Information for International Students

Students from EU countries: Check with your health insurance company whether both your trip and your stay from the very first day in Germany are insured. If you are not insured, please refer to the next section.
Students from non-EU countries: You need travel health insurance for the trip and for your first few weeks in Germany. After your arrival, you must have German health insurance for enrollment. Many German embassies require proof of health insurance if you want to apply for the visa.

In Germany all students are obliged to have health insurance. In most European Union countries your health insurance in your home country will cover you during your stay in Germany  with your European health insurance card (EHIC). Check with your insurance BEFORE(!) you travel to Germany.

If your health insurance is not valid in Germany, you should get travel health insurance that is also valid for the few weeks in Germany, as this will give you enough time to get insurance. You have the option of public or private health insurance, however, the insurance will only be valid starting on the day you enroll at the FH Aachen.

More information about health insurance is on the websites of the German Academic Exchange Service and Deutsches Studentenwerk.

With public health insurance you will pay approximately the same charges everywhere. The services offered by the different insurance providers are almost the same.

With private health insurance you can choose between different tariffs. Even the variety of services offered will be different, however, if you select private health insurance, it must be approved by a public health insurance company before you can enroll. Most private health insurance companies require payment when services are rendered, then you must apply for a refund.

Disclaimer:

The information provided here is a service of the Department of International Affairs and is only general guidance. No liability is assumed for the accuracy of the content matter.

Luggage Insurance

If you are bringing precious and expensive items along with you, such as a notebook, you should consider getting special luggage insurance.

Liability Insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung)

When you damage someone else's property, you are held liable for the damage you caused. In many cases the damages may be so high that you may have difficulty paying them. Therefore, liability insurance is strongly recommended. Almost all insurance companies offer a Privathaftpflichtversicherung, which may cost around 60 EUR per year.

Houshold Insurance

Houshold insurance covers objects in your apartment that are stolen or damaged, for example, damage caused by water, fire or burglary. Almost all insurance companies offer this.  The cost depends on the size of your apartment and what you insure.

A Study Progress Certificate (Studienverlaufsbescheinigung) is proof of your study progress and current exam status with an estimate of when you will be able to successfully complete your studies. 

You must submit this letter to the Foreigners' Office whenever they require you to do so. This is usually when

• you have studied longer than the standard study period
• you want to change your field of study or university and you are in the fourth are higher semester

Contact the Department of International Affairs of the FH Aachen by email as soon as you know whtat you need a Study Progress Certificate (Studienverlaufsbescheinigung).  It generally takes 2-3 weeks to prepare this document.

Attach to your email:

1. Part A of the Fragebogen (Questionnaire). If you have problems downloading, see below "Tips for opening and saving documents".
2. Your Erklärung/Authorization that you permit the information to be given to the Foreigners' Office (Page 2 of the Fragebogen)
3. Your QIS-Notenspiegel (QIS-Transcript) with all exam attempts. You can download this as a pdf at QIS.
4. If necessary, you can book an appointment for a private meeting with the Department of International Affairs.

Information from the documents above will be used to write your Study Progress Certificate, which can be sent directly to the Foreigners' Office.

Contacts in the Department of Internatioinal Affairs:

Students who live in Aachen or StädteRegion Aachen:

• Ms. Sabine Brinker

Students who live in Jülich or elsewhere in Kreis Düren:

• Mr. Christopher Bürger

Students who live elsewhere should contact the person in the Department of International Affairs in the city where you study.

No online appointment available?

If you could not book an appointment with the Foreigners' Office before your residence permit expires, be sure to send an email so that there is written proof that you tried to book an appointment on time.

In order to meet the deadline, in some cases you can also send the signed application form for an extension by post or hand it into the Foreigners' Office front desk. However, we do not recommend that you hand in your passport and residence permit without an appointment. Instead, send a photocopy. Check if this procedure is permitted at the Foreigners’ Office responsible for you.

