You should start planning your stay at Europa-Universität Flensburg as early as possible. On the following pages you will find information about applying for a student visa, housing, the cost of living in Flensburg, travel to Flensburg, and enrollment at the university.
Support
Preparatory Webinars
The International Center offers several webinars a few months before the semester starts to help you prepare for your stay in Flensburg.
- Webinar 1: Introduction
- Webinar 2: Selecting Courses
- Webinar 3: I3 Orientation Week
- Webinar 4: Formalities and Practical Advice
- Webinar 5: Preparing to Travel
CampusENGEL (“Campus Angels”)
Do you have questions about how to find housing or about classrooms, placement tests and language courses, health insurance, visa issues, childcare or leisure activities in Flensburg? As a first-year student, you can always turn to the CampusENGEL network for support between mid-August and the start of November.
Email Distribution List for Regular (Degree-Seeking) Students
Have you already received a letter of admission to Europa-Universität Flensburg as a regular (degree-seeking) student? Then please sign up to be added to the International Center’s mailing list and receive invitations to our preparatory webinars. Exchange students don’t need to sign up – they are automatically added to the list once they have been accepted for study at EUF.
Visa
Applying for a Visa
Whether you need a visa to study Germany depends on which country you are from. Most foreign students who do not have EU citizenship need a student visa for 6 months or 1 year. Find out about the entry requirements well in advance, as the entire application process can take up to two months. The visa will be issued by a diplomatic mission of the Federal Republic of Germany (embassy or consulate) in your country of origin and entered in your passport. The following link provides information on exceptions to the visa requirement and has step-by-step instructions on how to obtain a visa.
Please note:
There are some countries like the USA, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Honduras, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and others that do not require a visa to enter Germany as a tourist. However, this does not apply to you if you are coming to Germany as a student, as students cannot have a tourist status. Students, from countries with a tourist visa exemption, must apply for a student visa before entering Germany.
A tourist visa is not sufficient and cannot be subsequently converted into a student visa.
Proof of Sufficient Funds
To receive a German visa, you are required to submit proof that you have sufficient funds to support yourself (at least €934 per month, or €11172 for 12 months). The following are acceptable forms of proof:
- A letter stating that you hold a scholarship or grant
- A formal letter of financial obligation (Verpflichtungserklärung) from the person who is financing your studies (only with habitual residence in Germany). The letter must be submitted to the responsible immigration office in Germany.
- A blocked bank account containing at least 934 € per month (per person) for the total number of months you plan to stay in Germany. For 12 months the amount is 11172 €.
- A bank guarantee for 934 € per month per person (minimum 12 months, depending on your length of stay)
If the student is bringing family, the proof amount/month for children and spouses is as follows:
Required documents for the visa application
You can find out which documents you need to apply for a visa from your German mission abroad. Normally required are
- Valid passport
- Proof of health insurance (the information about health insurance is in the menu above)
- Proof of financing
- Letter of acceptance from Europa-Universität Flensburg
- Application documents
Students from other EU countries who do not have EU citizenship
Do you already have a student residence permit from another EU member state and would like to stay in Germany for up to 360 days?
Then you do not need to apply for a German residency permit or a German visa. Instead, the International Center of Europa-Universität Flensburg will report your stay to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BaMF).
Please send the following documents to the International Center (incoming@uni-flensburg.de) before you arrive in Flensburg:
- Residence permit you hold for the first EU country (issued for study purposes and in accordance with the REST directive)
- Officially recognized, valid passport or passport replacement (only a copy)
- Proof that you are participating in an EU or multilateral program with mobility measures, or proof of an official agreement between universities
- Formal letter of admission from Europa-Universität Flensburg
- Proof of financial sufficiency (see above)
- Proof of health insurance
Please note:
- The Budget Office for Migration and Refugees (BaMF) must receive the International Center’s notification about your stay in Germany 30 days before your entry. Therefore, please send all documents to the International Center as early as possible. All documents (except your passport and residence permit) must be submitted in German.
- Your residence title must be valid for the entire duration of your planned stay in Germany.
- This regulation only applies to study stays in Germany of up to 360 days. For longer stays in Germany for study purposes, you will need an entry visa and a student residence permit to cover your extended stay.
Health Insurance
Health Insurance
In Germany, all students aged 30 and younger must have public health insurance. This costs about 109 euros per month.
Foreign students who are over the age of 30 should take out private health insurance.
If you are a student from a country that has a bilateral social security agreement with Germany and you already have sufficient health insurance coverage in your home country, you are exempt from the health insurance requirement and you will be automatically covered under the German public health insurance for the duration of your stay in here. In order to get the exemption, within three months of your arrival, you must present the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued in your home country, a certificate of exemption from public health insurance or other proof of health insurance (in English or German) If you fail to do so, you will lose the right to enroll at the university.
