Important notice: Whether you need a visa or not is determined by your nationality. It does not matter in which country you study, i.e. where your home institution is located. If you study in a different country than your country of origin and have a residence permit for this country, you still need to apply for a student visa for Germany. Please inquire about visa regulations concerning your country of origin as soon as possible.
Depending on their country of origin, people wishing to enter the Federal Republic of Germany are subject to different entry requirements. Every exchange student is responsible for her or his visa application her- or himself.
Students from countries requiring a visa
Students from countries requiring visa have to apply for a student visa in their country of origin, or the country of their home institution, before entering Germany.
You are not allowed to study in Germany on a tourist visa. Please note that a tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa.
Your visa application will require your official Letter of Acceptance by Pforzheim University. Please contact the responsible German embassy or consulate in your country of origin or the country of your home institution and apply for a student visa immediately after receiving your Letter of Acceptance.
Students who do not need a visa
EU citizens and EFTA citizens (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) do not need a student visa. After enrollment, they need to register at the residents' registration office.
Citizens from the following countries do not need a student visa either, they need to apply for a German residence permit at the respective Foreigners’ Registration Office in Pforzheim:
Australia • Israel • Japan • Canada • New Zealand • South Korea • USA
Disclaimer: We are continuously checking the contents of the information materials published by the International Office. However, we do not assume liability for these contents. All materials are for general information purposes only and cannot be binding for every individual case. The information provided is not necessarily complete, comprehensive or up-to-date. We do not give legal advice nor legally binding information. Neither can we substitute for information given by experts in individual cases.
More information on the legal conditions can be found here.
International students have to take care of the accommodation for the duration of their stay in Pforzheim independently.
There are different options:
- Student halls und private halls
- Private apartment or room offers in shared flats ('WGs') can be found via wg-gesucht.de or studenten-wg.de
- The ASTA (students' council) regularly publishes a housing list with updated room offers
All international students have to provide evidence of adequate health insurance for the study period in Germany, that is a health insurance policy covering the costs for medical treatment in Germany. The costs for the health insurance may differ by age, gender and home country.
Health insurance for students from EU countries (incl. Switzerland) under the age of 30
International students from EU countries (and Switzerland) having adequate health insurance with a public health insurance company in their home country may get the recognition of their health insurance policy via a public health insurance company in Germany. Usually, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) shall furnish this recognition.
Health insurance for students from non-EU countries under the age of 30
International students from non-EU countries or the additional mentioned countries above have to take out a health insurance policy. Students up to 30 years or rather studying less than 7 years may choose either a public company or a private health insurance company. From the 30th birthday students are only able to insure themselves with a private health insurance company.
Applying students under 30 years having a private health insurance, have to demonstrate the health insurance coverage at a public health insurance company in Germany. In case the insurance is accepted, the student receives a confirmation of exemption ('Freistellungsbescheid'). This exemption is normally requested for the enrollment at the university. A confirmation of exemption is irreversible, which means that the student won’t be able to become a member of a public health insurance company during the future studies.
Students above 30 or studying longer than 7 years in Germany
International students above the age of 30 or above a study time of seven years in Germany will have to take out a health insurance policy with a private health insurance company.
Here you can find more information about health insurances and some recommendations.
Health, accident and liability insurances
We strongly recommend taking out a liability insurance for Germany. The liability insurance covers all kind of damages someone causes (e.g. damages to a borrowed object). Additionally, accident insurance is recommended. Often, a cheaper combination of accident and liability insurances is offered. Health, accident and liability insurances are offered from some insurance companies for approximately 40 Euros per month.