FAQ

Germany is not very expensive compared to other European countries. The costs for food, housing, clothing and cultural offerings are only slightly above the EU average.
You should estimate approximate monthly expenses of  € 1,000. This is just a guideline - you might also get by with less, especially because small cities like Neu-Ulm are usually cheaper than cities like Munich or Stuttgart. :

• 400 to 600 € rent monthly (the average rent for a shared room in Ulm is  480 €)
• 20 € for German licence fee, monthly
• 350 € for food, teaching materials and transportation, monthly
• 145 € for the German public Health Insurance, monthly
• 500 € deposit for the public student residence, once
• 85 € administration fee, at the start of each semester
• 100 € for the electronic residence permit, once you apply for visa extension

There are often special rates for students, e.g. for the Ermäßigungsticket Bayern (opens in a new window). And there are no tuition fees for international students in the state of Bavaria (only an administration fee - see above (amount varies between universities)). If you live on a low budget learn about options to save money in Germany.  (opens in a new window)

Please consider, that there is no guarantee that you will find a job to support yourself during your stay. The German language is often a prerequisite to get a job. You should therefore be aware of the fact that you will have to live off your own personal funds, support by your family or scholarhship resources only.

Please note: In order to apply for a visa, you usually have to prove financial means for the entire stay (in advance!) and  open a so-called blocked account (depending on the requirements of the responsible embassy). In Germany people often pay with cash. 

No, we do not provide scholarships for exchange students. Please ask your home university for scholarship opportunities.

For an exchange semester in Germany, foreign students (except EU citizens and citizens of certain countries - see overview (opens in a new window) of visa requirements) require a valid residence permit for study purposes. They must apply for their visa before entering Germany.
We will provide you with detailed information about this after admission to your semester abroad via Mobility-Online. Since it can take up to twelve weeks to process a visa application, you should submit your application immediately after admission.
Please note that, as a rule, you will have to prove financial means for the entire semester when applying for a visa. Therefore, please consider in advance whether you can afford a semester abroad in Germany.

New regulations after March 2024 (opens in a new window)

Without a work permit, international students from non-EU countries may work a maximum of 140 full days or 280 half days (4 hours per day) per calendar year. Students from the EU have free access to the job market and are practically on equal terms with German students. All students are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during lecture period (e.g. as a "Werkstudent") in order to keep the student status in regard to social contribution e.g. student health insurance. A "Minijob" with a limited income of 538 € per month allows to work without paying social contribution or taxes. The minimum wage in Germany is 12,41 € per hour (since 1.10.2024). 

Good to know:  If you sign a work contract, you need your German tax ID. You get atax ID when you register your address for the first time. 2 to 4 weeks later, you get a letter from the tax office "Finanzamt. Your tax ID is in the top right corner.

When applying for a job in Germany applicants should know which application standards (opens in a new window) apply. Read the advertisement carefully. Documents are usually sent in one PDF file by e-mail.

• Get some inspiration at the Job portal Innovation region Ulm, our Alumni insights, the HNU's job platform or our LinkedIn Website. 
• Working student jobs ("Werkstudent") offer you very good opportunities to gain professional experience. There are numerous job offers in the region (Ulm, Stuttgart, Munich) available in English. You can use the keywords "Werkstudent" ,"English", "Remote". The website Jobs in English shows you jobs for English speaking professionals in Germany. However, we highly recommend you to work on your German language skills. 
• Writing thesis in a company (“Abschlussarbeit Bachelor/Master)In order to graduate from a university, students are required to write a thesis. You can do this either by yourself, or with a company. Students may want to investigate a specific issue in a company and write about how to tackle it.
• The Welcome Center Ulm/Oberschwaben or Welcome Center Ostwürttemberg have contacts to companies in the region and mediates e.g. via a company fair. If you are looking for jobs relevant to your studies or a job to start your career, you will find support on their websites. The Welcome Center also offers seminars and advice on how to apply for and find a job. 
• You can also find flexible part-time jobs, for example in supermarkets, helping elderly persons or babysitting, teaching English use Minijob, Anzeiger or jobmeineStadt.
• For jobs as a student assistant, it is best to ask your professors directly, contact the Founders Space or network on LinkedIn. You can also find current job postings on the homepage in Moodle.
• Volunteer experience can also give you an advantage when applying for a job in Germany. You will also work on your soft skills, meet new people and improve your language skills.  If you want to share your experience at the HNU, join the Lokale Erasmus Initiative Neu-Ulm. 

We strongly recommend to every exchange student (especially students from outside Europe) to open a bank account in Germany because it makes your daily life much easier. If you want to open a bank account, you can indicate this in Mobility-Online after your admission to the HNU. If you decide to open a German bank account, we will forward all necessary information as well as a copy of your passport to our local bank Sparkasse for the opening process. You will then receive the contract from us for signature during the orientation weeks for exchange students.

All students in Germany must have a health insurance either from a private or public health insurance company. Without valid health insurance you cannot be enrolled at any university in Germany.
If you are an exchange student from a EU country, you can in most cases keep your existing insurance and will only need your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) as an insurance proof.
If you are an exchange student from a Non-EU country, you can either have a foreign private health insurance, which covers all costs in case of illness and accident medical treatments, or take out a German health insurance. Travel insurances are usually not valid for studying at a German university (!).
We will inform you in detail about questions regarding health insurace via Mobility-Online after your admission to the HNU.

You can indicate priorities and preferences about the room during the application process in Mobility-Online. The student residences are located close to the HNU and are among the best and most affordable accommodation options for exchange students. However, the rooms are in high demand and the available rooms for exchange students are limited. Therefore, we cannot guarantee a room. We will inform you in time (approx. 2-3 months before arrival) when there are too few rooms available. In this case your flexibility and initiative are required to find a place to live by yourself. We will support you with information and links to (private) offers.