Accommodation
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find accommodation in most cities in Germany due to a housing shortage. Therefore, you should start looking for accommodation as early as possible.
In our Housing Guide, you will find all the information you need when looking for accommodation, e.g. a list of search portals and important terms you will encounter in accommodation ads.
Student residences offer furnished rooms and bedsits, mostly in close proximity to the universities. However, places in the residences are often scarce, so you should apply as soon as possible and may have to wait for several semesters.
Studierendenwerk Bielefeld’s current offers can be found here.
In a shared flat (Wohngemeinschaft – WG for short), several students share the common rooms. Since the rent and utilities are shared, the costs are lower than if you rent your own flat. Shared flats are a good way to make contact with German students.
Bank account
For the duration of your stay in Germany, you should open an account with a European bank. You can decide in advance whether you want to use an online bank or use the branch office of a bank in Bielefeld. Almost all banks offer free student accounts. This will also save you fees that might otherwise be incurred when withdrawing cash using a credit card.
If you plan to open an account, it will be best to arrange an appointment with the bank. You will usually need the following documents:
- ID card or passport (with visa or residence title, if applicable)
- Proof of matriculation
- Registration confirmation (you will receive this when registering at the Citizens’ Registration Office)
- Tax ID (you will receive this when registering at the Citizens’ Registration Office or at the local tax office)
Blocked account
International students from a non-EU or non-EEA country must provide a proof of financing. In order to do so, most immigration offices require a blocked account. You can find out about alternatives to the blocked account here.
Proof of financing is one of the most important requirements for the student visa and residence permit for study purposes in Germany.
CampusCard
The CampusCard is your student ID card. You will get it after you have enrolled. You can also use it to:
- Pay in the canteen and cafeteria (you can top up the card with cash at self-service machines)
- Borrow books from the library
- Access the University Sports Service.
Please find more information on the Data Processing Centre’s CampusCard page.
Doctor’s visit
If you feel sick and need medical help, please find an overview of doctors and clinics in Bielefeld, Minden and Gütersloh in the guidelines below:
Health insurance
Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. In order to enrol at HSBI, you must possess health insurance for study purposes that is valid in Germany. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is accepted for enrolment and usually sufficient for a short stay (1–2 semesters). If you plan to do a full degree in Germany, you should, however, take out insurance with a German health insurance company. If you are from Turkey and have an AT/11 certificate, this document will also be recognised for your studies in Germany.
If you come from a country outside the EU, you should contact the competent German consulate whether you already need a valid health insurance in Germany for the visa application. In any case, you should take out a German health insurance after your arrival.
If you want to take out a German health insurance, you have the choice between a statutory or a private health insurance. Statutory health insurance is usually the better choice: It offers affordable rates for students and pays doctors and pharmacies directly for all services you need to use. There is no cap for necessary treatments, which are covered regardless of the costs. The German statutory health insurance is accepted for enrolment, no matter which health insurance provider you choose. Their rates are at approx. €125.– per month (as of February 2024). This amount is almost the same for all providers. You can easily take out German health insurance online.
Private health insurance is only accepted for enrolment if your insurance conditions are comparable to those of statutory health insurance. This is often not the case: A private health insurance may not always pay for necessary treatments, or they may refuse payment beyond a certain amount (so that you have to pay the rest yourself). With a private health insurance company, you have to pay for doctors’ bills first and then contact your private health insurance provider and apply for reimbursement. For more information, please see our Guide for International Students.
Please note: travel health insurance is not sufficient for studying in Germany!
Immigration office
Citizens’ Registration Office, City of Bielefeld | Local Immigration Office
Niederwall 23
33602 Bielefeld
Tel: 0521 / 51-0
E-mail: auslaenderbehoerde@bielefeld.de
Website
Immigration Office, Kreis Gütersloh
Kreishaus Gütersloh – Bauteil 6
Herzebrocker Straße 140
33334 Gütersloh
Tel: 05241 / 85-0
E-mail: auslaenderbehoerde@kreis-guetersloh.de
Website
Immigration Office, Kreis Minden-Lübbecke
Portastraße 13
32423 Minden
Tel: 0571 / 807-20600
E-mail: abh@minden-luebbecke.de
Website
Residence permit
Students from EU countries and from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland do not require a residence permit.
Students from countries outside the EU, please note:
If you have entered with a visa and wish to do a full degree at HSBI, please apply for the residence title approximately 6 weeks before your initial visa expires. If you were able to enter Germany without a visa, you have 90 days after your arrival in Germany to register with the Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) and apply for a residence title. Please bring the following documents for your appointment at the immigration office:
- Proof of matriculation
- Proof of membership in a German statutory health insurance
or (if you have private health insurance)
- Proof of membership in a private health insurance and exemption from compulsory insurance (this document can be issued to you by any statutory health insurance provider)
- Passport and visa
- Passport photo
- Proof of financing (blocked account, scholarship, financial guarantee from your parents, etc.)
- Cash to pay for the processing fee
For more information, please contact the competent immigration office.
Self-study course “Broaden your horizon”
In this self-study course, we provide all the information you need for your studies at HSBI (previously “FH Bielefeld” or “Bielefeld UAS”).
Semester contribution
TV and radio licence fees
In Germany, each household has to pay TV and radio licence fees of €18.36 per month. These fees finance public television and radio, including their online services (ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio, etc.). It doesn’t matter whether you actually have a TV or a radio. If you live alone, you will have to pay the fees alone; in a shared flat, you can split the costs with your flatmates. Students who receive financial assistance under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) can be exempted from the TV and radio licence fees.
Visa
Students from the EU: if you come from a country within the EU, you do not need a visa to enter Germany.
Students from countries outside the EU, please note: You can find out whether you need a visa on the website of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
To apply for a visa for study purposes, you usually need the following documents:
Please note: make sure to apply for a visa for study purposes and not a tourist visa! You cannot study in Germany with a tourist visa.
The processing of visa applications takes about 4–6 weeks, sometimes longer. We recommend that you make an appointment with the competent German consulate or embassy immediately after you have received the admissions letter or the confirmation from uni-assist.
