
Have you received your final letter of admission? Then it's time to plan your studies at SRH University Heidelberg.
Have you received your final letter of admission? Then it's time to plan your studies at SRH University Heidelberg.
Obtaining a visa is one of the most important first steps for prospective students from abroad. Whether you need a visa or not depends on which country you come from. Please note that the visa process can be long, so make sure you start the application process as soon as possible.
Please contact the German Embassy in your home country to find out whether you need a visa to enter Germany.
Detailed information about visa for Germany can be found on the DAAD websites “study in Germany”.
Indian Students can find relevant information here.
The entire visa procedure can take eight to twelve weeks, especially for autumn admissions. So ideally, you should submit your visa application to the German embassy or consulate in your country as soon as you have the letter of acceptance from SRH University Heidelberg.
There are several types of visas, so be sure to apply for a student visa, and under no circumstances come to Germany on a tourist visa. You cannot study in Germany on a tourist visa, and a tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa.
Student visas are usually issued for a three-month period. After you have arrived in Heidelberg and enrolled at SRH University Heidelberg, you will have to apply for a long-term residence permit at the Registration Office for Foreigners in your place of residence (Heidelberg, Mannheim, Eppelheim, Schriesheim, etc.).
As a rule, you will be asked to present:
If you are an international student coming from a non-EU country, you will have to provide evidence that you have sufficient financial resources to cover your living expenses in Germany for one year. This evidence is an important condition of getting your student visa and your residence permit.
International students have to set up a “blocked account” (Sperrkonto), which is a special type of bank account. You can choose where to set up your blocked account. From 1 January 2023, the annual amount that must be paid into the blocked account is € 11,208. Students are then allowed to withdraw up to € 934 per month.
As a student in Germany, you are required to have health insurance. Without proof of coverage, no German university will be able to enrol you.
Please check to see which of the following situations apply to you:
If you plan to fly to Germany, Frankfurt Airport is usually the best choice. There is a very good train connection to Heidelberg (about 80 kilometres south of Frankfurt), or you may want to use private shuttle services.
Living and studying in a foreign country and discovering an unknown culture may be a challenge at first. But you will overcome the culture shock: learn some German, try German bread, go to some traditional festivities, and travel to get to know your new home!
The International Office will organise a Mandatory Orientation Session during your first week, providing you with some social and cultural advice and connecting you with other SRH students. And we will be there to assist you with formalities or any problems you may encounter.
To digitally enrol before you arrive on campus, you need to send your documents to Student Services (info.hshd@srh.de). However, you have to show up in person in order to complete the final enrolment process at SRH Heidelberg UAS. Please bring the following documents with you:
One day after enrolling, your student ID card can be issued at Maria-Probst-Strasse 3 (ground floor). Your student ID is a multi-functional chip card that serves as academic identification and is needed for photocopying, the parking garage, and the canteen.
Heidelberg has an excellent local public transport system that students can use inexpensively (€ 180) thanks to the Semesterticket. It is valid for six months, and you can buy it at Maria-Probst-Strasse 3 or at the central train station as soon as you have your student ID.
In Germany, all residents and visitors staying for longer than three months must register with the city government. Once you have found housing, you have to inform the Residents’ Registration Office in your city or town within one week. Students who live on campus have to go to the Residents’ Registration Office in Heidelberg-Wieblingen, Mannheimer Strasse 259, and fill in a registration form (Anmeldebescheinigung). All other students have to go to their local Registration Office. Please ask your landlord where it is. You will need the following documents to register: your passport (and visa) and your tenancy agreement, with a statement from your landlord confirming that you have moved in.
Please note: Anyone who lives in Germany and moves to a new location is required to inform the Residents’ Registration Office of their new place of residence within two weeks of moving in.
The formalities involved in obtaining a residence permit (from the Ausländerbehörde) depend on which country you come from.
Be prepared to present the following documents on request:
You will then be issued a residence permit valid for at least one year and a maximum of two years. It can be extended if necessary. Be sure to submit your application for your residence permit before your current visa/residence permit expires, even if you have not yet collected all the necessary documents. In this case, you will receive a provisional proof of application for the residence permit.
In Germany, almost every regular money transaction is done by bank transfer. This applies to recurring monthly expenses such as rent and insurance, as well as income such as salaries and grant or scholarship payments. If you present your enrolment certificate, most banks will be willing to open a student account for you. Some banks may request a copy of your residence registration or your tenancy agreement. Each bank offers different terms, although students are usually offered a current account free of bank charges and fees. The largest banks in Germany are Deutsche Bank, Sparkasse, Commerzbank, and Postbank.