Pre?par?ing for your stay and after your ar?rival
An exchange is possible only for students from our partner universities. Your home university's outgoing coordinator must nominate you for one or two semesters abroad at Paderborn University in due time. After we have accepted the nomination, we will send you a link that you can use to apply online within the communicated application deadline.
German and English language skills on level B1 minimum are recommended. If you have to achieve a certain number of credits, you should make sure in advance that our range of courses enables you to do so.
We regret that we unfortunately cannot accept any free movers.
Paderborn University of does not charge tuition fees.
However, students are required to pay a certain amount per semester (called semester fee - Semesterbeitrag), which includes, among other things:
- the cost of a semester ticket - Semesterticket - which entitles the holder to free use of public transport in North Rhine-Westphalia
- a fee for the General Student Committee (AStA)
- the fee for the Studierendenwerk Paderborn (STW)
After we have received your semester fee and your digital health insurance notification, we can order your semester ticket and your student ID. You can download the semester ticket here, your student ID will be sent through the post.
Links:
- asta.uni-paderborn.de/en/university-politics/semester-fee/
- asta.uni-paderborn.de/en/service-en/semester-ticket/
- After moving into your accommodation, please contact the residents' registration office by email and make an appointment to register. It is possible that the appointment will take place later than the required 14 days due to high demand, but if you have reported immediately after your arrival, this is not your fault and you do not have to worry.
- If you came to Germany with a study visa and/or if your nationality requires a residence permit for Germany, make an appointment with the immigration office to apply for your residence permit.
- If you have any questions about your dormitory room, please contact the caretaker (Mr Schrameyer & Mr Frank Sandforth) of Vogeliusweg dormitory.
- To prove your health insurance, please contact one of the statutory German health insurance companies. They will inform you whether or not your existing health insurance is sufficient. If not, you can take out health insurance there. This applies also if you have an European health insurance card (EHIC). If it is accepted, the health insurer will transfer your health insurance status digitally to the university.
- If you mail us a document in which you need us to confirm your arrival date, kindly name the exact day of arrival in the same e-mail to avoid queries from our side. Please note that we can certify only study-related dates.
- At the beginning of your stay, you need to pay the semester fee (this is no tuition fee) and prove your health insurance. When this is done, we can order your semester ticket and your student ID. The payment information for the semester ticket can be found on the Checklist in your Arrival Mail, which we send to all students about 6 weeks before start of the program. The semester ticket is available from early March / September, provided the semester fee has been paid and health insurance has been proven.
Once your enrolment is complete, you can download relevant documents yourself: - Semester ticket: Download Link and further information: AStA (Central Student Committee)
- Student ID: Available in the UPB App.
- Certificate of Enrolment: Download in our campus mangement system PAUL (German version only)
- Please note also our digital welcome folder for all new exchange students!
- We wish you a pleasant stay in Paderborn!
We strongly recommend it, especially one of the numerous student bank accounts that impose no or only very few fees. But you are not obligated to establish a bank account; you must only ensure that your rent, the semester fee, and your health insurance fee will be paid regularly.
If you come from a European country, you can also transfer the money online from your account in your home country under specification of the IBAN and Swift codes.
Please note that when transferring money from abroad, fees might arise, depending on the country.
a) You can apply for a study visa for Germany before arrival.
b) Alternatively, students can ask the International Office to submit their application for residence permit at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). To apply via BAMF, please contact the International Office at least 6-8 weeks before your arrival. Important information about the documents that need to be submitted is available on the BAMF website.
Please also refer to the information you receive from us during your application process. We recommend to read all our email and attachments carefully.
Important: Your residence permit as student in another EU country must be valid for your BAMF application and throughout your mobility! It is the basis for permission from BAMF!
Courses and Studies
Two optional German language courses are offered for exchange students: the Crash Course (holiday course) before the start of the semester and the semester-long German course. Both courses are free of charge.
Crash Course German:
When applying for the exchange programme, you will be asked whether you wish to take part in the Crash Course before the semester begins. However, you must still register officially via an online form. You will be informed in advance about the one-week registration period by email from the Incoming Team of the International Office.
