Welcome to Kiel University!

Our Services

The Welcome Center assists international scientists and scholars coming to Kiel University, either as an employee of the university or as a guest professor, visiting researcher, scholar, or fellowship/scholarship recipient. We can inform you on matters such as visas and residence permits, housing, health, liability and accident insurance, registering as a resident, how to open a bank account, the tax office and matters regarding accompanying family members.

We look forward to helping you! Please download, fill out and sign the registration form and send it back to us so that we can give you the best possible support.

New: Welcome App for International Doctoral Researchers!

The app provides information/guidance for international doctoral researchers from departure in their country of origin to their arrival at Kiel University... More information here.

Before coming to Kiel

Before You Arrive

Please get in touch with the Welcome Center as soon as you know that you will be coming to Kiel. Good and early preparation for your stay will makes things easier once you have arrived, not only for you at your host institute but also for your family, should they accompany you to Kiel.

A checklist for preparing your arrival in Kiel can be downloaded  here.

Applying for a visa to enter Germany

 As a rule, all non-EU foreigners require visas for stays of more than three months or if they plan to work in Germany. Citizens of EU countries, as well as citizens of the EEA (European Economic Area) and Swiss nationals do not need a visa to enter Germany, nor do they need a residence permit for longer stays or a work permit to work. 

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America are allowed visa-free entry to Germany and must subsequently apply for a residence permit at the immigration office if they plan to stay for more than 90 days or if they plan to work in Germany.

PLEASE NOTE: For citizens from the above mentioned "visa free" countries, who want to start working directly after their arrival, it is highly advisable to apply for a visa before arriving in Germany because it may take up to two months to get an appointment for a residence permit and they may not be allowed to start working until they have a residence permit.

Citizens of all other countries without "visa free" entry must apply for a visa before arriving in Germany. The procedure can take up to three months, in some cases longer, so it is advisable to apply early.

For more information take a look here.

Where can I apply for a visa?

At a German consulate or embassy in your home country or current country of residence.

What type of visa do I need?

Use the Visa Navigator to determine what type of visa is the best one for you.

If you plan to be in Germany for more than 90 days or if you wish to work in Germany do NOT apply for a 90 day Schengen C-visa since this type of visa cannot be extended.

Here you can find more information on different types of visas.

Can family members come with me to Germany?

In general, yes. If your spouse or children will join you during your research stay it is advisable to apply for their visas together with your own, even if they will be traveling to Germany later than you.

Contacting Your Host Institute at Kiel University (CAU)

In the interest of preparing for your research, it is important to establish communication with your host institute at Kiel University early on. This will help in:

• Clarifying any special conditions for your research (e.g. if you need to obtain permission to carry out experiments involving animals or observe rules governing the practice of medicine etc.);
• Being informed of circumstances involving work space and the availability of equipment such as a computer;
• Determining whether you intend to bring any samples or devices with you and if so, what import/export conditions may need to be met.

Important Documents to bring with you

Before departing for Germany, you must have the following pieces of identification and other documents:

• A passport, or equivalent identification, valid for the entire duration of your stay in the Federal Republic of Germany;
• A visa for yourself and any family members accompanying you. Citizens of the following countries can enter Germany without a visa: all EU member states and EEA states, Australia, Andorra, Canada, Honduras, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino and the USA. However, if you are not a citizen of the EU and you plan to start working soon after your arrival, it is advisable to apply for a visa.  Here you can find more information about visa regulations including visa fees. We strongly encourage you to apply for a visa as soon as possible. Applications for accompanying family members may take especially long. You can apply for a visa at the German embassy or consulate in your country;
• Documentation of your fellowship/scholarship/job offer/work contract or other proof of financing (e.g. blocked bank account) covering your cost of living for the duration of your stay;
• Several passport pictures for the various pieces of identification you will need during your stay in Germany;
• Birth certificate(s) and marriage certificate, if applicable (best if officially translated into German and/or officially recognized by the German Embassy/Consulate in your country);

These documents are also recommended:

• If applicable, documentation of any special or prior medical conditions (possibly including recent X-ray images) and any medications you may presently require;
• Your vaccination records, if possible in an internationally intelligible format.

Health Insurance

All people living in Germany - Germans and non-Germans alike- are required by law to have valid health insurance. Proof of adequate health insurance coverage is also a requirement for getting a visa to come to Germany.

