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International Exchange Students

Drei Studierende Personen vor dem Gebäude in Soest.
  1. Prospective Students
  2. Exchange Students
  3. Further Information for you stay

Further Information for your stay at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences

Before the mobility

Degree programs
South Westphalia UAS offers 85 degree programs, 59 Bachelor degree programs and 26 Master degree programs. Please check our English taught degree programs and inform yourself about their contents. If you want to be enrolled in a degree program in German, please check the level of German that you will need to be accepted in the list of all our degree programs.

Lecture Periods
In Germany, the academic year starts with the winter semester and is followed by the summer semester. For Universities of Applied Sciences the winter semester officially starts on 01. September and ends on the 28. February, the summer semester starts on 01. March and ends on 31. August. There are two lecture periods, one in each semester. The lecture periods for study courses at South Westphalia UAS may vary slightly for its individual departments, so please contact incoming@fh-swf.de if you need the very exact dates.

German Language Course
South Westphalia UAS offers German language courses on our campus in Soest and either in Iserlohn or in Hagen depending on the number of exchange students applying for the individual campus. Therefore, the German language courses are not provided every semester. If you are interested in taking part in a German course, please contact the International Office (incoming@fh-swf.de) for availability and exact dates. The German courses at South Westphalia UAS are free of charge. We recommend our international exchange students to take part in our German course if they have the chance. Erasmus+ students are urgently recommended to make use of the OSL language courses offered by the Erasmus+ programme. Start the courses as soon as possible so that you have some basic knowledge of German when you arrive. Students receiving a grant from the DAAD should complete the online German course with Deutsch-Uni Online Deutsch Uni Online. These courses are recommended by the DAAD and students can acquire ECTS credits for them.

Visa
Non-EU nationals generally require a visa to study in Germany. To apply for a visa, you need your Letter of Acceptance that we send you once we have received and accepted your application. You must apply for a visa at the nearest consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in your home country. Please apply for the visa as soon as possible as it can take some time until it is issued (often about 3 months). Certain nationals are allowed to enter Germany without a visa but need to apply for a residence permit at the nearest authority for foreigners upon arrival (e.g. nationals of the United Kingdom, the USA, Japan etc.). If you are a non EU-national and your visa expires before you return to your home country, you must apply for a residence permit at the local authority for foreigners immediately after your arrival in Germany. You are urgently warned against entering the country as a tourist. A tourist visa cannot be retrospectively converted into a visa or residence permit for educational purposes.

On the web site of The Federal Foreign Office you find all essential information on German entry regulations.
Your visa application has to be directed to the German embassy or consulate in your country.
Find German representations abroad.

Evidence of sufficient financial funds
To receive the student visa, you must attest your financial resources. You have to verify to the German embassy/consulate in your country of residence, as well as to the authorities in the town you will live in (when you apply for a residence permit), that you have sufficient funds to finance your stay (living expenses) here in Germany. The amount is 992 € per month or 11,904 € per year as of January 1, 2025. The following options can prove your financial resources:
  • open a blocked account "Sperrkonto" with a value of at least 11,904 €. Please consider that the required amount of money on your blocked account depends on the duration of your stay. If you are planning to stay for six months, you will have to pay 6 x 992 € into your blocked account. After your arrival to Germany, the blocked account will allow you to withdraw a maximum of 992 € per month.
  • a formal commitment "Verpflichtungserklärung" of a third party (e.g. your parents or any other sponsor). In this commitment the third party confirms to support you with at least 992 € per month and it must be presented when applying for visa.
  • confirmation of an acknowledged publicly financed scholarship (e.g DAAD or from your home university). This scholarship must support you with at least 992 € per month
  • a comparative proof of income (e.g. salary).
Health Insurance
In Germany, every person must have a health insurance, this also applies to exchange students. As an exchange student you must provide proof of sufficient health insurance for your enrolment at South Westphalia UAS. Some countries’ health insurance schemes are accepted in Germany, so you may continue being insured in your own country. Please check if this applies to you:
  • All EU Member States as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein: EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)
  • UK: GHIC
  • Turkey: T/A 11
  • Serbia, Montenegro: Ju 6
  • Bosnia-Herzegovina: BH6
  • Macedonia: RM/D 111
  • Tunisia: TN/A 11
If you have one of the above listed documents, please send it along with your application documents. If you have no EHIC and none of the above mentioned documents, you must take out statutory health insurance in Germany. You can find a list with such insurances here. Before taking out a health insurance, we advise students to get in contact with the International Office, we can check if the chosen health insurance is sufficient for your stay. In order to be enrolled at our university, your health insurance must be checked by a statutory health insurance provider in Germany. The statutory health insurance will send an electronic report about your insurance status to South Westphalia UAS. The International Office can support you with this.

