Information for New Students
Congratulations on being accepted as a Master Student in Computer Science at University of Bonn. In the following you will find information on the next steps to take in order to begin your studies at our department:
General Info
Winter Semester 2013:
Start of Semester: 1 October 2013
End of Semester: 30 March 2014
Start of lectures: 14 October 2013
End of lectures: 07 February 2014
Dies Academicus: t.b.a. (no classes from 10 am)
Christmas break: t.b.a.
It is highly recommended to arrive in Bonn within the first week of October to get settled and have all administrative tasks completed before the lecture period begins. There will also be some events for orientation offered within the first week of October.
Visa
Having received the scan copy/original of your letter of acceptance those of you who have to should start applying for a visa at your local German embassy/consulate. For detailed information on the visa application procedure, please visit the website of your local German embassy/consulate and the DAAD-website at:
http://www.study-in.de/en/study/admission-requirements/before-you-leave/visa/
Semester fee
Semester fee at University of Bonn amounts to appr. 245 € for Winter Semester 2013 (please note: the fee may vary from semester to semester). The fee includes free admission to all public transportation (except EC, IC, ICE trains) in North-Rhine-Westphalia:
Accommodation
Student residences
Studentenwerk Bonn owns several student residences at which students can rent a room for a reasonable prize (no more than 350€/month). If you are interested in living at a student residence, please send an email to the Master Program Office before 1 August 2013 AND apply via the online application system of Studentenwerk Bonn as soon as possible, indicating the master's program you have been admitted to (computer science):
https://tl1host.de/SWBN/index.html?lang_id=2
IMPORTANT: Please make sure to arrive on a week day (Monday to Friday), since the facility managers at the student residences are only available on these days. In addition to this, shops are generally closed on Sundays in Germany.
Private rooms
If you are not planning to stay at a student residence, you will have to look for a room/flat on your own after arriving in Bonn. General information on where to find suitable rooms:
http://www3.uni-bonn.de/studying/international-students/living-in-bonn/accommodation?set_language=en
Registration at City Hall
After having arrived in Bonn and signed your rental agreement, you will have to register at the City Hall of Bonn as a new resident. All you need is the filled-in registration form and your passport. You will find the registration form as a pdf (“Anmeldung”) as well as the addresses and the opening hours of the City Hall branches on the following website (in German):
Financial matters
Please make sure to have enough cash at hand at your arrival in Germany (around 1000 - 1500€) which you can immediately deposit in your newly opened German bank account. Before leaving your home country, ask at your local bank how much time it will take to transfer money to your bank account in Germany. Within the first two weeks, you will need to pay for the following:
- First month’s rent of your room plus deposit (monthly rent multiplied by 1.5)
- Semester fees (245€)
- Health insurance fee (around 80€/month)
- Food etc.
All payments must be transacted via bank transfer. It is not possible to pay cash or with credit card. Therefore, you should open a bank account at a local bank as soon as possible after your arrival. Due to the difficulty of withdrawing large amounts of money with a Master or Visa card, which may also be very expensive, we advise you to bring cash or travellers`cheques (please check how much time it will take to cash these cheques in Germany before leaving your home country).
Living expenses
To obtain a residence permit in Germany, you will need evidence of sufficient funds or scholarships that will cover your living expenses during your study period in Germany. Although Bonn is not the most expensive city in Germany, the costs of living are relatively high. Of course, this depends on individual rent costs and life style. All in all, you should calculate average monthly living expenses between 600 and 800 Euro.
Bank loan
In case you need to apply for a bank loan, you can contact the Master Program Office for a Statement of Estimated Expenses.
Sperrkonto/Blocked account
Those of you who need to open a blocked account in Germany in order to get a visa, please contact the Master Program Office for the application form.
Health insurance
In order to register as a student at University of Bonn, you will need health insurance since health insurance is mandatory for students in Germany. Therefore, one of the first things to do will be to go to a health insurance company in Bonn and get an Insurance Certificate. Without this certificate, you will not be able to enrol at the University. Students from EU/EFTA countries or students from countries that Germany has a national insurance agreement with do not need to acquire German health insurance in order to get the Insurance Certificate. You will have to present your European Health Insurance Card (A/T 11 for Turkey) in order to get the certificate.