The Crash Course takes place in March and September and lasts for four weeks. It includes a total of 80 teaching units, held four days a week. Upon successful completion, you will receive 5 ECTS credits.
Semester Course German:
Participants of the Crash Course can register directly during the course for the Semester Course. Otherwise, registration is also done via an online form. Again, there is a one-week registration period, and you will be informed in advance by email from the Incoming Team of the International Office.
The course comprises a total of 120 teaching units. Upon successful completion, you will receive 8 ECTS credits.
Further information, including details about placement tests, can be found here.
Die "normale" ECTS-Punktzahl betr?gt für einen deutschen Studierenden 30 ECTS für ein Semester. Allerdings ist es für Austauschstudierende sehr schwer, diese Punktzahl zu erreichen und viele Partnerhochschulen verlangen eine deutlich geringere Anzahl. Dies sollten 365体育_足球比分网￥投注直播官网 vorher mit Ihrer Heimathochschule abkl?ren. Die Universit?t Paderborn erhebt keine Mindestanforderungen an absolvierten Kursen bzw. ECTS.
That depends on your home university. The University of Paderborn does not set a deadline.
The only exception applies to students coming to the University of Paderborn through the Erasmus+ Mobility with Partner Countries / International Credit Mobility programme. They must submit their Learning Agreement by specific deadlines. You will automatically receive further information from the responsible Erasmus+ ICM coordinator.
There are two registration phases for courses at the University of Paderborn.
In general, registering for courses before your arrival is not required. Exception: students of Business Studies are given the opportunity to register for certain courses approximately six weeks before the semester begins. You will receive timely information about this from the faculty.
Course registration is done via the campus management system PAUL. To access it, you need an IMT account, which you will receive in your welcome folder at the beginning of your stay at the University of Paderborn.
All exchange students who are in their second semester at the University of Paderborn should register during the first registration phase via PAUL, as they already have access to their IMT account.
You can find the registration phases and any differing regulations here.
Unlike the general procedure, registration for the German language courses specifically offered for exchange students does not take place via PAUL. Further information is available here.
The Incoming Team of the International Office will inform you about the relevant registration deadlines via email.
If you encounter any problems or have questions, please contact either the internationalisation officers of the faculties or Ms Struzek.
Exam registration is done via PAUL.
You will receive information about this during the welcome events organised by your faculty. If your faculty does not hold a welcome event, please contact Ms Struzek.
Exception: For all courses offered by the Faculty of Business Studies, registering for a module automatically includes registration for the exam (implicit exam registration). No separate exam registration is required, although you may need to deregister from the exam if necessary.
You can find details about the exam registration phases here.
The Incoming Team of the International Office will inform you about the relevant registration deadlines via email. If you have any problems or questions, please contact either the internationalisation officers of the faculties or Ms Struzek.
Examinations usually take place after the end of the lecture period. The dates are typically set by the faculty during the semester and are not known in advance. They generally occur within the first few weeks of the lecture-free period. It is recommended to allow at least 2–3 weeks for this. However, please note that this cannot be guaranteed, as the timing of examinations is determined by the faculty.
The letter indicates the building section, the first digit refers to the floor level, and the following number is the room number. For example, the film room H1.232 is located in building H, on the 1st floor, in room 232. If the designation consists only of a letter and a digit, such as H1 or C2, it refers to a lecture hall on the ground floor of the respective building (in this case, H or C).
Since both courses and exams are registered via PAUL, grades for completed assessments are also entered into PAUL by the lecturers. This process can take up to six weeks after the end of the semester. The International Office regularly checks which grades have been submitted. Once all grades for a student are available, the Transcript of Records is prepared and sent to you by email. If your home university requires a hard copy, it will be sent directly to the institution.
You can also view your academic record at any time in PAUL.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms Struzek.
The new semester and the associated ticket begin on 1 April and 1 October. By then, you should be re-registered and have received your new ticket. You can collect it from the International Office approximately three weeks in advance by presenting proof of payment. If you are travelling during that period, you may also pick up your semester documents at a later date.
You can usually extend your stay for a second semester within the same academic year, provided both your home university and the University of Paderborn agree. Unfortunately, extending the exchange into the next academic year is not possible.
