Pre-Arrival

As an international visiting scholar or doctoral candidate, you must be hosted or, depending on your purpose of stay, employed by a department or institute at the university. Once you have come to an agreement with your host and know that you will be spending time in Freiburg, the first step should be to register your stay with the Welcome Service.

We will contact you once we receive your registration and let you know what formalities to take care of. Below you will already find some helpful information.

Documents to Bring

Depending on the type of stay and your nationality, various documents which you should bring with you from your home country are required. The following list contains the most important points (not all points apply to every person):

Passport or Identity Card, valid for the entire duration of your stay in Germany
Visa
Passport photos for ID cards and documents, biometric if necessary
Confirmation of the financing of the stay (scholarship, salary from your home country) in German or English
Proof of health insurance in German or English with confirmation of monthly contributions. If you are subject to compulsory insurance in Germany due to an employment contract: confirmation of your previous health insurance (for example European Health Insurance Card from your previous insurance company)
Certified copies of your academic degrees in German or English translation
Birth certificate and marriage certificate, if possible with German or English translation. Certificates require an apostille or legalisation, depending on the country of issue.
Copies and certified translations of your children's birth certificates with apostille or legalisation if necessary
Credit card and/or debit card
international vaccination card and documents relating to chronic diseases or medication
international driving licence or foreign driving licence

You can also download a PDF of this checklist.

Visa and Entry Requirements

Citizens of countries subject to visa requirements have to apply for a visa in person in their home country at a German embassy or consulate. You can find information about who needs a visa as well as the application process on the Federal Foreign Office's website.

Citizens of the European Union, and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can enter and stay in Germany without a visa and also do not require a residence permit. However, a valid identity card is necessary.

Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and the United States of America can also enter Germany without a visa and stay in the country for up to 90 days. If the stay is longer than 90 days, citizens of these countries have to apply for a residence permit in Germany before the 90 days run out. If the stay includes employment, a type of residence permit allowing for employment is necessary.

Accommodation

You can find general information on finding accommodation on our housing website.

The International Office Freiburg provides a housing database where international scholars, doctoral candidates and students can search for local housing offers. All rooms offered are furnished private housing. If you see an offer you like, you can click "Register as a potential tenant". You will then have access to more information and the landlord's contact information.

The University of Freiburg has guest apartments for international visiting scholars. However, the demand is much higher than the number of available apartments, so we strongly recommend that you simultaneously look for housing on the private market.

You can also consult the following external websites to find accommodation:

Family

If you are planning to bring children, your main source of information is the university's family service.

You can find information on everything from the German school system to financial support on the Federal Minsitry of Education and Research website. One particularly important thing to remember is to have your children's vaccination records translated. Kindergardens and schools require a medical examination and confirmation of the current vaccination status.