Onboarding - Welcome to Erfurt!

Procedure for DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS

You must register at the Erfurt Citizens' Office within two weeks of your arrival:

1. Make an appointment online via the Citizens' office online appointment system (via: Pass- und Meldewesen)

2. Confirm the link you receive after booking within 24 hours, otherwise you will lose your appointment!

3. You will receive a confirmation email with a call number (Aufrufnummer).

4. Please arrive at the Citizens' Office 5-10 minutes early on the day of your appointment with your landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung) and your ID and wait until your call number is called.

Good to know:
Sometimes appointments are available at very short notice, often for the same day.

Your rental agreement is not sufficient for registration! In addition to your ID, you must bring your landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung)  to the appointment!

The appointment page is only available in German. Do not hesitate to ask your buddy for help if automatic website translation is not possible and you need assistance.

Note:
Please understand that we are generally unable to offer group appointments for degree-seekingstudents, as they arrive at very different times.

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.

Procedure for DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS

Most non-EU degree-seeekung students enter the country on a multiple-entry visa that is valid for up to one year.

However, visas are not usually issued for the entire duration of the course of study. You must therefore ensure that you apply for an extension to your residence permit in good time!

1. Make an appointment with the Foreigner's Registration Office via auslaenderbehoerde@erfurt.de approximately 3 months before your visa expires.

2. In the meantime, prepare the necessary documents.

Documents and information

Note:
There may be delays in responding to emails from the Foreigners' Registration Office. Requests may be prioritized differently than you would like.  

Therefore, make sure to take care of extending your residence permit in good time, as these bureaucratic processes take time.

Procedure for EXCHANGE STUDENTS

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:

1. Prepare the documents required to apply for a residence permit.
2. Bring the documents to the International Office.
3. The International Office will check the documents for completeness.
4. The International Office will send the documents to the Erfurt Foreigners' Registration Office.
5. 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! 

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.