Further Insurances
Accident Insurance: All students are insured against accidents at, on their way to and from their university by the statutory accident insurance scheme once they are enrolled at South Westphalia UAS. This does not apply to any free time activities.
Liability Insurance: Before you come to Germany, please check at home, if you have a third-party liability insurance. If you do not have that, we recommend that you insure yourself with a third-party liability insurance company ("private Haftpflicht-versicherung") in Germany. According to German law, you are 100% liable for any damages you cause to others and their belongings. A liability insurance prevents you from any damage claims. Should you have any questions please contact us at incoming@fh-swf.de

Tuition Fees
There are no tuition fees at South Westphalia UAS, but you will have to pay a certain Social Service contribution as well as the mandatory ticket for public transport. The amount for these is published every semester and can be found here. The ticket for public transport allows you to travel all over Germany.

Cost of living
It is rather difficult to give general information about the cost of living in Germany. But you will find some helpful ideas on the webpages of the DAAD. This page is available in German as well as in English. Living in larger cities like Berlin or Munich is of course much more expensive than living in Hagen, Iserlohn, Soest or Meschede. Still you are required to have 992 € per month at your disposal. This is the monthly amount that you must prove to have at your disposal when applying for visa or your residence permit (as of January 1, 2025). Please note that this does not include the semester contribution, which must be paid before enrolment (and before re-registration in case you are staying for two semesters). Be aware that your expenses may be higher at the beginning of the semester. For information about funding options, please contact the International Office of your home university.

Accommodation
Usually exchange students can get a room in the dormitories. These are not run by the South Westphalia UAS but by the Studierendenwerk Dortmund. You can check the availability of rooms via their website. If a room is available, you can apply via their online form. For further information about the application process and rental conditions, have a look at their FAQ page. Since the number of international students at the South Westphalia UAS is increasing, these dormitories are often fully booked. In these cases, the International Office will help you to find accommodation elsewhere. Please contact us accordingly at incoming@fh-swf.de.
Prices for accommodation vary a lot. Rooms in the dormitories in Hagen can be obtained for 250 Euros per months, but prices on the private sector are a lot higher.

Important note on rentals: There are several different ways of quoting rents in Germany: Kaltmiete (cold rent) and Warmmiete (warm rent).

  • Cold rent: This is the basic rent for the flat without additional charges such as heating, water, rubbish collection and other running costs. There are additional costs here!
  • Warm rent: This includes the basic rent plus all service charges for running and maintaining the property. This means that heating, water, rubbish collection and sometimes electricity are included.

It is important to be aware of these differences when looking for accommodation and to find out what is included in the rent. You should also check whether the accommodation is furnished and what additional equipment (e.g. Wi-Fi, bedding, kitchen utensils) is available to help you estimate additional costs. A useful tip is to get in touch with previous Erasmus students who may be able to give you useful contacts and information.

Upon arrival

Residence permit
In case you need to apply for a residence permit, you have to arrange an appointment at the foreigner’s registration authority (Ausländerbehörde) immediately after your arrival. In most cities it takes a long time to apply and receive a residence permit, therefore we strongly recommend you to apply for a visa in your home country, if possible. Check with the local foreigner’s registration authority for required documents and application process. Usually the following documents are required:

  • your passport
  • your health insurance
  • your rental contract
  • certificate of enrolment at South Westphalia UAS
  • proof that your stay in Germany is financially covered (compare above)

The International Office can help you with the application.

