Onboarding - Welcome to Erfurt!

Finally arrived?

You will need to complete a few formalities after your arrival. The International Office and your buddies will help you find your way around! On this page you will find:

Information on enrollment
Information on the Thoska (student ID card)
ToDos at the University of Erfurt
ToDos in the city of Erfurt

You will find the onboarding programme in your welcome envelope.

Buddy programme

Studierende vor der ehemaligen Brandtschool

The International Office organizes a buddy program for newly arriving international students. The buddy program is designed to help you settle in during the initial adjustment period. Your buddy will contact you before you travel to Erfurt and will assist you with, for example:

Arrival
Orientation on campus
Orientation in the city
Dealing with administrative procedures

Registration for the buddy programme

To-Dos at the University of Erfurt

Enrollment

You must first apply for enrollment online via the HisInOne portal. You will only be enrolled once all the enrollment steps have been completed.

The portal will guide you through the enrollment process step by step and you must generally upload the following documents to the portal:

documents (Transcript of Records, language certificates)
a photo for your student ID card (Thoska)
proof of payment of the semester contribution

HisInOne portal

Enrollment steps

Payment of semester contribution

In order to enrol and receive your student ID card (thoska), you must pay the semester contribution.

The semester contribution includes payments for:

Student Services (Studierendenwerk Thüringen)
the student council (StuRa) of the University of Erfurt
Germany semester ticke
Culture ticket
the student ID card

The amount of the semester contribution varies each semester. We will inform you in good time about the amount of the contribution and when you have to pay it.

Semester contribution

Proof of health insurance

Compulsory health insurance

All students are obliged to apply to a German statutory health insurance fund for electronic notification of their health insurance status for enrolment.

Students under 30 are subject to compulsory insurance. You must take out statutory health insurance in Germany.
The statutory health insurance company will then report your health insurance status (=insured) to the University of Erfurt.

Students over 30 are not required to take out statutory health insurance, but must take out private insurance. Compare different offers from private insurance companies.
You must have your health insurance status (=not legally insured) reported electronically by a statutory health insurance company.

Health insurance from countries with a bilateral agreement with Germany

The health insurance of some countries with which a bilateral agreement exists is recognised in Germany, i.e. you can remain insured in your home country if you present a corresponding certificate from your home health insurance fund to a German statutory health insurance fund. The authorisation certificates are currently (as of 04/2017):

European Health Insurance Card EHIC (EU countries & EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) & Switzerland
BH 16 (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
JU 6 (Serbia, Montenegro)
RM/D 11 (Macedonia)
AT/11 (Turkey)
A/TN 11 (Tunisia)

Health insurance policies from other countries and travel health insurance policies are generally not recognised, i.e. students must take out health insurance in Germany.

Electronic notification of health insurance status

All students are obliged to apply for an electronic notification of their health insurance status from a German statutory health insurance company in order to enrol.

The International Office organises:

electronic notification for exchange students with EHIC or AT11
electronic notification for non-EU exchange students who take out insurance at a central appointment during Onboarding
- will be announced in time

The International Office does not organise:

electronic notification for non-EU exchange students who have already taken out health insurance abroad as that is done automatically by the respective health insurance company)

Information on health insurance

Important information about enrollment for:

Exchange students

A few weeks before your arrival, you will receive several information emails from the International Office regarding enrollment as soon as you are able to begin the enrollment process.

You can only apply for enrollment using the information provided in the information emails via the portal.

Degree-seeking students

You can apply for enrollment via the HisInOne portal as soon as your application for a full-time degree program has been completed and you see the Apply for enrollment button in the portal. Please take any enrollment requirements into account.

Please note that enrollment applications are processed according to their date of receipt. Enrollment applications for the winter semester are usually processed from August onwards, and those for the summer semester from February onwards.

You will only receive your student ID card (Thoska) after you have completed all the enrollment steps.
We will send you an e-mail as soon as you can collect your Thoska from the International Office!

Thoska (Student ID card)

Small card, many functions!

Student ID card
Payment card in the facilities of the Studierendenwerk (Mensa | Glasbox | Hörsaal 7)
Library card (extra registration required)
Culture ticket
Print and copy card

The Thoska must be revalidated each semester.

