Finances & visas
Costs of living
Fees
The University of Wismar is proud of the fact that it does not charge any fees for its on-campus degree courses. New students are only required to pay a term contribution of currently 126,50 Euro. Students already enrolled at the University pay a contribution of currently 106,50 Euro per term.
Funding
Please note that the standard of living is relatively high in Germany, and thus the costs of living, too – at the current time ca. 850.00 Euro per month (UNICUM.de). In addition to the normal costs of living, such as food and accommodation, other monthly expenses include health insurance, telephone/Internet, radio and TV licence fee, etc. You must be in a position to finance your studies abroad at the University of Wismar.
Work
Should you be intending to fund your course of study by seeking part-time employment, it should be noted that international students may only work a low number of hours (120 days, 240 half days or as a student assistant) without a work permit. Students from the following countries are exempted from this rule:
- European Union (except Bulgaria and Romania)
- Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland
Grants
As an ERASMUS or international student, you may be eligible to obtain a scholarship.
In general, the possibilities for EU students to obtain a foreign exchange scholarship are greater than for international students. DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service) promotes the mobility of students within Europe by offering scholarships for all EU exchange students every year within the framework of the ERASMUS programme.
For more detailed information on the application procedure, please contact the International Office of your own university. They will then send you all of the application documents required. In addition, EU students have the possibility of applying for a state-sponsored scholarship. Since the sponsorship requirements for a foreign exchange scholarship vary from country to country in the EU, you should discuss the matter with the International Office of your own university.
There are only a limited number of sponsorship possibilities available to international students through state programmes. Unfortunately, the University of Wismar is not in a position to award any scholarships itself. However, financial means are made available to us each year from a national fund of the DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service) for the sponsorship of cooperation projects of the University of Wismar already in existence. These funds are usually restricted to the following groups of countries:
ISAP partnerships (International Study and Training Partnerships) with the University of Wismar in Cuba, Mexico, China, New Zealand, Eastern European countries, Baltic Sea states.
If you are studying in one of these countries, you should contact the International Office of your university to ascertain whether there are indeed DAAD funds available for an exchange programme with the University of Wismar. If this is the case, everything else will be initiated by us and your own university.
All other exchange students who do not belong to the groups of countries mentioned can obtain information on the Internet with regard to state or private sponsorship opportunities. The DAAD website is recommended to start your research.
Should you establish that there are no sponsorship possibilities available to you in Germany, we would advise you to find out about possible foreign exchange scholarships or other financial assistance in your home country. The International Office of your university can help you in this matter.It is important to be able to provide verification that you can finance your period of study abroad yourself, whether from public or private funds. The Bundesamt (Federal Office) rules that you must have a minimum monthly amount of 670.00 EUR at your disposal, which corresponds to an annual amount of 8,040.00 EUR. Verification of funding must also be presented when you register with the Aliens’ Office. Please refer to the visa provisions for international and ERASMUS students for further information.
Visa provisions
While international students are required to apply for a visa before their arrival in Germany, ERASMUS students can enter the country without a visa as members of the EU. Nevertheless, as for international students, ERASMUS students must also present themselves at the Aliens’ Registration Office in order to obtain a residence permit for the purpose of studying.
European Union nationals, citizens of the EFTA states (Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and some other countries (Andorra, Australia, Canada, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea and the USA) do not require a visa for entry and study purposes. They do, however, require a residence title.
The scope of the application procedure for the residence title varies according to the student’s home country.
For applicants from the EU and EFTA states (excluding Switzerland):
When you have registered with the authorities and filled in a so-called “Selbstauskunft” (disclosure form) on the existence of your freedom of movement, you will receive a certificate concerning your right of abode from the Aliens’ Registration Office in Wismar. Please note that you are responsible yourself for filling in this discosure form regarding your freedom of movement as this does not happen automatically.
For all other applicants (including Switzerland):
Applicants for a course of study who have entered the Federal Republic of Germany without a visa from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Israel as well as Switzerland, must complete the "Antrag auf Erteilung der Aufenthaltserlaubnis" (application for issue of a residence permit) a maximum of three months after entering the country in order to apply for a residence title. The application can be obtained either directly from the Aliens’ Registration Office or from the International Office of the University of Wismar, Haus 21. Our member of staff, Ms Tsendbaatar (Email: nara@hs-wismar.de), will also gladly help you to fill in the application.
The completed application, together with the following documents, must be presented to the Aliens’ Registration Office in Wismar:
- Verification of your student status (student certificate)
- Verification of your place of residence (tenancy agreement)
- Valid passport
- Current passport photograph (biometric)
- Verification of health insurance cover
- As an exchange and full-time student, you are required to take out health insurance. The International Office will gladly assist you in choosing a health insurance company and filling in the appropriate forms. Verification from the health insurance company showing the start and term of the insurance cover must be presented to the Aliens’ Registration Office.
- Verification of funding (frozen account, formal declaration of obligation, proof of scholarship)
Regardless of the course of study, international students are required to apply for a student visa. This applies to all students outside the EU. Please take into account that under no circumstances will you be permitted to enter Germany with a tourist visa as this tourist visa cannot be changed into a student visa at a later date.
The type of visa you need to enter Germany will depend on the regulations in your home country. Some students will require a visa merely permitting you to attend the Foundation Course (Studienkolleg), some will be issued with a visa for an initial period of three months, while others will obtain a visa for the entire duration of their stay.
In order to ascertain which particular regulations apply in your case, please contact the German Embassy in your home country. They will provide you with detailed information about the application procedure and the documents to be submitted prior to entering Germany.
How do I apply for a visa?
Insofar as you have received an approval notification from us, you can apply for a visa in your home country. As already mentioned, you need to get in touch with the German Embassy for information on the application forms for the issue of visas.
If you have been issued with a visa merely to attend the Foundation Course, but wish to embark upon a full-time course of study at the University of Wismar after completion thereof, or if you have generally only received a visa for 3 months, but a longer stay is planned for study purposes, you must apply for a residence title within the validity period of the visa. This is necessary to obtain a visa for the actual duration of your stay for study purposes. Please take into account that the processing of your application can take some time. Therefore, it is advisable to apply for the document after the first 8-10 weeks after your arrival in Germany.