• If you have a work contract with the University, you must choose a health insurance company and inform the personnel department of the university about your choice. Here is a list of all German statutory health insurance providers. The payments will be deducted from your pay and forwarded to the insurance company. It is advisable, however, and is a requirement for a visa, to buy private health insurance for the time between when you arrive and when you sign your employment contract.
• If you are being hired as a professor, you will probably also have civil servant status and the State of Schleswig-Holstein (as your employer) will cover 50% of your medical costs directly (for your spouse the state covers 70% and for children 80% directly). For the other 50% (30% or 20%) you have to buy private health insurance. Here is a list of all private health insurers in Germany.
• If you have a fellowship from the DAAD, Humboldt Foundation or through some EU funding programs you can buy health insurance through the DAAD. You need to do this before you come to Germany. DAAD and Humboldt fellows may have insurance through their grants. Check your fellowship letter for more information.
• Other fellowship/scholarship holders will need to buy health insurance unless their current health insurance policy covers them during their stay in Germany. If not, they must buy health insurance coverage for the entire length of their stay before travelling to Germany. There are many companies offering this insurance. Some offer packages with health insurance, accident insurance and liability insurance. You can find more information and a comparison of health insurance policies for fellowship/scholarship holders on the Euraxess portal.
• If you have health insurance that is valid in Germany, you must have proof of its validity, for example notorized copies of your insurance documents - best if translated into German or English if in another language, or a European Health insurance card. You will need proof of health insurance in order to get a residence permit.

Accompanying family members

If your family will be living with you in Germany please note the following:

• The Family Service Office of Kiel University can help you with all matters regarding day care and schools.
• Family visa: Apply early for a visa (if necessary) for yourself and your family. Visas for family members can often take longer than individual visas. 
• Work permit for spouse: If your spouse wishes to work as a regular employee in Germany, he or she will need a work permit from the German government (unless he or she is a citizen of another EU country or of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway). Spouses of foreign academic visitors wishing to pursue gainful employment should indicate this before arrival so that they can apply for a corresponding residence permit (one with the designation Erwerbstätigkeit gestattet ‘employment allowed’) once in Germany.
• Day Care: Children aged one to six are guaranteed a place in day care (Kindergarten) if needed. Once you know where you will be living in Germany it is a good idea to register your children for the Kindergarten as soon as possible to minimize wait time.
• Schools: All children living in Germany from the age of six up to and including age 16 are required to attend school. The school year begins in August or September after the summer holidays. The exact starting date varies from year to year. As soon as you know where you will be living in Germany it is a good idea to register your children for school.
• More information about schools and daycare can be found in the "During your stay" section.

Getting to Kiel

Kiel can be reached by air, rail, ship or automobile. You can find additional information here.

Accommodation

As soon as you know you when you will be coming to Kiel please contact the Welcome Center to assist you in finding accommodation.

• As an international guest scientist you may be able to stay in one of our guest houses (depending on availability).
• International PhD students with a scholarship may be able to stay in one of the dormitories (depending on availability).
• A list of places to stay/places to search for an apartment can be found here.
• Here is a list of common abbreviations used in housing advertisements.
• The central University Welcome Service also has a  housing page.
• For a list of hotels in Kiel contact: Touristinformation Kiel e. V.

On your arrival in Kiel

The formalities described below must be taken care of in the first days after your arrival.

Registration at the Residence Registration Office

All persons who move to Germany (citizens from the EU, the EEA AND all NON-EU citizens) must register with the residents' registration office in the city where they live within two weeks of arrival in Germany. For the registration you will need your passport and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung - a confirmation from your landlord.

If you live in Kiel you can register your residence at the City Hall (Fleethorn 9) or at any of the branch offices in the city. We recommend making an appointment so that you will get the registration confirmation the same day (and not have to wait for it to be mailed to you which can take several weeks).

Here you will find the information and forms you need for registration:
https://www.kiel.de/de/politik_verwaltung/service/_leistung.php?id=8967090 (German only)

If you will be working in Kiel you will need a Steueridentifikationsnummer (tax identification number) and a Führungszeugnis (police clearance certificate). Ask about these at the registration office when you register. The Registration Office will have your tax identification number sent to you at your registered address. The university personnel department needs the tax id number in order to make payments to you.

 If your spouse and/or child/ren are living with you in Germany, you must also register them. All family members must show up in person for first time registration in Germany. You will need to show identification documents for each person to be registered and your marriage certificate (best if translated into German or English) at the residence registration office. There is no fee to register.

Registration at the Immigration Office:

All foreign non-EU/EWR residents entering Germany from abroad, who will be staying longer than 90 days, must register with the immigration office (die Zuwanderungsabteilung/Ausländerbehörde) of the municipality in which they will be living.This also applies to visitors who can enter Germany without a visa.  As of March 8, 2021 the Kiel Immigration Office is located at Stresemannplatz 5 (entrance at the corner of Stresemannplatz and Kaistrasse). The immigration office issues temporary (and permanent) residence permits (Aufenthaltsgenehmigung). You must make an appointment at the immigration office, by e-mail Zuwanderung@kiel.de (be sure to include your family name and your given name(s), your nationality, your date of birth and the reason for the appointment - e.g. visa extension or residence permit) or by telephone: +49 (0)431 901 4299. You can make an appointment as soon you have registered your residence. It is absolutely necessary that you have documentation showing that you have valid health insurance and that you have registered your residence (Meldeschein see above)! 

