If you have a German buddy, she or he will pick you up at Karlsruhe main station and take you to your accommodation. If you are confident, that you will find the way to your apartment or dormitory, you can also go there by yourself with local public transport. Before your arrival you or your buddy have to organize how to get the key for your room. If you stay in a dormitory it is depending on the office hours of the care taker. Maybe your buddy has to get the keys in advance.

All international students have to register in Karlsruhe within two weeks after their arrival.

Registration offices:
Bürgerbüro K8 – Kaiserallee 8 (main office)
Bürgerbüro Mitte – Marktplatz, im Rathaus (inside the city hall), Karl-Friedrich-Str. 10, Karlsruhe

We will organize group appointments for registration during the orientation weeks. You can go there as group and at least one buddy will accompany you and help with translation. It is highly recommended to join one of them, as the waiting time for an appointment can be couple of weeks and being registered is necesssary to open a bank account in Germany.

Students are required to bring their passports as well their enrollment certificate and a document called “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung” which will be provided by your landlord.

All students who live in the dormitory are required to open an European bank account. You can open a bank account after your arrival in Germany. However, we recommend to open an european bank account (you need an IBAN for payment and transfering money in the EU) before you come to Germany as payments can be done from the beginning e.g. sending you scholarship money. If you decide to open a bank account online, please check if the bank is reliable. 

When opening a bank account in Germany after your arrival, it is recommended to arrange an appointment to avoid long waiting times. It is always helpful to ask your buddy to come with you in order to translate and help with any questions.

Students are required to bring their passport, “Steuer-ID” (taxpayer identification number), enrollment certificate and residence registration when opening a bank account. For lost or stolen ATM or Credit Cards, call 116 116 to deactivate the card. For cards lost or stolen outside of Germany, dial 0049-30-4050-4050. These services are available 24/7 regardless of your bank.

Bill payments are usually settled through bank transfer. You have to fill out a transfer form and submit it either to your bank or online. For recurring payments that vary in size, students can give the recipient a direct debit authorization which allows them to withdraw the specific amount from your account each month.

As student in germany you have to pay a semester fee to the student union in your city. The money is used to provide services for all students e.g. providing affordable food in the canteen, insurance on the campus and cheap or free sport courses. So everybody has to pay the fee, even if you don't get a room in one of the dormitories.

If you got a room in a dormitory, they will send you the contract for the room before you travel to Germany. You have to sign it, send it back and pay the first rent and deposit.