International Prospective Students

Application & Enrollment

Please follow the 5 steps to the Viadrina for bachelor's programmes/state examination and for master's programmes.

The information on this page concern only foreign applicants with foreign certificates!

They do not apply to all those:

  • without a German citizenship, but with German certificates:
    • i.e. with a German university entrance qualification (secondary school qualification, e.g. Abitur or equivalent)
    • or with a German university entrance qualification for a master's program (Bachelor or equivalent)
  • with a German citizenship, but with foreign certificates:
    • i.e. with a foreign university entrance qualification (secondary school diploma, e.g. Abitur or equivalent, etc.)
    • or with a German university entrance qualification for a master's program (Bachelor or equivalent)
    • This applies regardless if you have dual citizenship.
    • However, in addition you must also submit a certified copy and an official translation of your university entrance qualification (secondary school diploma, e.g. Abitur or equivalent, etc.). Information on official certification and sworn translations can be found on our website.
  • with a German citizenship, but with German certificates:
    • i.e. with a foreign university entrance qualification (secondary school diploma, e.g. Abitur or equivalent, etc.).
    • or with a German university entrance qualification for a master's program (Bachelor or equivalent)
    • This applies regardless if you have dual citizenship.

If any of these applies to you, please find out more on the website of your desired programme of study.

Visa and Arrival

Students wishing to study at Viadrina should apply for a visa for study purposes at the German consular mission in their home country in good time before entering the country.

Exempt from this regulation are students from:

  • the states of the European Union and
  • countries with which different regulations have been agreed upon (Honduras, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and USA).

You can find information about the regulations that apply to you on the website of the German Foreign Office. There you will also find information on visa requirements or exemptions for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany.

Do not enter Germany as a tourist!
It is not possible to convert a tourist visa into a long-term residence permit in Germany.

Please make sure that you receive a "multiple entry" visa.

Due to the border location of Viadrina, not only dormitories are located on the Polish side; many courses are also offered in the joint institution of the European University Viadrina and the Adam Mickiewicz University, the Collegium Polonicum. Therefore, in any case, you should apply for a Polish visa in addition to the German visa. Inquire in time at a Polish consular representation.

Please make sure that you apply for a "multiple entry" visa, which entitles you to cross the border several times!

You can find information about the regulations that apply to you in Germany on the homepage of the Commissioner for Foreigners.

Arriving

When do I arrive?

Please, arrange your arrival during working days!
You will not reach someone at the university or the halls of resdence during the weekend. For those of you intending to live in one of our residence halls, we recommend to arrive during the office hours of the Studentenwerk. If, for some reason, you have to arrive at the weekend, please, give notice to Interstudis.

Please, arrive at Frankfurt (Oder), at least, the week before semester start!
(i.e. for winter semester: end of September and for summer semester: end of March)

Welcome to Frankfurt (Oder)!
Please, do not mix up Frankfurt (Oder) and Frankfurt am Main! These are two different cities!

Helpful Links

How can I arrive?

In order to travel to Frankfurt (Oder) you will most probably have to go via Berlin.

Berlin is the nearest big town offering mutliple connections, including the BER airport with international flights.

You have the following possibilities to get to Frankfurt (Oder)

Timetables are availabe from the web site of the Deutsche Bahn. Usually, trains are going every 30 minutes from Berlin to Frankfurt (Oder) and are called "Regionalexpress" (RE1). Be aware that the trains can have different destinations, depending on the time. They either go directly to Frankfurt ( Oder ), or via Frankfurt (Oder) to Eisenhüttenstadt or Cottbus.
Please, makes sure to get off the train not at the train station "Frankfurt (Oder) - Rosengarten" but at the next stop "Frankfurt (Oder)".

If you are coming via Poland you can reach Frankfurt (Oder) directly by train.

After the arrival at BER, you can either take a taxi or train (FEX, RE7 or RB14) to reach the train station "Ostkreuz". Tickets are available at the ticket-booth. From this train station, you have a direct connection (RE1) to Frankfurt (Oder). You can check the details regarding the train connection here.

First Steps - What to do?

Please note: You will need about 500,00 € for the first week.
So please make sure you have the money available in cash or in other accounts! You might have difficulties using credit cards and traveller checks.

  • Studentenwerk
    to sign the tenancy agreement and get the key to your room at the students residence from the caretaker

  • Semester contribution
    to transfer or to pay in the semester contribution

  • Health insurance company
    to take out a health insurance policy

  • Matriculations office
    to enrol at the European-Unviersity Viadrina

  • There are special appointments for the next steps!
    Please, contact Interstudis!

