Information for Accepted Candidates
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Congratulations on being accepted as a masters 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 2022/23:
Start of Semester: 1 October 2022
End of Semester: 31 March 2023
Start of lectures: 10 October 2022
End of lectures: 3 Februar 2023
Dies Academicus (university holiday, no lectures): 7 December 2022
Holiday break: 24 December 2022 - 7 January 2023
It is highly recommended to arrive in Bonn before lectures start to get settled and have all administrative tasks completed before the lecture period begins. There will also be an introductory meeting at the beginning of the semester, exact time and link tba.
Further semester dates for the next semesters can be found here.
You can also find more information about starting your studies at the university of Bonn using this incoming guide for international students.
Information regarding COVID-19
New information published by the University of Bonn can be found on this website:
https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/coronavirus-information/information-for-students
The international office published an FAQ on their website as well. Here you can find more information about vaccinations, entering Germany and visa matters:
https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/coronavirus-information/information-for-international-students
Moreover, in this pdf document you can find more information about starting your studies during the winter semester 2021/22 as an international student.
Visa
After you have received the scan copy/original of your letter of acceptance, please apply for a visa at your local German embassy/consulate. Embassies and consulates are typically very busy, so please book a visa appointment now. For detailed information on the visa application procedure, please visit the website of your local German embassy/consulate and the DAAD-website at:
https://www.daad.de/en/study-and-research-in-germany/plan-your-studies/visas/
The following websites also provide information on entering and residence in Germany:
DAAD info sheets on entry, residence and employment
Portal on Foreigners Act (in German)
Federal Ministry of the Interior
Semester fee
Semester fee at University of Bonn amounts to around 300€ each semester (please note: the fee may rise slightly from semester to semester). The fee includes free public transportation (except EC, IC, ICE trains) in North-Rhine-Westphalia.
Accommodation
Student residences
Studentenwerk Bonn owns several student residences where students can rent a room for a reasonable prize (single rooms mostly no more than 350€/month, appartments might be more expensive).
IMPORTANT: If you have secured a room, please make sure to arrive on a week day (Monday to Friday) during the office hours of Studentenwerk Bonn, since you will only receive the key to your room after you have signed the rental contract. If you arrive outside of office hours, you will have to provide for alternative accommodation until Studentenwerk opens again. In addition to this, shops and offices are generally closed on Sundays in Germany.
Private rooms
If you do not get a room in 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
AstA's Foreign Students Department (their staff can help you find accommodation)
Advice on how to find a private accommodation:
Study in Germany - finding a flat
Advice and support on rent agreements (in German):
Mieterbund (German Tenants Association)
How to find short-term accommodation:
http://www3.uni-bonn.de/studying/international-students/living-in-bonn/accommodation?set_language=en
Youth Hostel Association in Germany
Hotels via Swoodoo (in German)
Registration at City Hall
After you have arrived in Bonn and have signed your rental agreement, you will have to register at the City Hall of Bonn as a new resident. You need the filled-in registration form, another form from your landlord ("Wohnungsgeberbestätigung") 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 for 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 or 2)
- Semester fees (around 315€ for winter semester 2021/22)
- Health insurance fee (around 100€/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. You should expect average monthly living expenses between 600 and 800 Euro.
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 enroll 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: https://www.internationale-studierende.de/en/on-arrival/health-insurance
General information on the German Social Insurance System:
There are multiple health insurance companys. Some of them are offering welcome days for international students i.e. BARMER or the TK. You can register for the upcoming welcome days held by BARMER here:
https://bgm-termintool.de/KxF2D
Enrollment
PLEASE NOTE:
Enrollment for Winter Semester 2022/23 will be via post. Further information can be found here:
https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/studying/application-admission-and-enrollment/enrollment
Enrollment as a student at University of Bonn will take place at:
Studentensekretariat
Meinhard Heinze-Haus
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn
Enrollment for Winter Semester 2022/23:
German students: 1 - 31 October
International students: 1 - 30 October
For students with German citizenship:
To enroll you will need the following documents:
- please register online before you send your documents to the student office. The student office will send you a link for that.
- a proof that you have health insurance (“Insurance Certificate”)
- the letter of acceptance you received from us
- if you have studied at a German University before: “Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung”
- original of Bachelor’s certificate
- passport or ID
- if you have already studied in a masters program, you need an "Einstufung ins Fachsemester". For detailed info, please have a look at this page.
- For more information on the enrollment procedure, please have a look at this page.
For international students:
To enroll you will need the following documents:
- please register online before you send your documents to the student office https://masterregistrierung.verwaltung.uni-bonn.de
- a proof that you have health insurance (“Insurance Certificate”)
- the letter of acceptance you received from us
- 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.
German classes
The University's International Office offers, once again, cheap German classes to international students. Online course registration starts in April 2020 (for details please have a look at the link below). It is highly advisable to register as soon as the online registration is open, since the classes usually are in great demand. Further info on the courses is published on this website. If you have a question on the German classes, please contact the person indicated on the official website (see link above).
Other options for learning German:
List of language schools in Bonn and further options
Arrival in Bonn
If you have managed to secure a room at Studentenwerk Bonn, please make sure to arrive on a week day (Monday to Friday) and during the office hours of Studentenwerk. In addition to this, shops and offices 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 SB60 (Airport Bus). The bus departs every 20 to 30 minutes – from the airport directly to Bonn Central Station. The ticket 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). It takes about one hour.
From Frankfurt/Main Airport
Also from the airport of Frankfurt, it is best to travel to Bonn by train. The trip takes between 1:15h and 2 hours.
Tickets for Deutsche Bahn can be purchased at “DB Reisezentren” at the train stations, at the airport or at ticket machines.
More information on schedules, prices and reservations can be found on the Deutsche Bahn website: http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
Introductory event Summer Semester 2022
There was an hybrid introductory meeting at the beginning of the semester. The link will be send via email.
You can find the presentation of last semester's meeting here for download.
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: IT Services
Specific information for international students
The International Office has published a brochure for international (master) students with general information on student life in Bonn:
DAAD owns an Internet portal with information for international students on studying and living in Germany:
Here's a link to a website specifically for international students run by the National Association of Student Services Organisation (Deutsches Studentenwerk):
General information on Germany
Here's a list of different websites with general information on Germany:
Federal Agency for Civic Education
German media news in English:
