If you are a new international student in Germany, your checklist will contain the following:
1) Accommodation and bank account
2) Health insurance
3) University enrollment
4) Foreigner office (Ausländerbehörde)
5) Citizen office (Bürgeramt)
From personal experience, it is highly recommended that you make payments for your accommodation, if you have been offered one by the Studierendenwerk (Student Services) as well as the University semester contribution fee (typically ranges from 100-200 Euros per semester) before coming to Germany. Beware of scams when dealing with private property owners who ask for deposit before inspecting the accommodation yourself.
1) Accommodation and Bank Account
Getting an accommodation and bank account in Germany is somewhat a "chicken-and-egg" process.
When signing the Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement), you will need to provide your bank account details in which you will permit the landlord/landlady to debit money from that account on a monthly basis, in addition to Kaution (Deposit). On the other hand, you will need to provide proof to the bank that you have an accommodation, which is the Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement) so that certain important mails such as ATM/Debit card can be mailed to you.
Remember your Deutsche Bank blocked account? You can use your Deutsche Bank blocked account for all your day-to-day transactions as long as the monthly limit (currently 670 Euros) is not exceeded. You have to visit the nearest branch to activate your account, which may take several days. Documents required:
1) Passport
2) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement), if you have found a permanent accommodation
3) Proof of blocked account (same document used in Visa application)
If you have already secured an accommodation and there is a Deutsche Bank ATM or branch near your accommodation and/or University, you're good to go! But you may not be so lucky...
1) Deutsche Bank may not be so convenient
You have already secured an accommodation, but you wish to open another bank account in a nearby bank because there is no convenient Deutsche Bank ATM and branch for your regular banking needs (
Wikipedia - List of Banks in Germany). You will need to bring your Passport and
Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement). You may be charged
5 Euros per month for the savings account if you are over the age of 25 years, otherwise it should be free. I recommend bringing your Letter of Admission just in case there are special offers for students.
2) Have not found a permanent accommodation
It is highly recommended to find an accommodation before coming to Germany, here are some useful links:
Once you have inspected the room in person and agree on the rental terms, note down the address of your new accommodation and proceed to pay the deposit via bank transfer. The deposit amount (and other expenses) may exceed monthly limit of the Deutsche Bank blocked account so you may have to open a savings account in another bank instead.
Once you have your bank account and accommodation in place, you can proceed with the next step.
2) Health Insurance
I highly recommend public health insurance because upfront payment for medical fees is not required, which saves you the trouble of getting your medical claims approved.
The drawback? It is initially more expensive than private health insurance (about 80 Euros per month and more if your age is 30 years and above). Nevertheless, public health insurance may be comparatively cheaper than private when you join the workforce in a few years time. If you have no plans to stay in Germany after your studies, private health insurance may be the cheaper option.
IMPORTANT: You are unable to switch to public health insurance once you have opted for private health insurance!
List of documents to bring to the health insurance office, appointment is not required:
1) Passport
2) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement)
3) Letter of Admission from the University
4) Bank account details (IBAN number)
Your application should be processed immediately, and before you leave the office make sure that you have received the following:
1) Health insurance number
2) Proof of health insurance for the University
3) Proof of health insurance for the Foreigner Office
3) University Enrollment
University enrollment procedures may vary, but health insurance number and proof of health insurance is mandatory. You will also need to pay the semester contribution fee via bank transfer prior to enrollment.
Once you are successfully enrolled, most universities will issue a Studierendenausweis (Student ID) which you can use to enjoy free public transportation in your city/state! You should also receive a confirmation of enrollment, which is required for the next step.
4) Foreigner Office (Ausländerbehörde)
With your Student ID, you are now more mobile and capable of travelling all around town. Nächste Haltestelle: Ausländerbehörde! (Next Stop: Foreigner Office!). Opening hours are short, appointment is required and made only via telephone. The appointment has to be made about 1 week in advance, but I believe that the waiting time really varies depending on number of foreign students and Universities in the city.
Documents to bring:
1) Passport
2) Two biometric passport photographs
3) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement)
4) Letter of Admission from the University
5) Confirmation of Enrollment from the University
6) Proof of health insurance
7) Proof of blocked account (same document used in Visa application and Deutsche Bank account activation)
You will be required to fill in a multi-page form about your personal details. Worry not, the form is multi-lingual! Fortunately, the officer was friendly, spoke English and guided me through the lengthy form. As if taking my fingerprints wasn't enough, I had to write down the colour of my eye too!
Once everything is complete, you should receive a one-page document that you will need for the next step.
5) Citizen Office (Bürgeramt)
Welcome to the Bürger office, where no burgers are served! No appointment is needed, and relative to the previous step, this one is really simple.
Documents required:
1) Passport
2) Document from the Foreigner Office (Ausländerbehörde)
3) Mietvertrag (Rental Agreement)
You will be issued a document that states your current address of residence. Should you move to another accommodation in the future, you must inform the Citizen Office (Bürgeramt) of your new address.
That's it for now! Hope you found this guide useful, und Tschüss!