    • Registration office/ "Bürgerbüro" (town hall)
      to get officially registered at the registration office
    • Foreigners office/ "Ausländerbehörde" (town hall)
      residence permit / to apply for Polish Visa
      (concerns visiting and exchange students from non-EU countries)

For detailed information and assistance, please, contact us and the Interstudis.

Health Insurance

To enroll at a German university, you need to have valid health insurance policy complying with the German law (Compulsory insurance).
You have to submit the insurance certificate together with the documents for the enrollment (= matriculation) to the university.

Health insurance⠀

Applicants from countries with agreements on social and health insurance do not need a German health insurance policy. This usually applies to all applicants from within the European Union who have a statutory health insurance in one of the countries supporting the European Health Insiurance Card (EHIC). Please inform yourself in advance if this applies to you.

In this case, your EHIC is valid and sufficient. You have to order the EHIC from your insurance company in your home country well in advance. In Germany, you need to present the EHIC to a German health insurance company who will provide you with the necessary insurance certificate for the university.
Here you will find the link to the AOK portal for online applications.
Here you will find the link to the TK portal for online applications.

Attention!

Please send an email with the following information to either Franziska.Herschelmann@tk.de or anke.lanzky@nordost.aok.de to receive the insurance certificate for university:

  • Your first name, surname and your gender
  • Your german adress (including c/o, appartment number etc.)
  • Full name of our university (European-University Viadrina)
  • A scan of your EHIC (a blue EU health card, mostly for EU students).

 

  • For you, a German health insurance policy is in most cases obligatory. After your arrival to Frankfurt (Oder), you have to get such a policy from a statutory German health insurance company. As soon as you are insured, this company will provide you with the necessary insurance certificate for the university.
  • Please, do not buy a health insurance in your home country as those usually do not comply with the legal requirements and, therefore, are not accepted! If you need any kind of insurance document within the application process for a visa, please contact us.
  • There are multiple statutory health insurance companies in Germany and you can select any of them, however, we generally recommend either AOK Nordost or Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) as we and our students have gad a great experience cooperating with them. For more information, please view the linked websites.
  • If you are coming from Turkey and have the AT11 document, you do not need to obtain a German health insurance as the AT11 is fully sufficient. For the matriculation, you will simply need to show the document to a German health insurance company who will provide you with the necessary insurance certificate for the university.
  • Here you will find the link to the AOK portal for online applications.
  • Here you will find the link to the TK portal for online applications.

Attention!

Please send an email with the following informations to either Franziska.Herschelmann@tk.de or anke.lanzky@nordost.aok.de to receive the insurance certificate for university:

  • Your first name, surname and your gender
  • Your german adress (including c/o, appartment number etc.)
  • Full name of our university (European-University Viadrina)
  • A scan of your AT/11 (health document, mostly for Turkish students).

  • For applicants (and students) who are aged 30 and above or who have been studying for more than 14 semesters, the duty to have a compulsory insurance ends. You have to conclude a statutory or privat voluntary insurance instead.
  • In exceptional cases the duty for a compulsory insurance can be prolonged. Please inform yourself in time

 

Additional Insurances (recommended)

Privat liability insurance

  • This insurance is not a compulsory insurance, but one of the most important voluntary insurances. In the internet you can find numerous offers of insurance companies.
  • The private liability insurance pays for harm that accidently has been caused to the property or health of others (e.g. a traffic accident as cycler). The costs for such can reach millions and endanger ones financial situation.

Accident insurance

  • If you are around at the university for study purposes you will be covered by an accident insurance of the Viadrina.
  • In your spare time the accident insurance of the Studentenwerk will apply.

Living

Most students live in modern student dormitories located on both sides of the Oder River in Frankfurt (Oder) and in Słubice. Just like the university buildings, the student dormitories are spread throughout the city. Here is a comparison of the key data:

Student Residences

Student Residences in Frankfurt (Oder)

  • Single room only
  • One-room apartment or two- to five-room shared apartments
  • Price: 200-250 €

Equipment:

  • Bed, table, chair, wardrobe
  • Bed linen (you can borrow)
  • Dishes and cutlery (you can borrow them)
  • Internet (in all dormitories)
  • Washing machines and dryers

More info & requests

Student Residences in Słubice

  • Single and double rooms
  • Two- to eight-room shared flats
  • Price: 330-600 zł (80-150€ / month)

Equipment:

  • Bed, table, chair, wardrobe
  • Bed linen (in standard)
  • Dishes and cutlery (mostly available)
  • Internet (must be ordered separately)
  • Washing machines and dryers

More info & requests

Contacts

Katja Herzel

International applicants

Karolina Ochniowska

Polish applicants

Further Information

Study in Germany