First steps after arriving in Germany

Like German citizens, international students must register their place of residence at the Residents' Registration Office / Volkshaus.

If you have found an apartment, a room in a hall of residence or a shared flat in Germany, you must register at the Residents' Registration Office within two weeks. This also applies to every move!

The registration confirmation serves as proof of address and you will need it, for example, if you want to open a bank account.

You will need the following for registration:

• Passport or identity card
• Tenancy agreement
• Registration form
• Certificate of enrollment

If you register with your main place of residence in Wildau, you will receive a welcome money of 50,- Euro per semester from the city of Wildau. Further information can be found here.

Town Hall Wildau
Karl-Marx-Straße 36
15745 Wildau
Tel.: 03375/5054-59 or –60

Office hours:
Monday 09.00 - 12.00
Tuesday 09.00 - 12.00 and 14.00b - 18.00
Thursday 09.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 17.00

Town Hall Königs Wusterhausen
Schloßstraße 3
15711 Königs Wusterhausen

Tel.: 03375 273 373

Office hours:
Monday 8.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Tuesday 8.00 -19.00
Wednesday closed
Thursday 8.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Friday 7.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m.

Berlin

If you live in Berlin, you can find the relevant registration office on the Internet.

Choosing health insurance

• There are two types of health insurance in Germany: statutory and private. Until the age of 30 or the 14th semester of study, however, you must always be covered by statutory health insurance. You can only take out private insurance in exceptional cases
• Please note: Once you have private insurance, you can no longer switch to a statutory health insurance company!
• In most cases, however, statutory insurance is the cheaper option - unless you are privately insured through your parents

Recognition of foreign health insurance policies

There are social security agreements with some countries, including the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area: If you have statutory health insurance in your home country, you can have this insurance cover recognized by a statutory health insurance fund in Germany. However, clarify in your home country which documents you need for this! For students, this is usually a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can apply for the EHIC free of charge from your health insurance company.

Your insurance may not cover all costs in Germany. Find out exactly which benefits you are entitled to in Germany before you enter the country. If you do not have insurance cover in your home country, you must still take out insurance in Germany, just like all other students.

Private health insurance policies from other countries may also be recognized in Germany under certain circumstances. You should clarify the details with your insurance company.

If your private insurance is recognized, you will need confirmation for enrolment that you are exempt from compulsory statutory health insurance. However, you will then no longer be able to switch to a statutory health insurance company for the duration of your studies!

Accident insurance

As a student at the TH Wildau, you are legally insured against accidents on the way between your home and the TH Wildau as well as within the university. In addition, the Studentenwerk Potsdam has taken out a group accident insurance policy for all students of the TH Wildau, which also covers accidents during leisure activities, internships and activities outside the university in preparation for examinations.

However, the International Office recommends that you also take out adequate accident insurance cover.

Liability insurance

Liability insurance that indemnifies the insured person against claims for damages by third parties is not provided by the TH Wildau. The International Office therefore recommends that you take out sufficient liability insurance cover yourself.

Payment methods

A lot is paid in cash in Germany. This is especially true for smaller amounts. Although credit cards are relatively widespread, they are not very common for everyday purchases. However, payment by EC card is widespread.

Bank account

Open a bank account as soon as possible after your arrival. This will make it much easier to arrange monthly payments such as rent and insurance!

You will need the following documents to open a bank account in Germany:

• Certificate of enrollment from the university
• Passport or identity card
• Confirmation from the registration office
• Appointment at the bank (recommended)

Ask your bank or savings bank about free current accounts for students.

Blocked account

If you have already set up a blocked account in your home country, you must now have it activated in Germany.

To activate your blocked account, it is best to make an appointment in advance at your bank branch and bring the following documents with you:

• Registration certificate from the residents' registration office
• Certificate of enrollment from the university
• Passport

They will fill out a service order with you. Please note that your account will be blocked without this service order (i.e. previously submitted transfers or direct debits will not be executed).

Please note that it may take several weeks to activate your account. You should therefore bring enough cash with you to ensure that you have sufficient funds available during the first few weeks.

The fee is only paid once per household, i.e:

• 1 person in an apartment = 1 license fee
• 1 family in an apartment = 1 license fee
• 1 shared flat = 1 license fee

Once you have registered your residence with the city, you can expect to receive an invoice from the "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice" within a few weeks. The fee is due from the first month in which you are registered in Germany, regardless of whether you register yourself or wait for a letter from the authorities. Welfare recipients can apply for an exemption, while people with disabilities pay a reduced fee.