After admission information for exchange students
AFTER ADMISSION
Admitted for an exchange semester: What's next?
This information is for exchange students with an admission letter issued by the International Office. If you have an invitation letter from a faculty supervisor but no admission letter, please contact us by email: exchange.incoming@uni-due.de
Important Information
Important Dates
Semester dates for the summer term 2025
Summer semester 2025: 01.04.2025 - 30.09.2025
Orientation: coming soon!
Lecture period: 07.04.2025 - 18.07.2025
Whitsun holidays: 10.06.2025
Exams: please ask your Faculty Contact
Winter semester 2025/2026: 01.10.2025 - 31.03.2026
Orientation: coming soon!
Lecture period: 06.10.2025 - 31.01.2026
Winter Holidays: 20.12.2025 - 04.01.2025
Exams: please ask your Faculty Contact
Other things to consider when making your travel plans
- The format of your classes and exams (ask your UDE Faculty Contact for further details)
- If applicable: Will your Erasmus scholarship be affected by when you arrive in Germany (ask the responsible person from your home university)
- When can you move into your accommodation (see further details below if you decide to apply for student residences)
- When will your exams take place (ask your UDE Faculty Contact for further details)
- Will have time to travel after your last exam
Next steps: December/January
- You should begin your visa application (if applicable, details below)
- You should apply for an EHIC/AT11 (if applicable, details below)
- You should apply to the Studierendenwerk for accommodation (if applicable, details below). Please note that due to the limited number of dormitory places, you should apply as soon as possible.
Next steps: February
- You should send a copy of your health insurance documents to a German health insurance provider and request a confirmation "M10" for enrolment or apply for a German health insurance policy (see details under section 4 below)
- The digital notification from the health insurance company should be received by the university until 14.02.2025 so that your enrolment can be completed
- A student tutor from the International Student Activity and Assistance Club (ISAAC) will contact you and introduce themselves mid-February
Next steps: March
- A volounteer student Buddy will contact you and introduce themselves mid-September
- After enrolment, from Mid-September: If you are taking an IwiS language course, you need to take the online placement test and register for classes at the correct level (You can find the registration deadlines here, enrolment required)
Next steps: April
- Take part in the Orientation activities (check the ISAAC social media and the Orientation Moodle for further details)
- If you are living in student residences, contact the Studierendenwerk or your Hausmeister for further information about when you can move in
- Classes start on Monday April 7th
Visa
EU Students
If you are an EU citizen or a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, you will not need a visa to enter Germany.
Non-EU Students
You can use your admission letter to apply for a visa for study purposes from the German Embassy in your country.
Important: please do not enter Germany on a tourist visa. This type of visa expires after three months and cannot be extended or changed to a student visa.
Visa Regulations
Non-EU Students with an EU residence permit
If you are a non-EU national but you have a residence permit for the purpose of studying issued from an EU country, it is possible that you might not need to apply for a visa. Please email us a copy of both sides of your residence permit as soon as possible so that we can advise you.
Accommodation
Admission to higher education in Germany does not automatically come with an offer of a place in a student residence as is common in other countries. This means that you are responsible for organising your own accommodation.
There are different ways of finding a room or an apartment:
Student residences
There are student residences in Essen and Duisburg but they are not run by the University. If you want to live in the student residences, you need to apply by yourself to a student services organisation called “Studierendenwerk”. You can find further information and an explanation of the application procedure from the Studierendenwerk
Please note:
- Places in student residences are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Apply as early as possible and after you have received your letter of admission!
- there is no guarantee of accommodation in student residences so look also for alternatives
- exchange students will be assigned a room in shared flats
- rental agreements are only available for the entire semester
- rental agreements start on the first day of the month but you usually can't actually move in until the third working day of the month
- it will not be possible to cancel or change your contract after you have signed it
The Studierendenwerk also has a very useful FAQ section.
Private housing market
You can of course search on the private housing market for a furnished apartment/room or a place in shared accommodation (Wohngemeinschaft or “WG”).
Useful links for your housing search:
http://www.immobilienscout24.de/de/finden/wohnen/index.jsp
http://www.studenten-wohnung.de/
Important terms when you are looking for an apartment or room:
http://www.uni-due.de/scies/accommodation.shtml#glossary
http://www.uni-due.de/imperia/md/content/diversity/illu_wohnheimwoerterbuch.pdf
Health Insurance
It is compulsory for all students to have health insurance. It is not possible to enrol as a student without proof of valid health insurance.
The International Office cannot check your health insurance documents, we only accept a confirmation issued by a German health insurance provider "Krankenkasse". You should check your options below then contact any "Krankenkasse" and ask for a confirmation for enrolment at the University of Duisburg-Essen. You may be asked for our code: H0000277.
A summary of health insurance and contact details for some statutory health insurance companies can be found here, but this shouldn’t be considered as a recommendation and you are free to choose any other Krankenkasse.
