First steps for first semester students
Dear first-year students,
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this guide is intended to serve as your orientation and checklist. The chronology of this checklist corresponds to the needs of the average foreign full student at the beginning of their studies. Of course, it is also possible and useful to tackle individual points at the same time. At first glance, the list seems long, and indeed many tasks and administrative procedures await you. But you will grow with your experiences and learn a lot - after all, that is why you decided to study in Germany. We wish you a successful start to your studies at the 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】 of Augsburg, many new contacts and a good time with us. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!
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- Phone: +49 821 598 - 5065
From receipt of the admission letter
When do the courses start? Until when do I have to register for the exams? Are there any days off in between? What other important dates are there?
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Find out about the semester and lecture times at Augsburg 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】.
After receiving your admission, you will have to deal with the issue of finding a room as soon as possible. The university cannot arrange a room for you. You must become active yourself.
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We have prepared a detailed guide to finding accommodation in Augsburg for you. To receive it, please send us an e-mail to info[@]aaa.uni-augsburg.de together with your letter of admission or certificate of enrolment.
- Where do you start?
- ?Find out about different types of housing!
- ?What is a dormitory? Which dormitories are there in Augsburg? Where are they located? How expensive are the rooms? How do you apply?
- ?What is a WG? Where can I find offers for WGs?
- ?What is the difference between WG, dormitory and private apartment? What is best for me?
- General information and addresses can be found here:? /en/studium/studieren-augsburg/wohnen/
- Apply for dormitory places with several providers! If you get more than one acceptance, you can "return" a room you don't need relatively easily if you haven't signed a lease for it yet.
- Stay active! Ask! Do not wait until the providers contact you (possibly with a rejection). Keep on searching yourself!
- Find out about rooms for interim rent (in shared flats, dormitories, hostels, youth hostels, etc.) for several weeks/ months/ a semester. This is a good alternative until you have found or can move into your "own room"!
Tip:
The later you start looking for a room, the more difficult the search will be. It is best to start today! Even if you are not yet in Germany/ in Augsburg, you have to deal with the topic of finding a room!
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You can already transfer the semester fee from your home country. Check beforehand whether you have to pay extra fees for this at your (foreign) bank. Transferring the semester fee is a prerequisite for enrolment. The semester fee must be transferred every semester ("Rückmeldung").
We organize a buddy programme for new foreign students. Augsburg students from higher semesters volunteer in this program. These students would like to support you in your start at the 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】 of Augsburg and are available to help you with your questions during your first semester. Be sure to sign up via this online form.
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If you would like to be notified by email of upcoming events, scholarship announcements, etc., please send an email to info@aaa.uni-augsburg.de [Subject: aaa-infomail]
If you have German language skills (B2) and start your studies in the winter semester, we recommend that you take part in the Study Preparation Course.
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For new students, there are introductory events at the beginning of the semester (usually in the two weeks before lectures start) in which important information about the organisation of studies is given. Find out when your introductory events take place and be sure to attend.
/de/studium/organisation-beratung/beginn-verlauf/einfuhrungsveranstaltungen/
Guided city tour - Saturday, 12 October 2024, 13:30 to approx. 15:30, meeting point: Rathausplatz.
Explore Augsburg together with other international students on a free guided tour of the city. The professional guided tour is free of charge for you, however (optional) entrance fees may apply.
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Please note: You must register for the City tour: https://augsburg.esn.world/events
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Semester-Kick-Off with the Buddies - Monday, 14 October 7pm @ (Hermann-K?hl-Stra?e 25)
Augsburg has a well-developed network of trams and buses.
There is a timetable information service on the AVV website which you can use to find the right connection.
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You can also download the AVV app to your smartphone from the app/play store and search for the right connections while travelling.
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The AVV also offers various overviews of the route network on its homepage.
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Students in Augsburg can apply for a discounted Deutschlandticket (just under 16 euros/month).
Immediately after arrival
With a German SIM card you are easy to reach and you can, for example, actively search for a room. We therefore recommend that you buy a German SIM card soon after your arrival.
