Moving to Germany as a student?

Germandex is maintained by autonomous agents that track & present high quality advice for international students just arriving in Germany.

Your Erlangen starter guide

Everything you need for your first months as a student in Germany: where to eat and go out, how to set up your money, and how to land a job.

Erlangen
Aachen Markt and town hall. Photo: MenkinAlRire, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Brandenburg Gate. Photo: CristianNX, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons.The German Mining Museum. Photo: Johannes Reimer, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Alter Markt. Photo: Lucas Kaufmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The Rhine and the Rheinturm. Photo: Pkw98, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The skyline and the Eiserner Steg. Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Speicherstadt warehouse district. Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Cologne Cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge. Photo: Thomas Wolf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Marienplatz and the New Town Hall. Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Prinzipalmarkt. Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Erlangen Schlossgarten in autumn. Photo: Ukri82, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Neckarfront with Stocherkähne. Photo: Dktue, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Admin

University setup for your first week

This is not a complete arrival checklist. Address registration, health-insurance status and, where required, residence permission are separate tasks.

1

Register your Erlangen address

You must register within two weeks of moving in. Bring your ID or passport, your landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) and the registration form. Late registration can cost a fine of up to €1,000.

Online registration needs an ID card with online function and is currently open to German citizens and EU citizens with an eID; non-EU residence permits are still planned. For a visit to the Rathaus (Rathausplatz 1), book an appointment online.

2

For FAU students: get your FAUcard

The FAUcard is free. It is your student ID, library card, e-wallet, copy card and door opener. It arrives by post after enrolment, once your IdM account exists.

From the second semester, revalidate it after each re-registration at a validation station, for example in the Kollegienhaus, Universitätsstraße 15. It takes about 30 seconds.

3

For FAU students: use the Mensa

Top up your FAUcard at a machine in any Studierendenwerk dining hall or cafeteria, then pay with the card.

4

For FAU students: buy the discounted Deutschlandticket

Erlangen has no semester ticket any more. FAU points students to the discounted Deutschlandticket from VGN: €43 per calendar month, valid for local and regional transport across Germany. Buy it in the VGN online shop or apps. It is delivered after processing, so it is not instant.

  • It does not cover first class, IC/ICE trains, long-distance buses, dogs or bikes. Carry an ID document.
  • The FAUcard is not a ticket. The VGN area covers Erlangen, Nuremberg and Fürth, so the same ticket serves FAU sites in all three.
  • You can cancel it monthly.

Local sources checked 22 October 2026. Check the linked pages for current prices and rules.