Responsible Foreigners' Office

You must book the appointment at the Foreigners' Office responsible for the city where you live.

Important: If you have moved from another city, the Foreigners' Office of the old city is responsible for extending your residence permit until you have registered at the new city registration office.

If you want to change your field of study or university after the end of your third university semester, you always need the prior (!) approval of the Foreigners' Office. An appointment is required for this.

Do not hope for a retroactive approval - this can go wrong and be rejected....

Please contact the Department of International Affairs at the FH Aachen before you make a final decision.

As a general rule, if you are enrolled in a new field of study, you must have your residence permit changed immediately at the Foreigners' Office to show the new information.

How to increase the chance of the change being approved?

• If many credits can be transferred to the new field of study or university
• If you are placed in a higher semester
• If the change does not cause a major delay in the length of your studies
• If there is a good reason for the change
• If you can still complete your degree within a total study period of 10 years

In most cases you will need a Study Progress Certificate (Studienverlaufsbescheinigung) (see above).

Students from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

As a student from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, your status is the same as a German student and, therefore, you have free access to the German labor market and do not need a formal work permit. During the lecture period, you may work a maximum of 20 hours per week in order to maintain your student status. During the lecture-free period, the maximum working hours per week may exceed 20 hours.

Students from non-European Union countries

International students (with a residence permit according to §16) are generally allowed the following without a work permit:

• You may work 140 days per calender year while studying (< 4 hours = counted half day, > 4 hours = counted as day). Your employer and you must keep a list (a working time account) of the days you work. In another calculation method 2,5 workings days per week may now be counted as a flat rate (if you do not work more than 20 hours per week during the lecture period) independent of the actual distribution of your working hours. The calculation method that is more favorable for you will be applied.
• In addition, you may work as part of a practical semester, practical project (= required internship, with or without payment), research semester or research project and your final thesis (= working as part of your studies) as required by your examination regulations (Prüfungsordnungen). The examination regulations for all FH Aachen degree programs can be found at Pruefungsordnungen.
• Additional subject-related employment as a student or research assistant ("Hiwi" or "Wihi") at the university or a research institution such as the FZ Jülich or the Fraunhofer Institute is generally permitted.

Important: For a "Hiwi" or "Wihi" job: The Foreigners' Office must still check if it is actually a job related to your studies. Contact the Foreigners' Office and have your employment contract checked.

Do not work without a residence permit

You are only allowed to work in a student part-time job - even if it is without a work permit - if you have a residence permit and the accompanying document (Zusatzblatt) allow this.

You usually cannot work with your 90-day entry visa. If your visa is long-term (6-12) months, be sure to see if this is permitted on the accompanying document (Zusatzblatt).

Work Permit

You have to apply for a work permit at the Foreigners' Office before you start working for all employment beyond the above-mentioned regulations.  In this case, the Foreigners' Office works together with the Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit).

International students usually do not get a work permit before they graduate, as the main purpose of their stay in Germany is to study.

Voluntary internships

For voluntary internships (including unpaid ones) that are not required by your examination regulations, you must use your 140 days per calendar year, if you have not already used them for other work. For longer voluntary internships you need a work permit, which is only possible for a very good reason.

Job portals for students (also for Hiwi-jobs, internships and theses)

Jobportal der FH Aachen

RWTH Jobportal

Jobbörse des AStA der RWTH Aachen

Bundesagentur für Arbeit

Further Information (auch zu social contributions, taxes, minimum wage)

https://www.internationale-studierende.de/waehrend-des-studiums/jobben

https://www.daad.de/de/studieren-und-forschen-in-deutschland/erste-schritte-deutschland/nebenjobs/

https://www.study-in-germany.de/de/deutschland/studienalltag/nebenjob/

https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/de/studium-ausbildung/studieren-in-deutschland/arbeit

https://www.bmas.de/DE/Arbeit/Arbeitsrecht/Mindestlohn/mindestlohn-praktikum.html