Freemovers exchange students not from a partner university
Welcome to the Freemover Program at the FH Aachen
International applicants who wish to apply to the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences for a non-degree period of study, but not as part of an exchange programme or a university partnership, may apply as "freemovers" for one semester.
As a student in the Freemover programme, you may work in a lab with a professor.
Freemovers cannot attend classes or write exams.
Requirements for the Freemover program
- During your enrollment as a Freemover at the FH Aachen you must be registered in a Bachelor's, Master's or Ph.D. program in a country outside Germany. Students who are not yet registered at a university cannot apply to the Freemover program.
- A faculty member in a comparable degree program at the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences must act as your supervisor for the duration of your stay (Nomination with a confirmation of academic supervision). You must arrange this yourself. The Department of International Affairs cannot find a supervisor for you.
- You must have good German (at least B2) or very good English language skills (B2, IELTS 5.5 or an equivalent certificate)
- Health Insurance:
- According to German law, all students are required to have valid health insurance. Your student health insurance does not take effect until you are registered as a student, which can be up to two weeks after you arrive.
- The price for student health insurance is set by the German government for students under 30. It is currently about €80 per month. All offer the same basic services, so all student health insurance policies are basically the same. Prices for students over €30 will vary, depending on the company.
- European Union: Your health insurance company in your home country will be able to tell you whether you are still insured during your stay in Germany. In most cases, students from EU countries can use their blue European health insurance card (EHIC) to prove that they are insured in their native country and that the insurance is valid in Germany. Please ask your insurance provider BEFORE (!) you travel to Germany, as that will simplify matters. You must contact a German statutory health insurance provider upon arrival in Germany in order to arrange the documents you need for student registration.
- Non-European Union: If your personal health insurance is not valid in Germany, you must buy travel health insurance that is valid for your first two weeks in Germany. This will give you enough time to get registered as a student and insured for the rest of your stay. Your student health insurance is only valid starting on the day you register. Depending on how long you intend to stay in Germany, either statutory or private health insurance may be a better option for you. More information will be available after admission.
- You can find more information about health insurance on the websites of the German Academic Exchange Service and Deutsches Studentenwerk.
- With private health insurance you can choose between different tariffs and the services will vary accordingly. Information in various languages on the topic can also be found on the website www.1a-krankenversicherung.de. (Please be aware that this website is from a private organisation and does not list all health insurance companies in Germany.)
Application Procedure
- Find a professor who you want to work with. Ask him or her to sign the Nomination with a confirmation of academic supervision. This should be sent to freemover(at)fh-aachen.de.
- After the Department of International Affairs has received the Nomination with a confirmation of academic supervision, we will email you application information to the Freemover programme.
- After you have uploaded your application and documents, we will send you an admission letter and confirmation for the German embassy.
- After you get your visa, contact the Department of International Affairs regarding your arrival date and other details.
- Arrange your room in Germany before you leave your home country. We can give you a list of contacts, but cannot arrange the room for you.
Conditions of the Freemover Program
- Applicants must pay the full semester contribution with student registration (currently about € 320 per semester).
- Freemover students may only be enrolled during one semester. They may not stay for two semesters.
- We regret that it is not possible for applicants who are not registered at a university in their own country to register for this "Freemover" programme.
- We welcome Freemovers to participate in our research projects, however, Freemovers cannot work towards a degree from the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences.
Contact
Only for questions about the freemover programme: freemoverfh-aachen.de
We cannot answer questions about any other programmes at this email address.