Important information for students from non EU countries who have just arrived in Augsburg

After entering Germany, you are by law required to register at the Foreigners Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) in Augsburg. This has to be done within two weeks. In Germany, each citizen is obliged to register, including Germans. Anyone who fails to register in the given time will be fined. If you have entered Germany with a 90 days visa please pay attention to replace it by a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) before it expires. If your visa is no longer valid and you haven´ t applied for a residence permit yet, you will be required to leave Germany. That is why it is important to apply for a residence permit in time.

Good to know! it can take up to 6 weeks until you receive the electronic residence card.

• Step 1: Flat-hunting & registering
• Step 2: Opening a bank account & providing proof of financial support
• Step 3: Health insurance
• Step 4: Matriculation
• Step 5: Applying for your residence permit

Step 1: Flat-hunting & registering

The first important step is to look for an apartment because you need proof of a residential address to register. A confirmation of the landlord/provider of housing space ("Wohnungsgeberbestätigung") in order to register the apartment in the city of Augsburg is obligatory. The provider of housing space is either your landlord, a person mandated by your landlord or the main tenant if you are a subtenant.

Important! You are not allowed to live with a friend/acquaintance/relative in a hall of residence.

Please send a copy of the following documents, completely filled out and signed (pdf-file if possible) to the Service Center of Academic Immigration/"Hochschulbetreuungsstelle" (service@aaa.uni-augsburg.de). After we have checked your documents, we will forward them to the Foreigners' Registration Office.

• passport (copy)
• visa or residence permit (copy)
• registration form
• confirmation of the landlord/provider of housing space (" Wohnungsgeberbestätigung"
• There are no fees for registration.

If you are a citizen of an EU country, you can also register at any Bürgerbüro. There are the following citizens' offices in the city area:

Bürgerbüro Stadtmitte: An der Blauen Kappe 18

Bürgerbüro Haunstetten: Tattenbachstr. 15

Bürgerbüro Kriegshaber: Ulmer Str. 72

Bürgerbüro Hochzoll: Friedberger Str. 115

It is possible to make an appointment to register at a citizens' office.

(www.augsburg.de --> Bürgerbüro --> Online-Dienste)

Step 2: Opening a bank account & proof of financial support

If you wish to stay in Germany for longer than 3 months, you will need to open an account at a bank. Please note that most banks offer student accounts with free of charge. In order to open a student account you will need your certificate of matriculation (Immatrikulationsbescheiningung) or notification of admission (Zulassungsbescheid) and the registration confirmation (Anmeldebestätigung).

Why do you need a bank account? The payment of rent and health insurance is arranged through your bank account. In addition, you need to be able to prove that you have enough money to live in Germany to be eligible for a residence permit. By law, you need a minimum monthly sum of 934,- EUR. There are 3 ways of proving that you have sufficient financial support:

1. Open a blocked account in Germany with at least 11.208,- EUR in it or 934,- EUR per month of your stay

2. Declaration of liability (“Verpflichtungserklärung“ following § 68 AufenthG)

3. Notification of a scholarship, e.g. by the DAAD, which states that you have at least 934,- EUR per month at your disposal.

Important! Certification drawn up by notaries abroad or in Germany will not be accepted by the Foreigners' Registration Office/"Ausländerbehörde". Sometimes, a German Embassy will accept notarial attestation for a visa application. However, this is not sufficient for a residence permit.

Step 3: Health insurance

German health insurance is compulsory. There are a number of health insurances in Germany. We regret that we are not authorized to assist you in choosing your medical cover. There are statutory and private health insurances. Please find further information at Deutsches Studierendenwerk.

You will require written confirmation that you have sufficient health insurance cover for your residence permit and enrolment at a university. Please ask your health insurance company to provide you with this statement. Residence permits can only be issued for the period of time for which you have health insurance.

Step 4: Matriculation

Before you can enrol at a university, you are required to pay the semester contribution via bank transfer (student union fees and semester ticket for public transport). You can find the exact amount in your letter of admission.

Please do not forget to ask for a receipt as proof that you have paid this registration fee to the University of Augsburg respectively the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. Only then you are able to enroll at your university. The Registrar’s Office ( Studierendenkanzlei) will advise you as to which documents you are required to submit. You will then receive your matriculation certificate, student ticket for buses and trams, student identity card and your library/mensa card.

Step 5: Applying for a residence permit

A residence permit can be requested after you have registered with the city. Please note that it takes up to 6 weeks for an electronic residence permit to be delivered. The application for a residence permit must be submitted before your visa expires! Get in touch with the Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) in good time before your visa expires - even if you do not have all required documents. If you do not apply for a residence permit before your visa expires, you will have to return to your home country.

Please send an e-mail with a scan of the documents needed to aufenthalt.uni@augsburg.de:

• application form
• passport (including the visa, if applicable)
• current enrolment certificate ("Immatrikulationsbescheinigung")
• proof of financial support* (3 ways: account balancing at 11.208,- EUR or “Verpflichtungserklärung §68 AufenthG or Scholarship)
• proof of health insurance

►After the foreign authority has checked all the documents, you will be given an appointment for a personal interview. 

►At the personal visit, you pay the fee of 100 EUR by debit card and provide a recent passport photo.