FAQ for international degree seekers of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
Questions about registration and re-registration in Osnabrück
Students from an EU country & students from a non-EU country with a visa for the entire stay:
You register your new place of residence directly at the Bürgeramt in Osnabrück. We have instructions on how to make an appointment.
Please bring these documents with you:
- filled out confirmation of residence
- If you are supported by the housing service of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, you will receive the confirmation of residence by e-mail from our colleagues. Write an e-mail to housing@hs-osnabrueck.de
- If you have found your accommodation on your own, give the confirmation of residence to your landlord. They will need to fill it out and sign it.
- Copy of valid passport
- Copy of all passport pages with stamps
- Original passport or identity card
Students from a non-EU country without a visa / with a visa that does NOT cover the entire stay:
You register at the Foreigners' Registration Office. You can find everything here.
Students from a non-EU country without a visa / with a visa, which does NOT cover the entire stay register at the Immigration Office.
Please bring these documents with you:
- filled out confirmation of residence
- If you are supported by the housing service of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, you will receive the confirmation of residence by e-mail from our colleagues. Write an e-mail to housing@hs-osnabrueck.de
- If you have found your accommodation on your own, give the confirmation of residence to your landlord. They will need to fill it out and sign it.
- Copy of valid passport
- Copy of all passport pages with stamps
- Valid national passport / copy of visa or current residence permit
- Certificate of enrollment
- Proof of health insurance cover
- Confirmation of appointment from the citizens' registration office
- Proof of financial resources (bank statements, letter of commitment, scholarship certificate, blocked account, etc.
You can make an appointment by e-mail: abh@osnabrueck.de
Or you can contact your case handler directly. You will be assigned to a case handler based on your last name. To find your case handler, click here.
You should include the following documents in your email in PDF format:
- Valid national passport/copy of visa or current residence permit
- Certificate of enrolment
- Certificate of the expected duration of studies (only from the 4th semester)
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof of financial resources, usually bank statements for the last three months
- Tenancy agreement or landlord's confirmation of moving in
Make sure you send all your documents to the immigration office. Because: If the residence permit expires in the meantime, the e-mail sent by the applicant is considered to be an application in due time. This also applies to registration deadlines under the Federal Act on Registration.
By providing financial proof, you can show the German authorities that you have enough money to live on. Currently, you need to prove that you have around 1,000 euros (992 euros) per month.
You have several options:
- Blocked account
This is an account that you set up before leaving for Germany. After entering the country, you can only withdraw a certain amount of money each month (max. �934). - Proof of your parents' income
You must provide proof of your parents' financial circumstances, showing that they can support you throughout your entire stay. - Scholarship Certificate
A certificate from a recognized scholarship provider confirming that you are receiving financial support. - Letter of commitment
An official document in which a relative or friend residing in Germany agrees to cover your expenses. - Bank guarantee
A guarantee from a bank ensuring that your financial needs are covered.
You can find more detailed information here.
Questions about health insurance
In most cases, foreign health insurance policies are not recognized in Germany. However, sufficient health insurance coverage is required for enrollment at a German university.
Therefore, you should start thinking about your health insurance now. Here are some tips:
Are you under 30 years old?
Then you can take advantage of a special student rate. It costs about 110 euros per month. You can find more information about statutory health insurance at the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV). This website also provides an overview of the different statutory health insurance companies.
Are you 30 years or older?
Then you are subject to the normal health insurance tariff, even if you are still a student. In this case, private health insurance may be cheaper for you. The Deutsche Studierendenwerk recommends VELA with the VELA Optimal plan.
We recommend that you purchase statutory health insurance at the student rate.
Yes, there are cheaper private health insurance plans available. However, these plans do not provide the coverage you need. It is also possible that your insurance will not be recognized by the immigration authorities.
Important:
Once you have private health insurance, you cannot switch to public health insurance during your studies. Therefore, do not allow yourself to be exempted from the public health insurance requirement.
After your 30th birthday, you can no longer be insured at the low student rate of the statutory health insurance companies. You can buy voluntary insurance from a statutory health insurance fund - but this is very expensive.
The Deutsche Studierendenwerk recommends VELA with the VELA Optimal plan, as the benefits are similar to those of the statutory insurance.
Questions about part-time jobs
Students from EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland may take up any work under the same conditions as German students. This means 20 hours per week during the lecture period and 182 calendar days (26 weeks) within an employment year during the lecture-free period.
International students from third countries may work 140 full days or 280 half days per year in Germany. Unless you have a job as a student assistant (see here). In addition, you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week. In these cases, you do not need permission from the Immigration Office. However, if you want to work on a self-employed basis, the immigration authority must approve this.
Working students benefit from the so-called working student privilege and are exempt from almost all tax obligations.
A mini-job, on the other hand, is simply a part-time job in which you earn a maximum of 538 euros per month (as of 2024).
Student assistant jobs do not fall under the 140 full days or 280 half days rule!
In a full-time job, you work 35 to 40 hours per week, depending on the employer. As a full-time student, you are not allowed to have a full-time job.
You will always need permission from the immigration office to work as a freelancer. Please contact your immigration office directly.
The identification number is also called tax ID or StID. It will be sent to you by letter once you have registered with the city of Osnabrück.
The tax office will send you the StID within 2-3 weeks to the address at which you are registered in Germany/Osnabrück. Often even within a week. If you have not received your StID after these 3 weeks, or if you have lost it, you can contact the tax office and request your StID again.
If you are an international student working in Germany, you will have to pay income tax. This is because everyone who earns income in Germany is subject to income tax.
This means that you are subject to the same rules as German employees.
If you have to file a tax return, we have some tips for you here:
Ratgeber für Steuern
Kostenfreie Rechtsberatung des AStA (Allgemeinen Studierendenausschuss)
Questions about the bank account
For international students, a current account is usually free of charge.
Questions about finding a place to live
We have various student residences in the city. The rent there is cheap and the connections are good. You can find all the information here.
Important: You can also apply for a room without a certificate of enrollment. Be sure to do this to increase your chances!
If you don't want to live in a dormitory, we've put together a list of links to help you find a place to live:
/studium/studierendenleben/wohnen/
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-osnabrueck/wohnung/k0l3117
https://www.uni-osnabrueck.de/studieninteressierte/leben-in-osnabrueck/wohnen/
https://zweitraum-osnabrueck.de/mitwohnzentrale-osnabrueck-mieten.html
https://www.schwarzesbrett.uni-osnabrueck.de/index.php
In general, Osnabrück is very safe and not very big compared to other cities. Even if your accommodation is not centrally located, you can get to your classes by bus or bike in 30 to 40 minutes at the most.
When looking for accommodation, we recommend the districts of Wüste, Sonnenhügel, Haste and Dodesheide.
We also recommend Pye, Lüstringen, Nahne and Voxtrup. However, these are on the outskirts of the city.
What we do not recommend: Apartments near the station and in Johannisstra?e.
Questions about the Licence Fee
There is detailed information on the Licence Fee website, also in other languages: https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/welcome/index_ger.html#the_licence_fee
If you are a student living in a shared apartment, one person pays the fee and the others pay their share to that person. You are therefore sharing the fee.
Questions about studying
Of course! Our students network with each other in a WhatsApp group. Write to us at international@hs-osnabrueck.de and you will be added to the group.
There you can ask other students your questions and get to know new people.
We offer several scholarships to support you during your studies in Germany. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD ) also offers scholarships for which you can apply.
You can find a list of scholarships that may be of interest to you here.