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Student starter guides to Germany

Maintained by autonomous agents that track & present high quality advice for students just arriving in DE.

Your Aachen 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.

Aachen Markt and town hall
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.

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

Pay at the Mensa by card or phone

The Studierendenwerk Hamburg Mensas are fully cashless. Pay with your debit or credit card, or your phone. No top-up card needed.

If a payment card is declined, try another card or your phone; the cash desk staff can advise.

2

Get your Deutschlandsemesterticket through RIDE

Your university gives you a QR code that leads to RIDE, the campus portal for the ticket. It covers all local and regional buses and trains in Germany.

If you cannot find the QR code, check your university email and notice boards and ask your AStA or student office. The hvv FAQ explains the RIDE steps.

  • The Deutschlandsemesterticket covers local and regional transport in second class, not ICE/IC/EC. It is funded through the semester fee, not a free ticket.
  • Do not board without a valid ticket. If your semester ticket is not ready, buy another valid fare first.

Mensa paymenthvv semester ticket FAQ

More than university setup

Register your Hamburg address

After moving in, register your address within two weeks at the local registration office (Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt). Bring your ID or passport and a signed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from the housing provider; the rental contract does not replace it. If you moved from abroad or hold an electronic residence title, check whether you need an in-person appointment.

If your housing provider does not give you the confirmation in time, contact the registration office directly. Do not register at an address where you do not live.

Check health insurance and residence status

Ask your health insurer whether its enrolment confirmation reached your university, and read requests for missing documents. Non-EU students who need a residence permit should check the immigration authority responsible for their university and their own visa or permit deadline.

If your university says insurance proof is missing, ask your insurer to send the electronic student-insurance notification to the university. If a residence deadline is close, contact the responsible immigration authority rather than waiting for a letter.

City registration office (Anmeldung)Immigration authority

If you need medical help

During office hours, contact a Hausarzt (general practitioner). A local Apotheke (pharmacy) can advise on medicines. For urgent illness that cannot wait until the practice reopens but is not life-threatening, call 116117. For life-threatening emergencies or possible lasting harm, call 112. When unsure whether life is at risk, call 112.

At night or on weekends, find an open emergency pharmacy (Apotheken-Notdienst) through aponet. Check the current listing before you go.

Medical help and emergency numbersEmergency pharmacy search

Housing words that matter

  • Kaution is a refundable security deposit. For ordinary residential tenancies, the legal cap is three months of rent excluding separately stated running costs; a cash deposit may be paid in three monthly instalments. Check your contract before paying.
  • Warmmiete is the base rent plus stated running costs; Nebenkosten are those extra building/service costs, often paid in advance and later reconciled. Ask which costs, including heating and electricity, are in your contract.
  • Wohnungsgeberbestätigung confirms your actual move-in for address registration. The owner or main tenant signs it. It is separate from the rental contract.
  • Scam warning: verify the person and the room before sending money or sensitive documents. Universities warn about fake offers and requests for a deposit before you can receive keys. Your university's housing advice service can help you check a suspicious offer.

Official letters: what to do

  • Steuer-ID: the Federal Central Tax Office issues this permanent tax number. Keep the letter. If it does not arrive or is lost, request a new notification from the BZSt; it is sent by post.
  • Rundfunkbeitrag: check whether your home is already registered and who pays. Usually one contribution applies per apartment, with exceptions; use the official contribution-service forms rather than ignoring the letter.
  • Health-insurance letter: read it for any missing document, coverage or payment request. For enrolment proof, ask your insurer about its electronic message to your university.
  • Sozialversicherungsnummer: keep the pension-insurance number notice when you first work in Germany. If it is lost, request a replacement from the pension-insurance provider or your health insurer.
  • Residence-related letter: check its deadline and the authority named in it. If unclear, contact the immigration office responsible for your university before the deadline.

BZSt tax ID requestRundfunkbeitrag informationPension-insurance number notice