There are many types of residence permits for international researchers. Depending on which type of permit you have will determine whether you are eligible for child benefits and whether you can extend your stay. Here is a summary of the types of residence permits for researching, working or studying in Germany.

Opening a bank/checking account:  

Most banks require that you present your proof of registration (Meldeschein) from the registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) and may require a temporary residence permit from the Ausländerbehörde when you open a bank account. Online banks may not require this, but will require you to go through an identity check (for example, the Post-Ident or a Video-Ident process).

You may wish to sign a direct wire transfer Einzugsermächtigung for regular payments, for example, to your landlord or your health/medical insurance company. This gives them permission to draw your monthly premium directly from your bank account for the entire duration of your stay and is a standard procedure.

Other things you need to do to work (and get paid)

In order to get paid, your employer will need two official numbers from you:

• A tax identification number Steueridentifikationsnummer - This should be sent to you by mail automatically after you register your residence at the registraion office.
• A social security number Sozialversicherungsnummber - This you can get from your health insurance company or from the German pension insurance Deutsche  Rentenversicherung.

During your stay in Kiel

Working in Kiel

In order to get paid, your employer will need two official numbers from you:

• A tax identification number Steueridentifikationsnummer - This should be sent to you by mail automatically after you register your residence at the registraion office.
• A social security number Sozialversicherungsnummber - This you can get from your health insurance company or from the German pension insurance Deutsche  Rentenversicherung.

The DLZP (Dienstleistungszentrum Personal) is responsible for processing the payments of all public employees in Schleswig-Holstein, including Kiel University employees. The DLZP calculates your pay and issues a payslip listing your salary and all deductions/extra payments for the current month and year-to-date. You can find a sample payslip in English here.

If you work and get paid you also have to pay taxes: Income tax and solidarity tax. These taxes as well as unemployment insurance, pension insurance, longterm care insurance and health insurance will be deducted from your pay automatically. You may be able to get some of the tax you paid back if you file a tax return (Steuererklärung). There are many tax return software programs that can help you calculate your taxes, some are also available in English, here is a sampling:

Taxfix - To use this program you must have a German bank account. 

Wundertax - Does not require a German bank account.

In Germany with Your Family

The following information can be downloaded as a pdf-file here.

Work Permit for Your Spouse

If your spouse wishes to work as a regular employee in Germany, s/he will need a work permit from the German government (unless s/he is a citizen of another EU country or of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway). Spouses of foreign academic visitors wishing to work in Germany must indicate this prior when applying for the visa so that they can apply for a corresponding residence permit in Germany (one with the designation Erwerbstätigkeit gestattet ‘employment allowed’). The work permit itself must be obtained from the Arbeitsamt (employment office) in Kiel. The process is time consuming – just processing the application can take several weeks – and applications are not always successful. Because of this, spouses of past foreign academic guests recommend that you consider well in advance of your arrival how best to use the time you will be spending in Germany. Spouses of visiting researchers can register as guest auditors for courses at the University. The Volkshochschule (VHS) – the local adult education center – also offers courses on various topics.

Child Care (Kindergarten)

If you are travelling with your children to Germany, please get in touch as soon as possible with the Family Service Office familienservice@gb.uni-kiel.de. They can assist you in all matters concerning schools for your child/ren.

In Germany, Kindergarten is day care for children one to six years of age. You are not required to send your children to Kindergarten in Germany; however, one to six year olds are legally entitled to a place in a Kindergarten. It may be difficult to get a Kindergarten place for stays of less than one year, however.

More information regarding child care can be found on the pages of the Family Service Office at Kiel University. They also offer a program for children of university employees during the school holidays.

School

The school year begins at the end of summer break in either August or September; the date varies from year to year. All children living in Germany 6 years of age up to and including age 16, regardless of nationality, are required to attend school.

More information regarding types of schools and school registration can be found on the pages of the Family Service Office at Kiel University.

If you are travelling with your children to Germany, please get in touch as soon as possible with the Family Service Office familienservice@gb.uni-kiel.de. They can assist you in locating a school for your school age children.

What if I get ill/injure myself/need a doctor?

You can go to any doctor if you are ill. You can find a general practitioner in the local telephone book (under “Ärzte – allgemein”) or online at the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Weisse Liste (White List).

You can also use this search engine to find a doctor, who can speak a particular language, such as English.  Click on "Erweiterte Suche" to get to the full search. In the field “Ort” enter “Kiel”, in the field “Fachbebiet” choose “Allgemeinmedizin” and in the field “Fremdsprachen” select the language of your choice.