Registration at city council
Every person who lives in Germany has to register as a resident at the local registration office (Bürgerbüro / Einwohnermeldeamt). Within two weeks of your arrival, you have to report to the city council / registration office in the town in which you are living. For the registration, you will need to bring:

  • your passport
  • confirmation by your landlord (Wohngeberbestätigung)
  • if required: filled out registration form (usually can be downloaded via the registration office’s website)

Also note that before you leave Germany, you need to de-register at the registration office. For that, you have to arrange an appointment again and bring the required documents that are mentioned above. In case you change your address during your stay, you have to inform the registration office about your new address. The registration office will give you a written confirmation about your registration (Meldebestätigung). For help with arranging an appointment or questions about the procedure, contact the International Office: incoming@fh-swf.de

Broadcasting fee
By law, everyone who lives in Germany must pay a broadcasting fee (“Rundfunkbeitrag”), also known as TV/radio fee. This fee also applies even if you do not have a TV or a radio. The current amount is 18,36 EUR per household per month. Only one resident per household must register for the broadcasting fee. If you live in a shared apartment however, the fee is divided with your flatmates. Check with your flatmates / landlord. In this case, you must inform the Beitragsservice that your apartment is already registered for the fee. You can either register for the fee online or by filling out the form which you receive from the ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice. You receive that form per post after you registered with the city. Note that when leaving Germany, you need to de-register from the broadcasting fee.

Opening a bank account
We recommend you to open a German bank account when you are in Germany. With a German bank account, you can withdraw money free of charge from cash machines, make payments electronically and set up standing orders (e.g., for monthly rent, health insurance payments). Opening a bank account (“Girokonto”) is free of charge for students at most banks here. If you want to open a bank account with a German bank, you need the following documents: your passport, certificate of enrolment from South Westphalia UAS, confirmation of registration at the registration office (“Meldebestätigung”) and your tax identification number.

Student ID card “Chiporello”
The so-called Chiporello is the student ID card. You can order it via the online portal. There are two different card versions: you can order it with a photo or without. If you have a student ID with a photograph, you usually do not need to show an additional photo ID when being checked. The Chiporello is also used as a library card and enables you to print and photocopy at the university using the payment chip of the Chiporello. For ordering the Chiporello, log in with your student credentials which you received from South Westphalia UAS. Before ordering the Chiporello, make sure you have your current German address listed in the portal, as the Chiporello will be send via post to your address. If you would like a Chiporello with a photo, you upload a photo of yourself in the online portal (your face should be visible and well-lit).

Additional information

Grading System
Universities in Germany use a point grading system from 1 to 5 or 6 to assess the student’s academic performance. If you scored a 1 in your exam, it means you successfully completed the exam with 90 to 100% correct. On the other hand, if you scored a 5, it means you failed the exam, because you did not meet the minimum expectations. Often the grading system is written with intervals of three decimals. Here is an overview of the grading system:

  • “Sehr gut” “Very good” 1.0 to 1.5
  • “Gut” “Good” 1.6 to 2.5
  • “Befriedigend” “Satisfactory” 2.6 to 3.5
  • “Ausreichend” “Sufficient” 3.6 to 4.0
  • “Mangelhaft” “Insufficient” 4.1 to 5

Login Page (Moodle, Virtual Service Center, etc.)
Once you are fully enrolled at South Westphalia UAS you will get access to the various login-pages to the university’s self-service facilities.

IT-Services (WLAN, VPN, Email etc.)
They provide information and support to help you learn how to make use of the university´s computer pools and printers along with a tutorial how to connect with the university network. It is important to set up the university’s VPN on your device, because for accessing some of the university’s websites you need to connect to the university’s VPN (when you are not on campus).