Buddy-Guide for Incoming Students Summer term 2015
1 (RIA) Department of International Affairs (DIA) Studierendenrat der Otto- von- Guericke- Universität Magdeburg Postfach 4120 39016 Magdeburg Student hall No. 1 (Hohepfortestraße 40) Email: international@stura- md.de Email Buddy- Program: buddy@stura- md.de Web: www.ria.stura- md.de Facebook: www.facebook.com/riaovgu
Table of Content Introductory Words Step 1: Accommodation Step 2: Health Insurance Step 3: Citizen Office Step 4: Bank Account Step 5: Enrolment Step 6: Office of Foreign Affairs Step 7: Studies Further Information Important Advice Page 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 2
Introductory Words Dear International Students, A warm welcome to all of you! 3 We, the Department for International Affairs (, RIA) of the Otto- von- Guericke- University Magdeburg, compiled this guideline to help you manage all the things that must be done, and cope with all the obstacles you may face when arriving in Magdeburg and starting your studies. Please do move along the given steps explained here, as these are arranged in order. Accomplishing one task of a step is often required to get to the next step, i.e. a document received in one step is needed for the following one. (The German terms for each matter are in brackets, so that you are aware of the meaning when stumbling over one of them.) Your buddy knows about these steps, is used to German bureaucracy, most documents and offices, and knows the important websites and computer systems as well as the town and university area. If you have any questions, or if you are not sure where to go, how to get there, what to bring with you, and what else has to be done, do not hesitate to ask your buddy. We hope to help you as much as possible and resolve a few potential problems before you actually have to deal with them. Enjoy your time at OvGU! We are looking forward to meeting you, Your RIA- members and buddies
4 Step 1: Accommodation A permanent residence is required urgently for your registration to stay here. You need a tenancy agreement, a contract for renting a flat or room. Please be aware that most of the students in Germany usually share a flat with each other but have their own private room in the flat. Living on your own is more costly. Also note that you have to terminate your tenancy agreement some time in advance (usually one up to three months). Check your contract carefully before signing it. The following websites are useful to find accommodation: www.studentenwerk- magdeburg.de Application forms can be filled in online Contacts: Hr. Bock und Fr. Koitsch (insist on making an appointment) o Isolde Koitsch: isolde.koitsch@studentenwerk- magdeburg.de o Siegfried Bock: siegfried.bock@studentenwerk- magdeburg.de www.studenten- wohnen.net www.wobau.com/studentenwohnungen.asp www.wg- gesucht.de http://www.mdwohnen.de/ www.guericke.de www.wg1893.de www.immobilienscout24.de LorenzQuartier: http://www.lorenzquartier.de/index.php?id=16 Step 2: Health Insurance (Krankenversicherung) Only for students who are NON- EU citizens. EU citizens and citizens of the EWR- countries only need their European health insurance card or the health insurance voucher E 111 or E 128. You should apply for these in your home country. No enrolment without health insurance! The benefits of the various insurance companies are more or less equal. The obligatory health insurance in Germany costs about 80 EUR per month. Please pay attention to the fact that changing the insurance company during your studies is not possible!
5 We recommend choosing the health insurance company AOK or Techniker Krankenkasse. The monthly contributions differ only slightly. International students older than 30 years cannot have a legal health insurance, but must register at a private health insurance company (e.g. care concept ). For your health insurance, the following documents are needed: - Passport - Letter of Confirmation from Otto- von- Guericke- University of Magdeburg - Bank account details (can be handed in later) More information about the legal health insurance for students can be found here: http://www.studenten- krankenversicherung.net/gesetzliche- krankenversicherung/gesetzliche- krankenversicherung- fuer- studenten.html Here you find information about the German Health System and its conditions in several languages: http://www.1a.net/versicherung/krankenversicherung/international Step 3: Citizen Office (Bürgerbüro) There are the citizen offices Centre, West, South, North (depending on the part of the city) and the mobile citizen office. Non EU citizens should go to the citizen office Bürgerbüro Mitte, located in Breiter Weg. For your application (receiving your registration form) in the citizen office, you need the following documents: - Tenancy agreement - Passport/ Identity Card - a biometric (passport) photo - Certificate of Enrolment + Student ID In case you have not been enrolled yet: - Letter of Confirmation from Otto- von- Guericke- University of Magdeburg - written proof of your health insurance Opening hours (citizen offices): Monday: 8 am 3 pm Tuesday: 9 am 6 pm
6 Wednesday: noon (12) 3 pm Every first Wednesday of the month the citizen offices are closed! Thursday: 9 am 6 pm Friday: 8 am noon (12) Saturday: 8 am noon (12) only citizen office Bürgerbüro Mitte Important: To avoid unnecessary waiting time, you should make appointments in advance online at www.magdeburg.de. At the beginning of the semester, the mobile citizen office will be available for about 2 weeks at the Campus Service Center (the black building opposite the tram stop Universität / University, next to Campus Tower). More information: http://www.servicecenter.ovgu.de/ Step 4: Bank Account (Konto) To transfer your rent and to cover other payments and expenses, you need a German bank account. The following documents are necessary: - Letter of Confirmation from Otto- von- Guericke- University of Magdeburg - Registration form from the citizen office - Passport Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank are for free for students! Step 5: Enrolment (Immatrikulation) All long- term students (those who study for a degree here/ will do their entire studies here) have to register at Frau Lapp (Office hours: Tue/Thu 10 am - noon (12) and 1 pm - 4 pm; wenke.lapp@ovgu.de) building 6, room 08. All the other international students, who won t get a degree at the Otto- von- Guericke- University of Magdeburg (Erasmus, students in programs of partner universities) will be enrolled by Frau Behnert, building 18, room 149 (anne- katrin.behnert@ovgu.de). You need: - Identity Card/ Passport - Letter of Confirmation from Otto- von- Guericke- University of Magdeburg - written proof of your health insurance or a copy of your EU health insurance card - proof of payment of the semester contribution. This can be done at: Fr. Brandes, Barkasse (Cash): building 6, room 22 Opening hours: Mon- Thu 10-11.30 am and 1-2 pm; Fri: 10-11.30 am - a passport photo
