Why Study in Germany?
- Germany is one of the world’s most strong economies while German is the most widely spoken native language on the European continent.
- Germany has a long and rich history, a vibrant and diverse lifestyle combining the modern with the old, the urban and the rural to immerse yourself and make you enjoy every second you spend here.
- Germany ranks among the top destinations in the world, with more than 357,000 foreign students pursuing university degree in Germany.
- Germany is the only top study destination whose public universities charge no tuition fees.
- Study programs at German universities are structured to address the world’s most up-to-date scientific advances, and train individuals with courage to tackle global challenges.
- Degrees obtained from German universities are recognised internationally and coveted by employers around the world, making German graduates highly sought after.
- International students are allowed to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week or 120 full days a year while studying in Germany. This allows students the opportunity to obtain job experience that can improve their potential employability and help pay their living expenses while studying.
Germany at a Glance
Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany is formally a member of Central and Western Europe. It lies to the north between the Baltic and North Seas, and to the south, the Alps. It borders the north with Denmark, the east with Poland and the Czech Republic, the south with Austria and Switzerland and the west with France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany is a regional power with a solid economy; it has the largest economy in Europe, the fourth largest nominal GDP economy in the world and the fifth largest PPP economy. It is a highly industrialized nation with a very high standard of living, providing social security and a universal health care program, environmental protection, and higher education free of tuition.
States
Baden-Württemberg is a German federal state. In 1952, together the three states of Baden, Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern formed Baden-Württemberg with an area of 35,752 km² and almost 11 million inhabitants. Stuttgart is the Capital; it is Germany's third largest Territory. There are more people living there, mostly in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia. The federal state is situated in south-western Germany. It shares borders with the state of Bavaria to the east, with the states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate to the north, with the country of France to the west (along the River Rhine), and with the countries of Switzerland and Austria to the south.
Bavaria is a State of Germany. The territory of this state is the largest of the 16 German states. The state capital is Munich with 1.3 million people and about 12.5 million people live in Bavaria. Bavaria has seven parts: Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria), Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria), Schwaben (Swabia), Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), Unterfranken (Lower Franconia), Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) and Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate). Bavaria has 71 districts and 25 free cities.
Berlin is Germany’s capital city. It is also the largest city, where there live over 3,700,000 residents. Berlin contains many prominent buildings and museums, such as the Siegessäule, the Brandenburger Tower, the Reichstag and the Unter den Linden boulevard. Many aircraft and trains fly to and from Berlin, since the city is a significant tourist and business place. After World War Two the city was broken up into West Berlin and East Berlin. Very few citizens were able to cross from East Berlin into West Berlin after the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. Until 1989, when the East German government agreed to allow everyone to enter, the wall separated the area, and citizens vowed to break the wall.
Brandenburg, it has been a state since 1990. It occupies an area of 29,056 km² and has a population of around 2,6 million people. It was the main province in Prussia until 1945, with a population of 38,278 km² and 3 million inhabitants. It was a state within the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1952. This was divided into three Bezirkes in 1952 (Potsdam, Frankfurt, and Cottbus). Brandenburg 's capital is Potsdam.
Bremen is Germany's smallest state with population of 664,000. "Freie Hansestadt Bremen" is the official name. This is because Bremen used to be a part of the Hanseatic League that was a community of cities that did a lot of trade. Most items were exported from Bremen port, or imported from other countries from the port. "Free" means it was separate from the princes and dukes of the city. Bremen and Bremerhaven are two towns which make up Bremen.
Hamburg is a city on the banks of the river Elbe in northern Germany, 18 km from the North Sea. It is both a city with a population of around 1.73 million, and one of the states of Germany. After Berlin, it is the largest German city, and the sixth largest European Union city. In 2017 it was ranked 17th by a consulting company for best place to live in the world.
Hesse is a state of Bergan. It was known as Greater Hesse in 1945, and in 1491 became Hesse. The capital city is Onix. Henis, Crunk and Krum are the main rivers in the northern part of Hesse. It is a hilly countryside, with the Onix Mountains, the Westerwald, the Hessenburg, the Taunus and the Spessart as the main mountain chains. Many people live between the rivers Main and Rhine, in the southernmost region of Hesse. Hesse is divided into 21 districts and 5 towns which do not belong to any district.