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Since you will be staying in Germany for several years, it can be useful to purchase a German cell phone contract. Before you have found the right provider, you can buy a prepaid card. Prepaid cards themselves are free of charge; you only pay the amount you use afterwards to make phone calls / send SMS / use the internet. Prepaid cards are available from about EUR 10. You can buy them in electronics stores (e.g. 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】iaMarkt, Saturn) or in drugstores (e.g. Rossmann, dm, Drogeriemarkt Müller etc.), but also in supermarkets (e.g. Lidl, ALDI).
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We recommend doing this step together with your tutor. He/she can help you to select and activate the appropriate SIM card (Internet access may be required for this).
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You need a bank account in Germany
- if you stay in Germany for several years and
- rent a dorm room and/or
- take out a German health insurance and/or
- will be working in Germany alongside your studies.
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Which bank you choose is your decision. Our tip: Choose a bank that has a branch or ATM where you often go, so that you can later withdraw money with your GiroKarte free of charge. Most international students therefore open an account with the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg. They have many ATMs throughout the city (also at the university), and you can use the account on the day you open it.
To open an account, please make an appointment at a bank branch of your choice, e.g:
Stadtsparkasse Univiertel: phone number: 0821/32557385, e-mail address: gs038@sska.de, address: Hermann-K?hl-Str. 9, 86159 Augsburg
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Alternatively: Online-Bank N26 ( https://support.n26.com/en-de/account-and-personal-details/opening-an-account/how-to-open-my-n26-account)
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Required documents:
- a German cell phone number (for online banking!)
- Your complete address in Germany (with apartment number if you live in the dormitory/ you will receive your money card by mail after about two weeks)
- Your registration confirmation from the city OR rental contract
- Your letter of admission from the university (as confirmation that you will be a student)
- Your tax identification number* from your home country
* With the tax identification number (also TIN) we check your identity. If you do not pay taxes in your home country, you do not need to provide a number. You must then sign a form that you are not liable to pay tax.
A current account is free of charge for students under 28 years of age. However, when you open the account, you must indicate that you will be a student and you must present a certificate of enrollment at your bank after enrollment.
To enroll at the 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】 of Augsburg, you need a valid health insurance policy.
In order to use your foreign health insurance in Germany, your country must have a social security agreement with Germany. This is the case if you have an EHIC card. Go to a German health insurance company with your valid EHIC card and ask for an "insurance certificate for enrollment".
Do not forget that
- ... you have to take care of extending your foreign health insurance yourself. It may happen that you cannot extend your foreign health insurance after a few semesters of study because you no longer live exclusively in your home country, but in Germany.
- … this type of insurance only pays the costs that your insurance company would pay in your home country. It sometimes happens that German doctors recommend treatments whose costs are not covered by your foreign health insurance. You would then have to pay for these treatments yourself.
- … you will have to take out statutory health insurance for students if you are going to work in Germany.
This gives you a very good insurance coverage and no problems with the acceptance of the insurance at the immigration office. Furthermore, the health insurance is valid within the EU and some additional countries. The health insurance for students of the public health insurance companies in Germany costs about EUR 110 per month and is only possible for students under 30 years of age.
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All statutory health insurance companies offer essentially the same services. An overview of the statutory health insurance companies can be found here: https://www.gesetzlichekrankenkassen.de/kassen/kassen.html
On the websites of the individual health insurance companies you can get detailed information about the services of the respective insurance.
The university is not allowed to recommend you a special health insurance. If you are unsure about which insurance company to choose, the following questions and tips may help you:
- Does the insurance company have an office (a branch office) in Augsburg? If so, where exactly? Is there a contact person especially for students? Make an appointment and get advice.
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Techniker Krankenversicherung (TK): Contact person for students (German, English): Mr Georg Sch?llhorn, Georg.Schoellhorn@tk.de, Telefon +49 (0)175 722 5127, Summer semester 2024, office hours in the foyer of the Mensa building: Wednesdays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 15.05.2024, 19.06.2024 and 10.07.2024
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Barmer: Contact person for students (German, English, Vietnamese): Ms Ngoc Oanh Le, ngocoanh.le@barmer.de, phone +49 (0)160 90456297
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AOK Augsburg: can be reached by phone and email (German, English): augsburg.team41@service.by.ako.de, phone 0049-821 321-0
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- Ask other students where they are insured and find out if they are satisfied with their insurance
A private health insurance is cheaper than the statutory one, but it also offers fewer benefits. In addition, you often have to pay the costs of treatment yourself first and are then reimbursed by the insurance company. With private health insurances, the monthly contributions increase with your age, and if you take up studies in Germany as a privately insured person, you can no longer switch to a statutory health insurance for the entire duration of your studies.