Applying for health insurance
These documents are required to apply for health insurance in Germany:
- Passport
- Letter of admission from EUF or certificate of enrollment
- Bank account
- Address in Flensburg
- Passport photo
Exemption from mandatory public health insurance
If you have foreign health insurance coverage that is valid in Germany (such as the European Health Insurance Card or a private health insurance policy from your home country), you may be exempt from the public health insurance requirement. You can check this by submitting your original insurance documents (in English or German) to a public health insurance company in Germany to request a certificate of exemption from mandatory insurance. Such a certificate can only be issued by a public health insurance company in Germany.
Housing
Student Residence Halls
The student association (Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein) operates several student dormitories at Europa-Universität Flensburg. The rental period for student rooms and apartments is always six months (Fall Semester: September 1 – February 28; Spring Semester: March 1 – August 31).
Monthly rental costs range from €233 to €336, depending on the residence hall. After signing the contract, you must pay a one-time deposit of 350 € (refundable at the end of the rental period). Flensburg has five student residence halls.
All student residences are self-catering accommodations; some have shared bathrooms and kitchens. Kitchen equipment as well as bed linen and towels are not available; residents must bring their own.
Please submit applications for residence hall space directly to the Studentenwerk via the online form.
Private Housing
Furnished rooms in shared apartments are very popular and therefore not easy to find for short stays. In Flensburg, rental prices for unfurnished apartments with 2-3 rooms, suitable for families or shared student apartments, start at about 300€ plus utilities.
The following websites list apartment rentals:
- WG-gesucht.de
- Flensburger Tageblatt (daily newspaper)
- MoinMoin (daily newspaper)
- Flensburger Wochenschau (daily newspaper)
The student union (AStA) also collects housing offers.
Last-Minute Housing
Those who seek last-minute, short-term accommodation in Flensburg, there is a youth hostel, a hostel, a the Flensbed hostel/boarding house, and vacation apartment rentals.
Cost of Living
Cost of Living in Flensburg
In Flensburg, the cost of living is somewhat lower than in major German cities. Students should plan on a monthly budget of at least €850, including housing. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are available on campus Monday through Friday at the central cafeteria (Mensa) and the café lounge.
Every household also has to pay a mandatory monthly public broadcasting fee. You can learn more about the Rundfunkbeitrag here:
Arrival Information
Arriving by Plane and Train
Located about 150 kilometers from Flensburg, the Hamburg Airport (Fuhlsbüttel) is the closest airport to Flensburg.
The S-Bahn subway line S1 runs every 10 minutes between Hamburg Airport ("Hamburg Flughafen") and the Hamburg central train station. This journey takes about 25 minutes and costs about 3 euros. You can find detailed information at www.hvv.de.
By taxi, the ride into town from the airport takes about 30 minutes and costs about 25 euros.
The trains to Flensburg leave from Hamburg main station. The travel time is about 2 hours. You can buy a train ticket from the customer service center inside the train station, or from one of the ticket machines there.
Germany offers several different kinds of train fares. For the Hamburg-Flensburg trip, the cheapest type of ticket is the "Schleswig-Holstein ticket." It costs about 28 euros. You can buy one in the customer service center, or directly from a ticket machine. To buy the ticket from a machine, follow these steps: click on "Tickets & Offers" ⇾ "Länderticket" ⇾ "Schleswig-Holstein ticket". The Schleswig-Holstein ticket is a group ticket for up 5 people, so up to 4 more people can join you on the same ticket if they pay 4 euros each. Trains from Hamburg to Flensburg run hourly.
Getting to EUF from the Flensburg train station
The following buses will take you to the EUF campus from the Flensburg train station: bus 5 (Ring A), bus 8 (Ring A), or bus 4 (direction "Tastruper Weg"). The bus stop is located directly in front of the train station building.
Alternatively, you can catch a cab from the taxi queue at the entrance to the station.
Pick-up service
From Hamburg Airport:
The EUF International Center offers a pick-up service (cost: 50 €) for international students from Hamburg Airport between 10 am and 5 pm on September 1 and 2, and on March 1 and 2. As we have limited capacity, the priority goes to students with long-haul flights.
We will provide you with more information about the pick-up service during the preparatory webinars.
From the Flensburg train station:
A free pick-up service from the Flensburg train station and the Flensburg central bus station (ZOB) is also possible.
We will provide you with more information about the pick-up service during the preparatory webinars.
Between mid-August and the start of November, you can also contact the CampusENGEL network for assistance upon your arrival in Flensburg:
Enrollment
Enrollment: Exchange Students and Free Movers
Enrollment for exchange students and free movers takes place during the orientation week of the International Center. The following documents are required to enroll at Europa-Universität Flensburg:
- Letter of Acceptance (Zulassungsbescheid)
- Copy of your identity card or passport
- Copy of your German visa (if required)
- Proof of German health insurance, or confirmation that you are exempt from compulsory health insurance in Germany (Bestätigung der Befreiung von der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherungspflich)
- Proof that you have paid the semester fee
All students at Europa-Universität Flensburg must pay a semester fee to the Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein, which operates the dining halls, student residences, and counseling centers, among other things. The semester fee also includes the cost of the semester ticket, which allows students to use public transportation throughout Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg at no additional cost.