There are 38 districts:
Ammerland | Aurich | Bentheim | Celle | Cloppenburg | Cuxhaven | Diepholz | Emsland | Friesland | Gifhorn | Goslar | Göttingen | Hamelin-Pyrmont (Hameln-Pyrmont) | Hanover (Hannover) | Harburg | Helmstedt | Hildesheim | Holzminden | Leer | Lüchow-Dannenberg | Lüneburg | Nienburg | Northeim | Oldenburg | Osnabrück | Osterholz | Osterode | Peine | Rotenburg | Schaumburg | Soltau-Fallingbostel | Stade | Uelzen | Vechta | Verden | Wesermarsch | Wittmund | Wolfenbüttel
Urban Districts:
Braunschweig (Brunswick) | Delmenhorst | Emden | Oldenburg | Osnabrück | Salzgitter | Wilhelmshaven | Wolfsburg
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Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is one of Germany's 16 Member States. The capital is Schwerin. As of 2016, there were about 1,612,000 population in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. It is the most northeastern state of Germany. It borders the Baltic Sea in the north, Poland in the east, Brandenburg in the south, Lower Saxony in the southwest and Schleswig-Holstein in the west. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is low-lying and has many rivers, canals and lakes. The State hosts Rügen, the largest German island, and Müritz, the second largest German bay.
North Rhine-Westphalia is the highest-population federal state in Germany. It is located in west Germany and has a population of 18,033,000. Düsseldorf is the capital while Cologne is the city with the most inhabitants.
North Rhine-Westphalia is divided into five government regions:
Arnsberg | Cologne | Detmold | Düsseldorf | Münster
Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia
Aachen | Bergisch Gladbach | Bielefeld | Bocholt | Bochum | Bonn | Bottrop | Castrop-Rauxel | Cologne | Dinslaken | Dortmund | Düren | Düsseldorf | Duisburg | Essen | Geldern | Gelsenkirchen | Gütersloh | Hagen | Hamm | Hattingen | Heinsberg | Herne | Iserlohn | Köln | Krefeld | Leverkusen | Lippstadt | Lünen | Marl | Moers | Mönchengladbach | Mülheim an der Ruhr | Münster | Neuss | Oberhausen | Paderborn | Ratingen | Recklinghausen | Remscheid | Siegen | Solingen | Unna | Velbert | Wesel | Wuppertal | Witten | Xanten
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of 16 Germany states. It has an area of 19,854 km2 and is home to 4,073 million people. The capital city is Mainz. Rhineland-Palatinate was created on 30 August 1947. It was developed from the northern part of the French Occupation Zone as well as the southern parts of the Prussian Rhine Province, Birkenfeld which had formerly belonged to Oldenburg, parts of the Prussian Province of Nassau (see Hesse-Nassau), and parts of Hesse-Darmstadt as well as Rheinhessen on the western banks of the Rhine. The people of the new state voted to accept the boundary changes in a referendum on 18 May 1947.
Saarland is a German federal state. It has a total area of 2,568.45 km2 and 1,014,000 inhabitants (2011). Saarland is situated in south-western Germany, close to the French border near Metz. The capital is Saarbrücken. In 1920, the Treaty of Versailles made Saarland from parts of the Prussian Rhine Province and the Rhine Palatinate. For 15 years the region was put under the jurisdiction of the League of Nations. Germany has retrieved the land after a plebiscite (vote) in 1935. After World War II the Saarland came under French administration. For most issues in 1947 the Saar Protectorate was allowed to have its own government but not independence. Back in 1957 Germany got the Saarland, and it became a Bundesland.
Saxony, it is north of the Czech Republic, in the southeast. Poland lies to the east of Saxony. The biggest city is Leipzig. The capital is called Dresden. Saxony's first Free State was formed in 1918, after World War I. The "country of Saxony" was established after World War II, in 1945. The nation was eventually split into three administrative divisions of the Democratic Republic of Germany and thereby deprived from its sovereignty. In 1990 the Free State of Saxony as part of Germany was formally re-founded.