The cost of statutory health insurance in Germany currently ranges between 125 and 150 euros per month.
You should arrange your health insurance confirmation "M10" by 14.02.2025 in order to complete enrolment before the start of the winter semester.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
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Students coming from EU countries should be able to arrange an EHIC. It should be valid for the duration of your stay at the UDE and you will need to send a copy to a German health insurance provider (Krankenkasse) in order to get a confirmation for enrolment. The Krankenkasse will send the confirmation directly to the UDE, this service is free of charge.
AT11
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Some students coming from Turkey might be able to arrange an AT11 form. It should be valid for the duration of your stay at the UDE and you will need to send a copy to a German health insurance provider (Krankenkasse) in order to get a confirmation "M10" for enrolment. The Krankenkasse will send the confirmation directly to the UDE, this service is free of charge.
Private Insurance
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If you do not have an EHIC or an AT11, you might choose a private health insurance option. Please note that the service offered by the different private health insurers may vary and you will usually need to pay for all medical treatment yourself and then apply for reimbursement. If you choose this option, you should check with a Krankenkasse what requirements the insurance needs to meet. You also still need to send a copy of your insurance documents to a German Krankenkasse in order to get a confirmation "M10" for enrolment. The Krankenkasse will send the confirmation directly to the UDE, this service is free of charge.
Statutory Health Insurance
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You might wish to arrange health insurance from a statutory health insurance provider in Germany. The monthy fee for students under 30 years old is approximately €110 and please note that you will usually have to pay for the entire semester.
You can contact any "Krankenkasse" and ask for their advice. If you take out your health insurance this way, the Krankenkasse will send a confirmation "M10" directly to the UDE.
Enrolment
You must have your health insurance confirmation by 14.02.2025 so that we can process your enrolment before the end of March. We strongly advise that you complete enrolment before the end of September because you will need your university login to access the online orientation information and to apply for language classes.
We will normally process the enrolment and send you all of the enrolment documents by email within 14 days of receiving the confirmation of your health insurance.
Semester Contribution
All students (including Erasmus students) are required to pay the semester contribution. It is not a tuition fee and must be paid by every student each semester. Once you have enrolled, we will send you the information required for you to make a bank transfer. The semester contribution for the summer term 2025 will be approximately €312,40
Further information about the Semester Contribution
Semester Ticket
After enrolment, and once the semester fee has been received by the university (please allow 3 working days) you can access the Semester Ticket ("Deutschlandticket") by downloading the Campus-App myUDE (https://www.uni-due.de/myude/). It is usually available one week before semester begin but is not valid for use before 01.04.2025
Further information about the „Semester Ticket“
Student Identity Card
All students are issued a student identity card after enrolment. The student ID card doubles as your library card and Mensa card with payment chip. You can use the ID card at the self-service stations (to print student certificates, make changes to your address, print bank transfer slips).
The card is the property of the University of Duisburg-Essen. As a student ID card it is personal to you and cannot be used by anybody else. It becomes void when you are de-registered from the University and must be returned to the International Office.
Further information about the „Student Identity Card“
Username (“Uni-Kennung”)
All students newly enrolled at the University of Duisburg-Essen are issued a personal username and password. The username "Uni-Kennung" allows you to use the University’s IT services, for example for access to the internet (WiFi, PC workstations, LSF electronic lecture schedule, language course registration, exam registration). Please contact the E-Point if you have any questions about your user identification and the IT services, or if you have forgotten your password.
Further information about the „User ID (“Uni-Kennung”)“
Student Certificate
After enrolment, and once the semester fee has been received by the university, you can use your “Unikennung” user ID to print copies of a valid student certificate in the HISinOne platform.
You might need a student certificate to present to authorities, for example health insurance providers, banks or the Studentenwerk.
Log on to „HISinOne“ to print your student certificate by following the steps described here.
Orientation Moodle
You can access the online Orientation Moodle after you have completed enrolment and activated your UniKennung. This online learning platform will provide lots of useful information about student life as well as links to the online welcome week. If you haven't completed enrolment yet but you have a Buddy, you can ask them to check the Moodle for you.
Support
Administration
The International Office can help with administrative questions or point you in the right direction if you are not sure who to ask!
Send us an email.
Academic Issues
Your UDE Factuly Coordinator should be your first contact for questions all academic issues including learning agreements, course selection and requirements.
Accommodation
If you apply for accommodation in the student residences, you should contact the Studierendenwerk directly for questions.
Ask a student
The International Student Activity and Assistance Club (ISAAC) is run by UDE students to help international students make the most of their time at the UDE. In mid-February a tutor will send you an email to introduce themselves. Exchange students are usually paired with a UDE Buddy student, a volunteer who will contact you mid-March and help you especially in your first weeks at the UDE.