Arriving in Germany

Arriving in Germany, foreign students have to register their addresses whether they stay for a short period of time or a long period of time. To do this, students must leave their addresses at local authorities known as “Anmeldung” which is the official department responsible for having foreign addresses.

The process of registering addresses of new foreign students must be done within two weeks after coming to Germany, and the process of registering must be executed personally, and not by posting or other different means which make the whole process be refused

Registering addresses for foreign students is a priority that must not be violated in any way, or violators may expose themselves to legal punishment, or even end up in being deported to their mother countries; so as of the first day foreign students enter Germany, it is necessary for them take the process of registering their addresses seriously.

The documents used for registering:

• A valid passport or any official document
• A valid visa or residence permit
• Registration application signed by the applicant
• A landlord approval
• Rent contract – ratified
• Marriage certificate for married students

Opening a bank account

A bank account is important for foreign students so that they can pay for rent and other types of expenses, in addition to receiving a salary if a student has got a job.

In Europe countries there are not as many banks as there are in Germany, which has many positive aspects; nevertheless, this makes foreign students bewildered which bank to choose, and for them, every penny makes sense.

So students have to worry about the banking system in Germany and the vocabulary used in opening a bank account to avoid involving in any difficult situation in the future.

The best option for foreign students to open a bank account with is to select “N26 bank account” which has a number of advantages:

• free of charge – bank account
• No need of showing a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
  
• App-based banking
• Mobile App
• Free of charge international transactions
• Categorize your transactions

The third thing to have in Germany which is very essential is to get health insurance as soon as possible; no need to worry as the health insurance is clarified in details, just look for details and read about health insurance in Germany.

Now students can enroll in their different courses in Germany after receiving a statement from the concerned university; however, the documents needed for enrollment are not the same and differ from one university to another, any way foreign students have to bring the following general documents:

• Proof of Identity (ID or Passport)
• A registration form (downloaded from the university’s website or taken at the campus)
• Your previous degree
• Letter of Admission
• Proof of Language Proficiency
• Proof of semester payment

Be aware of enrollment deadlines so that application forms cnnot be rejected as there is no exemption. Some basics of German language are necessary to be learnt even if students’ only means of studying is English language at university, because students will spend most of their days outside their universities, or inside classrooms, and the English language  hardly ever help in interacting with Germans. So a basic German course is important to take.

Internet and Mobile phones

The Best SIM Cards in Germany for Foreign Students

• Telekom – the biggest and most affordable telecommunication company in Germany.
• Fraenk by Telekom – one of the most affordable sim card in Germany.
• Congstar by Telekom.
• O2– second largest and the cheapest provider.
• Vodafone – third-biggest telecommunication company.
• ALDI Talk by O2.

For having a good internet, the process is the same for all internet providers in Germany: just look for the best offer, enter the address on their website to discover the speed in your building, enter the personal data, then just wait for contract approval after which modems will be sent – WiFi Routers. The cost equals to EUR 14 a month, and for unlimited internet, the cost stands at EUR 32 a month based on a two – year contract.

Transportation System

Different transportation systems provide international students with encouraging prices, which help foreign students meet their travel directions within the city where the university is;  most of the time the price of the ticket is half the price of  normal one, just for international students to help them save some money.

Foreign students can buy tickets at ticket machines on the platforms of “S- and U-Bahn” stations which are in multilingual for foreign students and these tickets must be validated in previous to trips or journeys.