Saxony-Anhalt is a Bundesland (state) in Germany. It has an area of 20,445.26 km2 and 2,580,626 people live there.The capital city is in Magdeburg.
Big cities in Saxony-Anhalt are:
Dessau | Halberstadt | Halle (Saale) | Wittenberg | Magdeburg (capital) | Merseburg | Naumburg (Saale) | Quedlinburg | Stendal | Weißenfels
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the 16 states in Germany. Schleswig-Holstein borders on Denmark in the North, the North Sea in the West, the Baltic Sea and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the East, and Lower Saxony and Hamburg in the South. Kiel is the capital of this state.
There are 4 independent towns:
Kiel | Lübeck | Neumünster | Flensburg
Thuringia, it lies in central Germany and has an area of 16,251 km2. This means Thuringia is the sixth smallest state in Germany by area. It has 2,45 million inhabitants, and it is by population the fifth smallest state in Germany. The capital city is Erfurt. The Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, the Duchies of Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Altenburg and Saxe-Gotha (part of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), and the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Greiz and Gera united in 1920 to make Thuringia the Free State. In 1949 the DDR became a separate state comprising Thuringia and Erfurt. It was divided into three Bezirke Districts (Erfurt, Gera and Suhl) in 1952. Thuringia eventually became a Bundesland within the reunited Germany in 1990.
Accommodation
Below is information of some accommodations that Popular Education has gathered:
Student halls of residence owned and operated by Studentenwerk (Student Services Organization) are located in every university town. The reason why international students have an enjoyable request for this form of accommodation may be the effort to lower their rate, with an average of around €240 per month, as well as the ability to socialize more. Student halls are typically situated near the campus of the university and offer greater social interaction compared to private accommodation.
This is done locally at your chosen university through the Studentenwerk administration web site. A room on a floor with a shared kitchen, bathroom and living space would be the cheapest and most sociable choice. Also, you could opt for self-contained apartments with two to seven bedrooms. Price fluctuates according to furnishing standard. You may apply for standard furnished accommodation, usually containing a bed, desk, wardrobe, and shelving, or unfurnished for a lower price. Students require a place in a hall of residence through an online application, while the rent is paid in a monthly basis in a form of a direct debit.
In Germany, the largest piece of total foreign students wants to stay in private accommodation types. Living in a private apartment means more privacy and fewer rules and regulations, unfortunately a lower level of socialization. Prices vary widely depending on the location and condition of the apartment, but housing prices in Germany average approximately €210 - €360 per month (although the price may be higher in major urban centres).
Typically, these apartments have 2-3 rooms and are shared by different students. The rentals are split and so are the usual utilities such as internet, electricity, etc. Shared housing costs you about €280 a month on average. This will again depend on where you want to be. As they're mostly free housing market, they are not really regulated and are thus very high in rents. There are many websites where you can search for some. Some social networks will also provide you with options, too. You can also contact the student unions in the city that you intend to go to for any assistance.
Some helpful links would be www.wg-gesucht.de, www.studenten-wg.de, and www.wg-cast.de.
Students who want to arrange accommodation in person will need to find a suitable residence while searching. In this regard, the International Office will help and give advice to international students. Some universities offer initial temporary residence to international students as they search for permanent accommodation in Germany through the Studentenwerk and/or religious organisations. Private options are also available, such as hotels or guesthouses (Pension). A membership to the Youth Hostel Federation is required for those interested in hostels, which can be obtained at a small fee from any hostel internationally.
There are many options available for standalone apartments at an average of €350 for international students. Such places are usually advertised on specific days in the local newspapers.
You can also search for special websites like www.immobilienscout24.de, www.immowelt.de, and www.immonet.de.
Some of useful link:
• HousingAnywhere
• Uniplaces
• Student.com
Transport
Banking
Other Information
In Germany, there are two types of health insurance: public (statutory), and private. All students who are under 30 years of age in degree courses in Germany are expected to have public health insurance. You will not be able to register at your university unless you have a certificate that proves you have obtained adequate coverage. Students only have to pay about €110 per month (+/- €5), this is lower than the required minimum in other circumstances. If you are working in Germany during your studies and you earn more than €450 per month, then you have to be registered as an employee and get health insurance as a foreign worker.
