International applicants & their access to the HSWT
People from many different countries study and work at HSWT. Many paths lead to our campus in Weihenstephan or Triesdorf - for a semester, a full course of study or for a position in teaching and research. Here you will find information on the various options for transferring to a German University of Applied Sciences. For prospective students, we have also compiled information on what needs to be considered for enrolment in Germany.
What you need to study at HSWT
If you are planning to study in Germany, there are important formalities to observe: Among other things, you should clarify the financing of your stay early on and take care of suitable insurances. The following information will help international first-year students and exchange students to find their way around HSWT and the German bureaucracy.
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Study & Living Costs
When applying for a visa to Germany, applicants must prove that they can afford to study and live in Germany. To do so, they must have at least 934 euros/month or 11,208 euros/year at their disposal.
We recommend that you plan for this amount for your stay (e.g. for accommodation, food, clothing, insurance, learning materials and leisure activities), even if you do not need proof of funding.
The following costs are incurred per semester for studying at the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (as of summer semester 2023):
- Weihenstephan campus: semester fee of 85.00 Euros
- Campus Triesdorf: semester fee of 67 Euros
Tuition fees are only charged at HSWT for students from non-EU countries in the International Master of Landscape Architecture (IMLA). They pay 750 euros per semester.
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Employment: Can I work during my studies?
Those who come from EU or EEA countries or Switzerland may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the lecture period. This limit may be exceeded in exceptional cases, for example, if you only work at weekends, in the evenings or at night.
If you come from another country, you may work a maximum of 120 full days or 240 half days per year in Germany. Working days on which you work more than 4 hours count as full days. If you wish to work more than this, you must first obtain permission from the Foreigners' Registration Office.
The restriction of 120 full days / 240 half days does not apply to part-time student jobs at the University of Applied Sciences or on-campus employment (e.g. as a research assistant or at the student union).
For compulsory internships that are a mandatory part of studying in Germany, the approval of the Foreigners' Registration Office is also not required. The 120 approval-free working days can be used additionally and independently of this.
Pay attention to the information in your residence permit and contact the relevant Foreigners' Registration Office if you are indoubt.
The Career Service International supports you in all questions regarding job search and career entry.
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Scholarships & Financial Aid
Those who would like to obtain a degree at our University of Applied Sciences can find information on scholarships here.
Insurances
Some insurances are compulsory, such as health insurance. We have compiled a list of exactly which insurances you need and which insurances make sense.
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Health insurance
All students in Germany must provide proof of health insurance. This covers the costs of medical treatment and medication in the event of an accident or illness, so that these do not have to be paid privately.
When you enrol at our University of Applied Sciences, your insurance status must be confirmed by a German statutory health insurance provider. This certifies that you are either
- insured with a German statutory health insurance provider or
- that you do not have to take out statutory health insurance in Germany because you have private health insurance coverage or you have health insurance abroad.
Regardless of where or how you are insured, you should always contact a German statutory health insurance provider when enrolling and ask them to inform our University of Applied Sciences of your insurance status electronically. Without electronic notification of your insurance status, enrolment is not possible. The insurance contract or the insurance card are not sufficient for enrolment.
- If you come from a country with which Germany has concluded a social security agreement in the area of health insurance (including the EU/EEA and Switzerland):
In this case, send an international health insurance certificate or a copy of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to a statutory health insurance provider in Germany. They will inform our University of Applied Sciences electronically that you are exempt from compulsory health insurance in Germany. There are no costs involved.
- What about a country with which there is no social security agreement?
First you have to check whether the benefits of your health insurance in your home country are comparable to those of a German health insurance. To do this, send an English version or a state-recognised translation of the insurance contract to a statutory health insurance provider in Germany. They will then inform you whether the insurance cover is sufficient for you to study in Germany. If this is the case, the health insurance company can inform our University of Applied Sciences electronically that you are exempt from compulsory health insurance in Germany.
If the benefits of the health insurance in your home country are not comparable with those of a German health insurance, you will have to take out a new statutory or private health insurance.
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What does health insurance cost in Germany?
With a statutory health insurance fund, the student rate of about €90/month applies until the end of the 30th year of age or the 14th semester. The exact amount of the contribution varies because each health insurance company charges small individual additional contributions. After signing the contract, please ask the health insurance company to inform the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf electronically that you are insured there.
The rate of a statutory health insurance for students over 30 years of age starts at about 170 €/month. For older students, insurance with a private health insurance company can therefore be the cheaper option.
If you decide to take out private health insurance, you should find out whether the chosen plan offers sufficient protection before signing the contract. After signing the contract, you must contact a statutory health insurance provider in Germany. They will inform our University of Applied Sciences electronically that you are exempt from statutory insurance in Germany.
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Personal liability insurance
Liability insurance covers the costs of damage that you have caused unintentionally, for example if you hit someone with your bicycle. An accident in which people are injured can cost several million euros. Without private liability insurance, you have to pay for the damage yourself. In the worst case, you will have to pay off the debt for the rest of your life - even if you return to your home country.
Private liability insurance is highly recommended and not expensive.
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Accident insurance
Students are insured against accidents during study-related activities at the University of Applied Sciences and on the way there. The insurance applies, for example, to accidents that occur when attending lectures or university facilities (such as the university library), on excursions or during university sports.
If you have an accident, you can find the relevant accident report forms and further information here.
Offices & Banks
You have arrived and want to start your studies. Now you have to go to some offices and authorities. A bank account might also be important, depending on where you come from. After arriving in Germany, students should take care of the following things:
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Registration at the Residents' Registration Office
After moving into your new flat, you have two weeks to officially register at your new place of residence (e.g. at the Freising Citizens' Registration Office or, for Triesdorf, at the Weidenbach Residents' Registration Office). It is not possible to register at the address of a hostel or hotel; the authorities require at least a contract for a few months for interim rent. In addition, students from abroad must present a valid identity document and a certificate of move-in ("Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung").
If you move back abroad, you will need a certificate from your landlord confirming that you have moved out in order to deregister at the Residents' Registration Office.
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Application for a Residence Permit
If you do not come from an EU or EEA country, you must apply for a residence permit at the Foreigners' Office (e.g. Foreigners' Office Freising, Foreigners' Office District of Ansbach). This is only possible after you have registered your place of residence. It takes several weeks for the residence permit to be issued. Therefore, apply for it in good time before the visa expires or before the end of the visa-free stay.
When you apply, you must prove that you have health insurance and sufficient financial means. Here we have compiled information on the proof of financial means.
If you come from Switzerland, you only need to apply for a purely declaratory "Swiss residence permit".
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Opening a Bank Account
A German bank account makes sense for students whose home country does not participate in the SEPA scheme for cross-border transfers and direct debits. Regular payments, for example for rent or electricity, are often debited directly from the bank account in Germany by direct debit. Smaller expenses are usually paid in cash or by card, contactless payment is also possible. The use of credit cards is less common; here you should ask in good time whether they are accepted.
Bank accounts for students are often free of charge and usually include a debit card. It would be important to know at which ATMs you can withdraw money for free - this is not the case at all ATMs.
To open a bank account, you need an identity document, a registration certificate and a tax identification number (IdNr). You will receive the latter two by post when you register your residence. If the identification number does not arrive in time, it is best to ask whether it is possible to submit it later. As a student, you must also submit a certificate of enrolment.
