee in cash?
Unfortunately, payment in cash is not possible. The semester contribution needs to be transferred to this bank account. Please make sure to also enter the correct reference so your payment is automatically assigned to your student account.
Can I register for the courses if I am not enrolled yet?
No, you can only register for courses after you are enrolled. You can, however, already have a look at the courses offered.
Which courses can I take as an exchange student?
Generally, you can choose your courses freely, and are not limited to the study programme stated on your admission letter. However, some courses may be restricted to higher semester students, or students of a specific programme. You can find such information in the course description on cmlife.
Do I need to take out German health insurance if I already have an EHIC card?
No. However, for enrolment the university requires an electronic notification of your insurance status. You can request this notification from any statutory German health insurance provider, e.g. TK via ehic@tk.de. Make sure to attach a scan of your EHIC card and your admission letter from the university of Bayreuth to your email.
Should you stay in Germany for a longer time (more than 1-2 semesters) you may want to take out German health insurance anyways to improve your insurance coverage.
How do I register my residence in Bayreuth or Kulmbach?
For Bayreuth:
- Make an appointment online (book 1 item of ‘Anmeldung’) as soon as possible since time slots at the beginning of the semester are scarce – but make sure the appointment is after you move into your accommodation
- Go to the registration office (Neues Rathaus, Luitpoldplatz 13, 95444 Bayreuth) on time for your appointment – bring your passport and the landlord’s confirmation with your landlord’s signature (this document is not required if you live in a SWO dormitory)
Please read the email you receive after booking your appointment carefully – you may want to use DeepL to translate. If you can’t make it to your booked appointment, don’t forget to cancel it via the link in your confirmation email, so somebody else can take the spot.
For Kulmbach:
- Go to the Einwohnermeldeamt/ Bürgerbüro Kulmbach (Rathaus Kulmbach) during their opening hours – bring your passport and the landlord’s confirmation with your landlord’s signature
Address: Marktplatz 1, 95326 Kulmbach
Website: https://www.kulmbach.de/xist4c/web/322-Buergerbuero_id_3522_.htmOpening hours:
Monday - Wednesday: 8.00 - 16.30
Thursday: 8.00 - 18.00
Friday: 8.00 - 12.00
The city registration office is additionally open every 1st Saturday of the month from 9.00 to 12.00.
It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
STAY INFORMED
Regularly check your university email for important updates.
LEARN GERMAN
While many courses are in English, learning German will enhance your experience. You can take classes for free at the university’s language centre.
Welcome Services
welcomeservices@uni-bayreuth.de
Come see us in the office!
Office hours:
Monday - Friday 09:30-12:00
Monday - Thursday: 14:00-15:30
Zentrale Universitätsverwaltung 0.11.1