Preparing your stay in Bonn
Below you will find information on several issues relevant for preparing your stay in Bonn. For more detailed information on accommodation, visa, health insurance, enrollment, etc. you may also want to check out the pages of our central International Office: "Before Studying". You may also check out this incoming guide.
You can find the slides of the online pre-arrival event of August 17 here:
To Dos
Incoming Master students from non-EU countries usually need a visa to study in Germany. Please note that for binding information regarding your specific visa requirements, you need to contact the German embassy or German consulate in your home country. General information can be found here.
You can also use VisaFlow, a platform that provides guidance throughout the entire relocation process. To acivate it, please use the code "UNIBONN25".
Find more information about housing here.
Once you have found a place to stay, you need to register at the Residents´ Registration Office (Bürgeramt). In order to register, you need to bring along your rental agreement and your passport. You can find more information on their webpage and also an online form for making an appointment (Terminvereinbarung) for the registration (Anmeldung) but you can also go there without an appointment. We will provide assistance for international students seeking to register with the city.
All non-EU international students need a valid residence permit: Students with a visa that is valid throughout their stay do not need to register with the Aliens Office (Ausländeramt), all others do.
There is an online form (in German) to make an appointment (Terminvereinbarung). If you need assitance, please let us know.
In order to get the residence permit, please bring a valid passport, admission letter or proof of registration from the university, proof of registration from the "Bürgeramt", proof that you can support yourself financially, a student visa (not applicable for EU citizens) and proof of sufficient health insurance.
In Germany, all students are legally required to have health insurance. EU citizens and students from countries that have signed a social security agreement with Germany can take out health insurance in their home country, this insurance will be recognized in Germany. Please double-check with your insurance company and with the "Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse" (AOK) in Bonn whether you are sufficiently covered.
All other students need to take out a German health insurance policy. You can do so with an insurance company of your choice. Several insurance companies are located in downtown Bonn, e.g. AOK, Barmer Ersatzkasse, Techniker Krankenkasse. Health insurance costs about 140 Euro per month. Make sure to take along your admission certificate/proof of enrollment when applying for student health insurance.
The Student Registry (Studierendensekretariat) needs to receive an electronic confirmation from your health insurance provider for enrollment. You can find more information on the topic on the webpage of the international office.
Since most payments can only be made through bank transfers, you may need to open a German bank account, more specifically a current account or checking account (Girokonto). You can open such an account after having registered with the Residents Registration Office (Bürgeramt) with a bank of your choice or with the post office. In most cases, the basic account is free of charge for students.
For more information on organizational matters, please visit the pages of the International Office.
Additional information can be also found in this Guide for International Students.
For programs and activities organized by the International Office including the international club, please visit the campus international.
Bonn also has a an active Erasmus Student Network section (ESN) which hosts all kinds of events for international students.