Doctoral programme guide Research Visits in Heidelberg
Doctoral candidates can come to Heidelberg University to carry out a short-term research project as part of their doctoral studies at their home university.
The first step towards carrying out a research stay is to find a professor at Heidelberg University who agrees to supervise your research visit and who will issue you a letter of invitation or acceptance. There is more information about finding a research supervisor at the university here: Step 1: Finding a supervisor.
If you are enrolled as a doctoral candidate at your home university, there are two forms of registration at Heidelberg University that will give you different degrees of access to university facilities while in Heidelberg – you can register either as a
- visiting doctoral candidate or as a
- visiting researcher.
Registration as a visiting doctoral candidate involves completing the entire enrollment process at the university as well as payment of the semester fee (currently 161.10 Euro per semester or 322.20 Euro per year). This form of registration does provide full student privileges and access to all university services (more detailed information below); however, due to the amount of bureaucracy involved and the fee, it is seldom worthwhile to enroll as a visiting doctoral candidate for a visit of less than 3 or 4 months or if only limited access to university services is required.
Registration as a visiting researcher is carried out through the Welcome Center of the university. This procedure is free of charge and relatively simple and is well-suited to short research visits or visits during which university services will only be used in a limited way.
Please read through the detailed information below about both forms of registration to determine which form suits your needs for your research visit. Please feel free to contact us at the Graduate Academy (graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de ) if, after reading the information, you have any questions or need clarification on any of the points covered below.
Research stay as a visiting doctoral candidate
Coming to Heidelberg as a visiting doctoral candidate involves enrolling as a student at the university and gives you full student status including the multifunctional student ID card, access to all university facilities (library, cafeterias, computer center, sports center etc.) and access to the services provided by the student services organization (Studierendenwerk) such as
- reduced student prices at the cafeterias
- the possibility to apply for a room in a student dormitory
- access to the Studierendenwerk housing service
If you choose to enroll at the university, you will be required to pay an administration and student services fee every semester in which you are enrolled. The current semester fee is 161.10 Euro per semester (as of the summer semester 2025).
Please read through the information below about admission and enrollment at Heidelberg University well in advance of coming to Heidelberg so that you can prepare all of the necessary documents. Please note that it is not possible to enroll at the university without all of the documents listed below.
The application portal for applications for the summer semester is open from December 1 to March 31. It is not possible to submit an application for the summer semester after March 31. The summer semester runs from April 1 through September 30.
The application portal for applications for the winter semester is open from June 1 to September 30. It is not possible to submit an application for the winter semester after September 30. The winter semester runs from October 1 through March 31.
Application for Admission as a “visiting doctoral candidate” (“Forschungsstudent”)
Fees and re-registration
Visiting doctoral candidates are not required to pay tuition fees at Heidelberg University. However, if you enroll at the University, you will have to pay a semester fee that covers administrative costs, costs for student services and student representatives. The total fee is currently 161.10 Euro per semester (as of summer semester 2025).
In order to remain enrolled at the University, you must re-register each semester by paying the fee described above. The time periods for re-registration are as follows:
- June 15 to July 15 for the winter semester,
- January 15 to February 15 for the summer semester
Please be aware that you must pay the full semester fee for every semester for which you are enrolled regardless of when during the semester you arrive or leave. Therefore, if possible, it is a good idea to plan the timing of your stay to coincide with the university semesters. The university semesters are as follows:
Winter semester: October 1 to March 31
Summer semester: April 1 to September 30
Research stay as a visiting researcher
Coming to Heidelberg as a visiting researcher involves registering with the Welcome Center and gives you limited access to University facilities. If you have a scholarship or are funding your research stay privately, you will receive a visiting researcher card after registration, which confirms your association with the university and enables you to apply for additional cards to use the university library, the university cafeterias and the university sports center. Please note that you will not obtain access to the services provided by the student services organization which means you will not be eligible
- to live in a student dormitory
- to use the housing service provided by the student services organization
- to receive reduced student prices in the university cafeterias
In general this means that you will receive less support and will need to be more independent in organizing your research stay and finding housing. Depending on where you live and how much you wish to cook for yourself, you may also need to budget for higher expenses for food and other living costs.
You can register as a visiting researcher at Heidelberg University online on the website of the Welcome Center.