International affairs

Information for international students

Basic information about studying in Germany can be found at the Deutsches Studentenwerk, the Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienst and especially for Hamburg at the Studierendenwerk Hamburg.

Hamburg's universities, the Studierendenwerk Hamburg, student representatives, municipal offices and local counseling centers offer prospective and current students a variety of attractive services and a wide range of counseling. To help you quickly find the right office for your needs, the Counselling Centre Social & International Affairs - BeSI will be happy to tell you who you can contact.

You can find providers of German language courses before your studies, for example, at language schools that prepare students for the TestDaF exam.

Within one week, the registration of residence in Hamburg must be made either at the Hamburg Welcome Center or at the Residents' Registration Office  in the district.

International students from the European Union and countries with which social security agreements exist can remain insured in their home country if the requirements are met and use the European Health Insurance Card issued there in Germany. If there is no insurance in the country of origin, the statutory health insurances in Germany will clarify your situation and possibilities of an insurance in Germany, more about this at the Deutsches Studentenwerk and at the European Commission.

International students up to their 30th birthday who do not have a European Health Insurance Card can either take out compulsory student health insurance or private health insurance when they start their studies. This decision needs to be considered carefully, because once you have been exempted from compulsory insurance in conjunction with the decision to take out private health insurance, it is generally no longer possible to return to compulsory health insurance for the entire duration of your studies. You can get advice on this at the Counselling Centre for Social & International Affairs - BeSI.

Our information sheet "Health Insurance" provides you with an initial overview. For foreign participants of study-preparatory language courses, study colleges and students who have already reached the age of 30 at the start of their studies in Germany, it is generally no longer possible to take out statutory health insurance in Germany. In this case, only private health insurance can be taken out, for which different providers are available, each with different rates. We recommend comparing the premiums and benefits.You can get advice on this at the Counselling Centre for Social & International Affairs - BeSI.

International students who have paid pension insurance contributions while working during their studies can - provided they no longer live in Germany and a waiting period has been met - have their pension insurance contributions refunded. You can find out more about this on the Website Deutsche Rentenversicherung.

International students who are not citizens of the European Union must apply for the electronic residence permit (eAT) at the Aliens' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde). The eAT replaces the previous adhesive labels in travel documents. Students whose temporary residence title in the form of the adhesive label expires and needs to be extended should order the extension application from the Foreigners' Registration Office well in advance, as longer processing times must be expected when issuing the eAT. You can find more information under Residence and Work Permits (Aufenthalts- und Arbeitserlaubnis).

The information brochure of the Ministry of the Interior and Sports (Informationsbroschüre der Behörde für Inneres und Sport) provides an overview of the applicable legal regulations on residence, jobs, and internships for prospective students, students, and graduates from EU and non-EU countries. Advice is also available at the Counselling Centre for Social & International Affairs - BeSI.

Those who do not have German citizenship can receive BAföG under certain conditions, see info sheet. Please ask the staff of the BAföG office for advice. Students from the European Union who are entitled to freedom of movement can, for example, apply for housing allowance as a rent subsidy (Wohngeld als Mietzuschuss) if other general requirements for receiving housing allowance are met. International students from non-EU countries and a residence for the purpose of studying in accordance with § 16b of the Residence Act (AufenthG) are generally not entitled to housing allowance and other social benefits. You can get advice on this at the Counselling Centre for Social & International Affairs - BeSI

The Counselling Centre Social & International Affairs- BeSI offers students at Hamburg's universities counselling and orientation assistance in difficult life situations (e.g. crisis and conflict situations during studies, financing of living expenses, pregnancy, single parenthood, chronic illnesses, disabilities, conflicts with family, partner, etc.) and provides information about specific services offered by the universities, municipal institutions and counseling centers in Hamburg.