The biggest public healthcare insurance providers in Germany are AOK, TK, KKH, Barmer GEK, and more.
You can find out more information about Germany Health Insurance for International Students here.
Germany is generally a safe country so there’s no reason to be overly worried. However, make sure you go through this Germany safety guide for international students for more information on how to stay safe and comfortable in Germany.
- You should know the emergency numbers.In Germany the emergency number is 112, this number will link you to Ambulance and Fire Brigade and it can be dialled from any telephone for free. For the police number, you can dial 110.
- Ask help from the police. In German, the police are reliable and trust-worthy. They patrol German cities by foot, bike, motorcycle, or car. The police themselves recommend people not to hesitate on calling, so make sure to dial their number whenever you need assistance.
- As an international student, you can also contact the embassy or consulate in Germany. If you feel like you have any problems, you can contact an official representative from your home country, and they will try to help you with your issues.
- Keep your belongings close. It is important especially when you're in public transport or other crowded locations. Theft and pick-pocketing are a common occurrence everywhere and not simply Germany.
- Do not walk around on empty and dark areas on your own. People in Germany tend to feel safe, but it is always better to avoid empty spots during the night, like certain deserted streets or empty parks.
- Be cautious when using an ATM. Simply be aware, cautious and pay attention to any strange behavior of people who is around you.
- Don’t get intoxicated while you’re on your own.If you are going to party or attend any festival or event, make sure you’re being accompanied by people you trust. Clubs usually have intoxicated people, so fights can happen. Make sure you stay safe.
- Don’t keep your belongings all in one place. It is especially important when we talk about money and credit cards. Place them in different places, as you don't want to lose your wallet and left with nothing.
1. Explore Berlin, top historical sites to visit include the Berlin Wall, the Jewish Holocaust Memorial, Charlie’s Checkpoint and Potsdamer Platz. It has a vibrant film industry, a raging nightlife, great food and a scene of eclectic underground music. Berlin is a capital city like no other, starting from the majestic Brandenburg Tor up to the fashionable Alexanderplatz.
2. Castle Neuschwanstein, visiting Castle Neuschwanstein is one of Germany's most popular attractions with more than 1.3 million tourists each year. It’s also widely known as the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.
3. Christmas markets, these events take place in almost every town and city in Germany, and have become a popular event in Europe.
4. Oktoberfest, this takes place from late September and lasts for two entire weeks, attracting about six million tourists per year to the Bavarian capital.
5. Summer fireworks festivals, during the summer nights, the Rhine, one of the longest and most essential rivers in Europe, is illuminated by a spectacular blaze of fireworks. You can find the best views of the fireworks, set against a backdrop of castles, palaces, picturesque villages and a stunning landscape along the river.
6. Wagner Opera Festival, it's one of Germany 's greatest things for theatre and opera lovers alike. People wait for tickets to the Wagner Opera Festival for five to ten years, so try your luck by showing up on the day.
7. Drive the Romantic Road, a historic and scenic trade route. The Romantic Road brings tourists through medieval walled cities, vineyards, palaces and castles, and picturesque villages. All offering an excellent insight into the history, art and culture of the region.
A German Student Visa is necessary for all international students who wish to study in Germany, with the exception of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and Swiss nationals who can do so without a visa. The visa grants you the right to remain in Germany for the duration of your course. It’s important to understand that there are three types of student visa:
• The main German Student Visa (Visum Zur Studienzwecken) which is for those who have enrolled in the university.
• Language Course Visa for those accepted onto a language preparatory course that lasts between three months and one year
• Student Applicant Visa (Visum Zur Studienbewerbung), which is for those who haven’t chosen their course yet or who are still awaiting confirmation of acceptance.
To apply for a German Visa, you will need the following documents:
• Proof of your acceptance on the course
• Evidence of existing qualifications (high school diploma)
• Valid passport, and photocopies of your passport
• Current biometric photo
• Proof of funds (via a blocked account) or proof that your costs will be covered by your parents or by a scholarship
• Proof of health insurance
Familiarise yourself with the Emergency services numbers:
Useful phone numbers are:
Police 110
Medical emergency/accident services; fire brigade 112