Students from non-EU/EFTA countries will have to acquire German health insurance (around 80€ per month) immediately upon arrival in Germany in order to get the mandatory Insurance Certificate.
For students who are 30 years and older, please read the information on the following website: http://www.internationale-studierende.de/en/on_arrival/health_insurance/what_if_im_over_30/
A list of all public German health insurance companies:
Enrollment
Enrollment as a student at University of Bonn will take place at:
Studentensekretariat
Meinhard Heinze-Haus
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn
Opening hours: www3.uni-bonn.de/studium/beratung/studentensekretariat
Enrollment for Winterr Semester 2013:
German students: t.b.a.
International students: 1 October - 31 October
For students with German citizenship:
To enroll you will need the following documents:
- the student registration form: http://www3.uni-bonn.de/studium/beratung/studentensekretariat/imma_antrag.pdf
- a proof that you have health insurance (“Insurance Certificate”)
- the letter of acceptance you received from the Computer Science Department
- if you have studied at a German University before: “Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung”
- original of Bachelor’s certificate
- passport or ID
For international students:
To enroll you will need the following documents:
- the student registration form: http://www3.uni-bonn.de/studium/beratung/studentensekretariat/2application-form-enrolment.pdf
- a proof that you have health insurance (“Insurance Certificate”)
- the letter of acceptance you received from the Computer Science Department
- original documents of your bachelor's certificate, TOEFL or IELTS score card (copies will not be accepted!)
- if you have studied at a German University before: “Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung”
- passport
Having enrolled successfully, you will have to pay the semester fee immediately!
Free German classes
The University's International Office offers, once again, free German classes to international students. Online course registration starts on: t.b.a. . It is advisable to register on the same day, since the classes usually are in great demand. Further info on the courses is published on this website.
Study Buddy Program
Since arriving at a new town, in a new country and getting your life as a student of University of Bonn started is a difficult task, the Institute for Informatics offers you help. The Study Buddy Program is designed to support first semester students during their first weeks in Bonn. Each student will be assigned a second or third semester student who will be your personal contact during the weeks before and after your arrival. Your Study Buddy will collect you from the train station in Bonn and bring you to your accommodation. He or she will help you with all administrative tasks to be completed before enrollment, show you around Bonn and the University campus. Those of you interested in participating in this program, please send an email to the Master Program Office.
Arrival in Bonn
Please make sure to arrive on a week day (Monday to Friday), since the facility managers at the student residences are only available on these days. In addition to this, shops are generally closed on Sundays in Germany.
Three airports (Frankfurt/Main, Düsseldorf and Köln/Bonn) are connecting Bonn to the world.
From Köln/Bonn Airport
The airport Köln/Bonn is only 35 km away and can easily be accessed by Bus 670 (Airport Bus). The bus departs every 20 to 30 minutes – from the airport directly to Bonn Central Station. The ticket costs around 5 Euros and can be purchased at ticket machines or with the bus driver (note: it may only be paid in cash!).
From Düsseldorf Airport
It is easiest to travel to Bonn by train (Deutsche Bahn). Trains depart about every 20 minutes. The ticket price is between 15,10 (“NRW-Tarif”) and 23,50 Euros (single trip). It takes about one hour.
From Frankfurt/Main Airport
Also from the airport of Frankfurt, it is best to travel to Bonn by train. Trains depart at least twice an hour. The trip takes between 1:15h and 2 hours. Ticket prices amount from 36 to 68 Euros (single trip).
Tickets for Deutsche Bahn can be purchased at “DB Reisezentren” at the train stations and at the airport or at ticket machines. You can also pay with credit card.
More information on schedules, prices and reservations can be found on the Deutsche Bahn website: http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
IT services for students
Our institute offers a variety of IT services for students. For detailed information, please read the guidelines on the following website: www.informatik.uni-bonn.de/institute/it-services/
Brochures for international students
The International Office has also published two brochures for international (master) students with general information on student life in Bonn:
