After your arrival

Health Insurance

It is mandatory to have health insurance coverage to enrol and study at a German university. This means that you will have to provide a certificate of health insurance or a health insurance waiver in order to enrol at KIT. We recommend checking with your health insurance in your home country whether you have coverage in Germany for the duration of your studies at KIT.

Students who have a private health insurance that is valid in Germany If you are covered by a private health insurance in your home country that is also valid in Germany, you need to obtain a written confirmation of your health insurance provider (either in German or English) in your home country that states that

- you have health insurance

- it is valid in Germany

- it provides you with unlimited coverage

Please note that regular travel health insurance cannot be accepted, since it does not cover your study stay of at least one semester!

Once you are in Germany, you will have to contact a German statutory health insurance and obtain a health insurance waiver.

If you have a private health insurance, you will have to pay for any necessary health treatment yourself and claim the money back from the health insurance provider in your home country. Please note that your health insurance might only cover the costs according to common treatment rates in your home country. In that case, if the treatment is more expensive in Germany, you will have to pay the difference yourself.

For students who need to take out insurance in Germany

You have the choice between taking out statutory or private health insurance. If you are younger than 30 years of age and/or if you have not studied for longer than 14 semesters (seven years), a statutory health insurance for students will cost around 120 € per Month at any of the German health insurance companies. Private health insurance is usually more expensive and you have to pay treatments in advance before being reimbursed.

Please note: Once you have taken out private health insurance in Germany, you will not be allowed to change to a statutory health insurance.

The student health cover only becomes valid with the start of the semester (on October 1st or April 1st) and with your enrolment at KIT. Thus, we recommend to take out travel health insurance for the first weeks of your stay in Karlsruhe, until all paperwork has been dealt with.

If you are a DAAD scholarship holder, health insurance is provided directly through the DAAD.

Students who are 30 years of age or older, students who are beyond the 14th semester (seven years), and PhD students are no longer entitled to student insurance rates from German statutory health insurance companies and thus are asked to compare various companies to decide which insurance company is best for them.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers more information about health insurance in Germany.

Registration with the City of Karlsruhe

You need to register with the city of Karlsruhe (Bürgerbüro/Einwohnermeldeamt) within two weeks after having moved to your apartment. Please note that you also have to notify the Bürgerbüro/Einwohnermeldeamt each time you change your place of residence in Germany. 

To register with the city of Karlsruhe you need the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of residence permit or visa
• Anmeldeformular bei der Meldebehörde (Meldeschein) / Registration Form for the Registration Office
• Wohnungsgeberbestätigung / Landlord certificate (This form should be filled by your landlord and not by you)

You can find all forms at Formulare. Unfortunately, all forms are only in German.

Please send the filled documents by post to:

• Ordnungs- und Bürgeramt, Bürgerbüro, Kaiserallee 8, 76133 Karlsruhe

As soon as possible, the Buergerbüro will send you a confirmation by email or post along with information regarding your appointment. This will enable you to obtain your registration and a new address label for your identity documents. 

Access to the building is permitted only shortly before your appointment time. This is why it is recommended to arrive at the registration office at least 10 minutes earlier.  

Residence Permit and Visa

All non-EU exchange students should either have a valid residence permit for studying purposes or a visa that covers the whole exchange period. This means that if your visa expires before the end of your exchange stay, you will need to apply for a residence permit for studying purposes before the expiry date of your visa.

For registration with the aliens department (Ausländerbehörde), please compile the following documents (copies):

• Filled-in form available here (choose Formulare, then Antrag auf Erteilung einer Aufenthaltserlaubnis)
• Biometric picture
• Copy of your passport including your current visa for Germany, if applicable
• Confirmation of your registration as a resident of the city of Karlsruhe
• Copy of your rental application form/rental contract
• Proof of sufficient funds to cover all expenses during your stay in Germany (at least 934 € monthly). Such proof includes: bank statement, official statement of your scholarship or a “Verpflichtungserklärung”
• "Zulassungsbescheid" (Letter of Admission)
• Rental contract
• Proof of health insurance including a copy of your health insurance policy

To book an appointment, please:

- Go to this site
- Click "Beantragung Aufenthaltserlaubnis" 
- Personenzahl "1"
- Click "Termin vereinbaren"
- Choose one of the green boxes in the calendar (“Termin frei”= slot available)
- Write down your personal details (first name, surname, date of birth and e-mail address)
- Click "Terminanfrage senden".
- A confirmation will be sent to you by email

  - Please be on time for the appointment and bring along your documents (due to the COVID-19 hygiene rules, you are requested to wear a face mask and to wait outside the building until you are guided to the correct office)

Please contact us if you are facing any difficulties preventing you from making an appointment or applying for a residence permit. It is very important to contact the aliens department before the expiry date of your visa.

Ausländerbehörde Karlsruhe

Kaiserallee 8

76124 Karlsruhe

Telefon: 115

E-Mail:abh∂oa.karlsruhe.de,

Telefon 115

Opening a Bank Account

Once you have arrived in Germany, we recommend to open a bank account to transfer the semester contribution necessary for your rent, accommodation, the contribution for the health insurance and/or the language course fee.

To open a bank account in Germany, you will need (original and copy):

- Your Passport/ID Card

- A permanent address in Germany

- Your student ID or enrollment certificate (if already available)

- A copy of your residence permit (if already available)

- Your tax ID (“Steuer-Identifikationsnummer”) sent to you by post after registration with the city of Karlsruhe.

If you need any help regarding this matter, please write an email to ophase∂esn-karlsruhe.de.