Arriving in Saarbrücken

The paperwork every new student goes through, in the order it usually happens. Your mentor can help with the details that apply to your situation.

Caution

Rules and deadlines change. Always double-check with the university and the city. This page is community advice, not legal advice.

Before you arrive

1. Enroll at the university. Follow the steps in your admission letter, pay the semester fee (Semesterbeitrag) and send any missing documents before the deadline.

2. Get health insurance. Proof of health insurance is required to enroll. Public insurers (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) offer student rates; ask your mentor which one other students use.

3. Find a place to live. Apply as early as possible for a dorm at the Studierendenwerk Saarland. Shared flats (WG) are common too. Never pay for a room before a viewing or a signed contract; fake offers are common.

First two weeks

1. Register your address (Anmeldung). Within two weeks of moving in, at the citizens’ office (Bürgeramt). Bring your passport and the landlord’s confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). You need the registration certificate for many other steps.

2. Open a bank account. You need a German current account (Girokonto) for rent, the semester fee and a student job (HiWi).

3. Collect your student ID. It is issued after enrollment and also works as your semester ticket for buses and trains.

First semester

1. Residence permit (non-EU students). Book an appointment at the foreigners’ office (Ausländerbehörde) early, well before your visa expires. Waiting times can be long.

2. Plan your courses and register for exams. Exam registration (Prüfungsanmeldung) has strict deadlines and late registration is usually not possible. Ask your mentor which courses to take first.

3. Meet your community. Pray in the IHG room in building A5 4, join Jumuʿah, and say salam to your mentor. See Muslim life on & around campus.

Useful German words

German	English
Einschreibung	Enrollment
Semesterbeitrag	Semester fee
Anmeldung	Address registration
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung	Landlord’s confirmation
Mietvertrag	Rental contract
Kaution	Security deposit
Girokonto	Current (bank) account
Ausländerbehörde	Foreigners’ office
Prüfungsanmeldung	Exam registration
Sprechstunde	Office hours