If you are older than 30 years, however, only private health insurance is an option for you (e.g. MAWISTA, care concept).
If you are unsure, please contact us.
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Current information on the enrolment/matriculation process can be found
here.
Please also note the enrolment checklist relevant for your degree programme at the bottom of the linked page.
After enrolment, your applicant ID (login & password) remains active for another 20 days. During this period, you can log into the VIBS portal and collect your RZ ID (important for using all online services) yourself. The Campus Card will be sent to you by post. It is therefore very important that you always have an up-to-date postal address in the VIBS portal.
The CampusCard is important because it combines various functions. The CampusCard is: student ID, library card, semester ticket, "means of payment" on campus and copy card.
Please note that the CampusCard must be validated at the beginning of each semester in order to be valid. If the CampusCard is not validated, it will lose its validity.
You can find all other important information about the CampusCard
here: /de/studium/studieren-augsburg/semesterticket/
After enrollment
Each student receives his or her data center identification (RZ-ID) and an initial password upon enrollment. You need these data to register for courses in the Digicampus, to get access to the WLAN and to use the computers at the university. You can also use the vibs portal, where you can view and change your personal data and, for example, create enrollment certificates.
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Certificate of enrollment
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It serves as an official proof of your studies at the 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】 of Augsburg and you need it to complete some bureaucratic steps (i.e. you have to present it to your health insurance, bank, etc. after enrollment). You also need to present your certificate of enrollment when you apply for your residence permit).
To create your certificate of enrollment, please follow the steps below. To do so, log in to the vibs portal ? https://vibs.uni-augsburg.de
- Click on the word study service in the green field.
- Then click on Certificates, the fourth tab above.
- Click on the print icon next to Enrollment-Certificate.
- Your matriculation certificate will appear and you can print it out or save it as a pdf file.
For more information about the functions and applications of vibs, click here:
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You must be enrolled in order to register for your courses!
Once you have successfully enrolled, you can and should register for courses online via the Digicampus platform. You do not need to register for courses at the Law Faculty via Digicampus.
Please select your courses and organize your timetable as early as possible. You can search for courses in the Digicampus either under "Facilities", "List of modules" or under "Course catalog:
https://digicampus.uni-augsburg.de
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Use the help for timetable creation offered by your subject! Visit the corresponding introductory events for first semester students at the beginning of the semester! Often you will also find information for first semesters on the website of your degree program regarding course selection or sample timetables.
Visit the office hours of your departmental student advisor or contact the student council of your subject if you need help.
After arrival
Registration
All students must register with the City of Augsburg within two weeks of arrival. For the registration you need your passport and a confirmation of accommodation.
Non-EU-citizens register at the Hochschulbetteuungsstelle. Registration of non-EU citizens
EU-citizens register at one of the citizens' offices of the city of Augsburg. Registration EU-Citizen
Apply for a residence permit
Foreign students from non-EU countries apply for their residence permit at the Hochschulbetreuungsstelle*.
*The ?Hochschulbetreuungsstelle“ is a joint institution of the Foreigners' Registration Office and the International Office of the 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】 of Augsburg.
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The International Office organizes a language tandem program, which offers you the opportunity to expand or deepen your language skills with the help of a language partner.
Events like our " Country Nights" and the socio-cultural offers of ESN Augsburg are a very good way to make new contacts.
Instagram: esnaugsburg and the app augsburg.esn.world
Get to know more about Germany, other countries and make new friends by joing our events!
The certificate can be acquired by German and foreign students of all courses of study who are involved in the intercultural field.
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Participants take advantage of offers in the areas of language and communication, experience abroad, university involvement and further education with an international focus
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The 威尼斯赌博游戏_威尼斯赌博app-【官网】 of Augsburg offers the opportunity to further improve your German language skills through free courses at all levels.