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.
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:
- As a visiting doctoral candidate: it involves completing the entire enrollment process at the university as well as payment of the semester fee. This form of registration does provide full student privileges and access to all university services; 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.
- As a visiting researcher: it 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 here.
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. Please read through the information 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 in both pages.
- 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.
Admission and Enrollment as a “visiting doctoral candidate” (“Forschungsstudent”)
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Application for admission as a visiting doctoral candidate
Complete your online admission request in heiCO by submitting degree certificates, transcript translations, and a formal supervisor confirmation outlining your research period. Follow our detailed checklist to avoid processing delays.
Enrollment as a visiting doctoral candidate
Complete your registration via heiCO by uploading the signed form, certified academic transcripts, and proof of health insurance coverage. Pay the semester fee and collect your student ID to activate full university access.
Fees and re-registration
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Semester fees
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. Please be aware that regardless of when you enroll during the semester, you will be required to pay the full semester fee for that semester. This is true even if you enroll late in the semester. Partial payments of the semester fee are not possible.
Re-registration
In order to remain enrolled at the University, you must re-register each semester by paying the semester fee. The time periods for re-registration are as follows:
- June 15 to July 15 for the winter semester (October 1 to March 31),
- January 15 to February 15 for the summer semester (April 1 to September 30).
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.
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
- will not be eligible to use the housing service provided by the student services organization
- can eat at the cafeterias at employee rates.
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.