To request an extension, your home university simply needs to send an email confirming their consent to Ms Schrade. The International Office will then obtain approval from the academic coordinator in Paderborn. Once both sides have agreed, your stay will be extended and you can re-register for the second semester.
If you need to extend your visa, Ms Schrade can provide a certificate for the immigration office. Please also note that your accommodation is not automatically extended for a second semester—be sure to contact the Studierendenwerk early to renew your rental agreement.
Other questions during your stay
Yes, international students are allowed to work up to 120 full days or 240 half days per calendar year. You will receive the Lohnsteuerkarte (wage tax card) from the Einwohnermeldeamt (Residents' Office). As a EU-citizen, you are on equal terms with German students and are not subject to these restrictions.
We regret that Paderborn University does not award scholarships outside the official programmes. However, Paderborn University tries to provide some jobs as student assistants for exchange students who have to pay high tuition fees at their home universities for the time of their stay in Paderborn.
Erasmus students from universities in Erasmus+ programme countries with a corresponding agreement usually obtain a scholarship from their home university.
Students of German Studies can also apply for a DAAD semester scholarship from their home country.
Only through the program "Erasmus+ Mobility with Partner Countries / International Credit Mobility" scholarships are offered to students from the following partner universities:
Bosnia and Herzegovina (University of Sarjevo and University of Mostar), Israel (Bar-Ilan University), Cameroon (Université Yaoundé I), Cuba (Universidad de la Habana), Togo (Université de Lomé), Tunisia (Université de Carthage, Université de la Manouba, Université Ez-Zitouna and Université de Monastir).
Only a very limited number of scholarships are available. The selection of students to receive such scholarships is made by the home universities in the partner country.
Within the limits of international exchange, this is not possible. At the end of your exchange stay, you must return to your home university. But we would be happy to have you apply as a regular international student and then come back to the University of Paderborn. This requires a regular application for degree students (possibly for the DSH Course beforehand) within the official application deadlines. We recommend that you contact the International Office on this behalf already during your stay in Paderborn. Detailled information about the application process is also available on our websites for degree students.
In this brochure you can find all information abut living the hall of residence.
An extension is only possible from the winter semester to the summer semester.
The prerequisite for this is that your home university gives its consent in writing. If the agreed number of places is exceeded as a result, this must be clarified in advance with the programme officer.
An extension from the summer semester to the following winter semester is not possible. A stay for a whole year must always begin in the winter semester (September/October).
Hous?ing
You can find all the information you need about moving in and other questions about living in the halls of residence here.
You will receive your rental contract as well as some other documents together with the key when you move in.
- Please sign the tenancy agreements and the SEPA form* for the monthly direct debit from the Studierendenwerk.
- Please put the documents in the letter slot at the STW building at Mersinweg 2 as soon as possible.The box is emptied daily.
After processing by the STW, you will receive the following documents back in your mailbox.
- a countersigned rental contrat
- Information sheet on using the Internet
- the landlord's certificate for the registrations at the residents' registration office.
Please check your mailbox regularly, but note that it will take a few days until you receive the documents back.
In Germany, each household has to pay a fee for public broadcasting. This applies also to students (of all nationalities) living in shared flats and dormitories. Detailled information is available here:
https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/welcome/englisch/students_and_apprentices/index_ger.html
Departure
Please notice the following points, which might be relevant before you leave:
- Inform the student services and the Hausmeister of your dormitory abour your exact departure time.
Please deregister personally with the city of Paderborn before your departure. Make an appointment at the Residents' Registration Office or by mail and submit the following documents:
- Identity card/ID card or passport
- Date of departure
- Your address abroad
- Cancel your German bank account, if you do not need it any longer. If you have questions regarding your blocked accout, please contact the immigration office by mail or phone (8-10 am).
- If you took health insurance in Germany, do not forget to cancel it, possibly by mail. Insert your insurance number as e-mail subject or into the mail text.
- Return any books to the library. Otherwise fees might arise.
- If you mail us documents that need to be signed by the International Office, please include the required data (such as arrival or departure date) in your mail in order to avoid queries from our side.