- your certificates and references (originals, no copies!) 7 - if necessary confirmation of Exmatrikulation from German universities The enrolment for the course human medicine takes place in the study office (Studiendekanat) at the faculty of medicine. After your enrolment, you will receive your student card. Your buddy will be happy to explain and show you how to validate/activate your card for usage, also as library card and semester ticket. Step 6: Office of Foreign Affairs (Ausländerbehörde) Every non- EU citizen has to show the following documents to get a residence permit, the permission to be here. - Passport with valid visa - Application for residence permit - a biometric passport photo - certificate of enrolment - proof of your health insurance (original and copy) - proof of your capability to pay for your living (at least about 670 EUR/ month at the moment) as well as for your health insurance - Registration form from the citizen office - Tenancy agreement (original and copy) - Cash (110 if you stay more than one year) - if necessary proof that you have opened a blocked account before (covering around 7.900 EUR); for DAAD scholarship students the proof of the scholarship is sufficient. - only for doctoral candidates: work contract as a scientific assistant at the university or a scientific research institute. Important: To avoid unnecessary waiting time, appointments should be made in advance online under www.magdeburg.de, Terminkalender Ausländerbehörde Ausländerrecht. The Office of foreign affairs in Magdeburg is located in Breiter Weg and can be reached via the tram lines 2, 5, 9 and 10. Get off at the station Domplatz.
8 Bürgerservice, Ausländerbehörde Opening hours: Breiter Weg 222 Monday: 8 am noon (12) 39104 Magdeburg Tuesday: 9 am noon (12), 2 pm 5.30 pm Telefon: +49 (391) 5404389 (Information) Wednesday: closed Fax: +49 (391) 5404350 Thursday: 9 am noon (12) Email: Abh@ewo.magdeburg.de Friday: 8 am noon (12) Step 7: Studies 1. Registration at the examination office (Prüfungsamt) During the first week of the semester, you must register at the examination office (faculties FEIT, FVST und FWW). You should check HISQIS our study portal regularly so that you would not miss any registration to exams. 2. Registration in Rechenzentrum (URZ) Every student automatically receives a computer account and an e- mail address with their enrolment. This account has to be activated by entering your password and accepting the rules or terms of use at an IT service terminal in Rechenzentrum, building 26.1. This OvGU account also serves for registration for the study portal HISQIS, for courses in the language center Sprachenzentrum (SPRZ) and sports center (SPOZ). HISQIS: https://hisqis.uni- magdeburg.de/qisserver/rds?state=user&type=0 SPRZ: http://www.sprz.ovgu.de/ SPOZ: http://www.spoz.ovgu.de/ 3. Timetable (LSF portal) see https://lsf.ovgu.de/qislsf/rds?state=user&type=0 Click on Veranstaltungen, then Studiengangpläne on the left side. Scroll to your study course (listed alphabetically) and pick the semester you are in for an overview of courses and modules as well as information about where these take place, your lecturers, a course description or how to enroll. Further Information Pay attention to deadlines/ limited time to register for language courses and sports courses! Although the courses are crowded frequently, it makes sense to go there anyway and see if there are any free places available. The registration via Moodle (our portal to register for courses) is urgently necessary. Taking part in a language course is not possible without this registration. Your buddy will be happy to help you register and get along with the system.
9 Link to registration: http://moodle- n.ovgu.de/sprz/ (Sprachenzentrum language courses) Important advice Expenses after your arrival in Germany When arriving in Germany some expenses are pending several costs must be paid within the first weeks (listed in the table). You should consider that you cannot access your blocked account directly at the beginning, but must open a regular German bank account first. This may take a few days; and you should be well prepared for this time! We therefore insistently advise you to have sufficient money (cash!) with you. Expenses Journey to and arrival in Magdeburg Hotel/Hostel during the first days your room or flat in Magdeburg Enrolment Local traffic (bus/ train/ tram) Office for Foreign Affairs Other expenditures Approximate costs about 40-50 Euro (depending on the place of departure) 60-100 Euro Deposit: about 250-350 Euro First rent: about 200-300 Euro about 90 Euro about 15 Euro about 110 Euro Food, clothing, personal things, etc. TOTAL: about 995 Euro Clothing In addition, we would like to emphasize to take warm clothes to Germany. It gets quite cold in winter. Emergency numbers Police: 110 Fire department: 112 Ambulance service: 112 Finding a doctor In case you get ill during your stay in Magdeburg, the following link might help you to find doctors who speak other languages than German. Unfortunately, this web page only exists in German. Please click on Fremdsprache in order to select another language. www.arztsuche.kvsa.de/arztsuche