Validation

Retrieve Germany semester ticket

The Germany Semester Ticket is included in the semester contribution!
After enrollment, you must retrieve the Germany Semester Ticket separately via an app.

With the Germany semester ticket, you can use public local and regional transportation throughout Germany.

The Germany semester ticket in winter semesters is valid from October 1.
The Germany semester ticket in summer semesters is valid from April 1.

Retrieve your Germany semester ticket

Activation of the University account

Once your enrollment is completed, you will find the initial login details for your university account in the HIS portal. Please follow the instructions in the portal to change your initial data. With the changed data, you will have access to university systems such as ELVIS and Moodle, as well as to your Webmail email account.

Please note: You must log in to Webmail once with your initial data and then change your password again there!

If you have any problems with activation, please turn to the service team in C21-KIZ.

Activation of the campus WiFi

After your enrollment is completed, you will find the login details for your university account in the HIS portal. Please follow the instructions in the portal to change the initial data. The changed data will give you access to Eduroam, the campus WIFI.

Setting up Eduroam

If you have any problems with activation, the service team at the C21-Communication and Information Centre (KIZ) will help you.

To-Dos in the city of Erfurt

Registration in the Resident Registration Office

Procedure for DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTE

Procedure for EXCHANGE STUDENTS

After arrival, all exchange students must register at the Residents' Registration Office within a few weeks.

We organise a group appointment for exchange students during the Intensive Course and during the Orientation Week.

You must present these documents at the appointment:

Passport / identity card
Tenancy agreement + landlord's confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung)
- you receive these documents when signing the contract after arrival

After registering at the Bürgeramt, you will receive a confirmation of registration, which you must keep in your records!

In addition, after a few weeks, you will automatically receive your tax ID number by postal mail. You will need this, for example, to open a bank account or if you want to work in Germany.

If you miss the group appointment, you must book an appointment online yourself or with the help of your buddy.

Registration at the Foreigners' Registration Office (Non-EU)

Exchange students from non-European countries without a multivisa or a mobility certificate (REST Directive) must apply for a residence permit at the Erfurt Foreigner Registration Office.

The International Office will help you with this!

Procedure:

Prepare the documents required to apply for a residence permit.
Bring the documents to the International Office.
The International Office will check the documents for completeness.
The International Office will send the documents to the Erfurt Foreigners' Registration Office.
The Foreigners' Registration Office will contact you by e-mail with further instructions.

Required documents:

Application form (fill in and sign)
copy of passport
a biometric electronic passport photo (headshot)
- The photo can be taken directly at the Foreigners' Registration Office on the day of your appointment or must be taken by a certified photographer in the city. You will then receive a QR code, which you must bring with you to the appointment. You will only be given an appointment after we have sent the documents to the Foreigners' Registration Office by post.
Certificate of enrolment (available after enrolment)
Proof of health insurance
Copy of signed rental agreement
- The rental agreement must be signed by both the tenant and the landlord.
Proof of sufficient financial means to cover living expenses for the duration of your studies in Germany
- Use blocked account services, for example, as support

Deadlines for submitting documents to the International Office:

Winter semester for arrival in September: 15.10.
Winter semester for arrival in October: 15.11.

Summer semester for arrival in March: 15.04.
Summer semester with arrival in April: 15.05.

As a rule, you have 90 days to apply for a residence permit at the Foreigners' Registration Office
However, prepare the documents as soon as possible after your arrival, as the official processes can take a very long time!

Opening a bank account

We recommend that all exchange students who do not have an account with an IBAN and BIC open an account in Germany.

Non-EU exchange students who have a blocked account as proof of funding must open an account.

Advantages of a German bank account:

no fees for domestic transfers
monthly payments conveniently debited by direct debit
good overview of expenditure

To open a bank account, you will need, among other things:

Identity document (Passport)
Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) from the city of Erfurt
Tax ID
- will be automatically sent to you by postal mail after registerin in the city
Non-EU only: Multivisa / residence permit / mobility certificate (REST Directive) (can usually be submitted later)

Examples of banks:

Sparkasse
Commerzbank
Postbank
Deutsche Bank
…

The list of banks does not constitute a recommendation. The choice of bank is entirely up to you.