The Techniker Krankenkasse insurance also has a doctor search engine.

Mobility in Kiel

Biking in Kiel

Kiel is a great city for getting around by bicycle. It is relatively flat and there are good bike paths and routes. There are  two bike-lending companies in Kiel: Donkey Republic (Sprotten Flotte) and Swapfiets. Donkey Republic is a short term bike rental service with bike stations around the city whereas Swapfiets is a bike leasing service where you pay a monthly fee to lease a bike of your own. If you are going to be in Kiel for a longer period of time, you may want to consider buying a new or used bike.

At the main train station in Kiel there is also a bicycle station “Umsteiger” (website in German) which rents bikes (day rentals), has a repair shop and a 24 hour guarded bike parking garage.

On the main campus at Westring 393 there is a bike shop, which sells new and used bikes.

Used bikes to buy can also be found through ebaykleinanzeigen .

Public Transit in Kiel

The Kieler Verkehrsgesellschaft (KVG) operates busses and ferries in Kiel and the surrounding area. You can find information about fares, routes and services here. If you register as a student you will get a stamp on your student ID card that allows you to ride public transit in Kiel (and local trains in Schleswig-Holstein) for free.

Driving license

This following information can also be downloaded as a pdf-file here. 

Citizens of the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland: Your driving license is valid in Germany, just as it is in your home country. There is no need to have it converted to a German license.

Citizens of other countries: You can drive for six months with your existing driving license, starting with the day you register your residence in Germany. At the end of that period, you will need to have a German license. Whether or not you will have to take a test depends on the country (or state) where you obtained your driving license. Driving schools offer instruction and can register you for any tests you may need to take.

Registering your car in Germany

All cars in Germany need to be registered, and you can do this at the nearest car registration office. You will need your vehicle title (proof that the car belongs to you) and your motor vehicle insurance policy.

If you are bringing a car with you from another country, read here what additional documents are required.

• Registering a used vehicle from an EU country
• Registering a used vehicle from a non-EU country

After they are registered, all cars in Germany need to pass a general inspection. This means that a mechanic must confirm that your car is safe and meets the official emission standards. A vehicle inspection sticker will then be affixed to your car’s number plate. The general inspection can be performed by an authorized workshop near you. Inspections need to be repeated at regular intervals. There is a charge for both the general inspection and for registering your vehicle.

Please note that in many German cities, low-emission zones have been created to reduce the quantities of particulates and nitrogen dioxide in the air.

To drive into one of these low-emission zones, you need a sticker (Umweltplakette) showing that your vehicle has sufficiently low emissions. This can be obtained for a fee from the vehicle licensing authority or other approved agencies.

Learning German

Kiel University offer several opportunities for learning German. The Postdoc Center, the Graduate Center and the International Center offer a conversational German class for visiting researchers and their spouses/partners. Here the focus is more on speaking and pronunciation, although grammar is also covered. It meets on Saturdays, 10:15 to 11:45 and 12:00 to 13:30 in the DAF, Leibnizstr. 2, Room 011/012. Postdocs can sign up for the course with this link. PhD students can sign up for the course here.

Intensive German language courses are also taught at different levels (A1 to C2) by the DAF - German as a foreign language. Before you can sign up for these courses you need to first  register at the DAF .

Additionally, the International Center offers each two annual summer courses. Read more: Summer courses at Kiel University.

Meeting people

If you would like to meet some Germans here are some opportunities for that:

The International Café used to meet twice a month before the Corona pandemic, once in the afternoon for Kaffeetrinken (coffee and cake) at the Guesthouse of the university in Dusternbrooker Weg and once in the evening at the IBZ Kiellinie 5 for snacks and conversation. Unfortunately, the International Café has been put on hold for the time being. 

The Welcome Center International Stammtisch meets once a month, usually on the first Wednesday of the month, usually in the restaurant Gutenberg (Gutenbergstr. 66). Check the events calendar for the date and location of the Stammtisch.

Preparing to leave Kiel

Before you leave Kiel, you will also need to take care of a few required formalities, like un-registering with the Residence Registration office or cancelling your insurance contracts. Our Welcome Center team supports you with organizing and coordinating these tasks before you leave.

We have compiled a checklist of the most important formalities to consider at the end of your stay in Kiel.

Staying in touch

Would you like to keep in touch with Kiel University? Then join our Alumni Network!

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions here.

Contact

Welcome Center for International Researchers and Scholars at Kiel University
Office hours: Wednesdays 1 - 3 pm and by appointment (in person or virtually), Westring 400, Raum 02.01

Dr. Nancy Smith
nsmith(at)uv.uni-kiel.de
Tel. +49 431 880 2727