Further Information
Legal Requirements (Immigration / Visa)
In order to study in Germany international students need a residence permit.
You have to apply for a student residence permit with the German diplomatic representation in your country of origin before you come to Germany.
When applying for a visa, you will have to present your notice of admission or an official document stating that you have applied for admission at Heidelberg University, as well as proof of sufficient funds to pay for your studies and for your living expenses in Germany. If you have further questions regarding your visa application, please contact the German diplomatic representation (embassy, consulate) in your country of origin.
EU and EFTA nationals and citizens of Australia, Israel, Honduras, Japan, Kanada, Monaco, New Zealand, Switzerland, San Marino, and the USA are allowed to enter Germany without a Visa. However students from these countries (except for those from EU countries) must apply for a residence permit with the local Foreigners Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) upon arrival at Heidelberg.
Commencing your studies without a student residence permit is not allowed. A tourist visa will not suffice!
Visa
Applicants who have submitted their application documents to the Akademisches Auslandsamt at Heidelberg University may request to be issued a confirmation of application, stating that their application has been received. This document can only be issued
1. if all of the required application documents have been submitted in due time and form and
2. if the programme applied for is offered at Heidelberg University.
To request a confirmation of application, please fill in the appropriate form which you have received together with the application forms. The document you will be issued is an official confirmation that your application documents have been received by the University in due form; you can use this document when applying for a visa with the German diplomatic representation. It is prohibited to enter Germany on a tourist visa when intending to study there. If you need further information, please contact the respective German diplomatic or consular representation.
Assessment Test at the Studienkolleg
International applicants who are required to take the “Prüfung zur Feststellung der Eignung für die Aufnahme eines Studiums” (assessment test) may take part in the preparatory course at the Heidelberg University Studienkolleg to prepare for this examination. You can only participate in the preparatory course if you have been granted a study place at a university in Baden-Württemberg in the programme you have applied for, and if you possess a very good knowledge of the German language.
You should be able to produce written evidence that you have taken at least 800 hours of German lessons up to the time of application. Exemption from the entrance examination / German examination cannot be granted, because the result of this examination is used as the basis for your placement in one of the preparatory courses.
The duration of preparatory courses at the Studienkolleg is two semesters. In exceptional cases applicants can be admitted to the assessment test without taking the preparatory course provided that they have demonstrated a very good knowledge of the German language. Applicants can only be admitted to the so-called “Externe Feststellungsprüfung” (external assessment test) if the have been granted a study place at a university in Baden-Württemberg. Applicants intending to take the assessment test as “external candidates” must submit a self-written statement explaining why they wish to do so, in addition to the other application documents. The application for admission to the programme and to the external assessment test must be submitted at least one month before the official application deadline.
Financing Your Studies
Heidelberg University does not offer any scholarships or grants to help finance study visits. Information on scholarships, in particular German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarships, is available with the German diplomatic and consular representations and German cultural institutes all over the world. It is expected that international students have sufficient funding at their disposal when they come to Heidelberg University. Therefore, Heidelberg University requires you to present a document explaining how you are going to finance your study visit (not applicable for EU / EEA nationals). Students cannot expect to be able to finance their studies by working or by working part-time.
If you have any questions concerning labour laws, please contact the student counselling office at the Akademisches Auslandsamt (studium@uni-heidelberg.de).
Students already or previously matriculated at a German university should enquire at the Akademisches Auslandsamt about the regulations regarding fees established in the Landeshochschulgebührengesetz Baden-Württemberg (LHGebG) before changing universities or matriculating at Heidelberg University respectively.
For further information, please visit the respective web pages of the student services organisation (Studentenwerk). If you would like to have a consultation on scholarships and financial support, please contact Mrs. Anna Kloppenburg.