NON-DEGREE SEEKING EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Exchange at UDE: Key Facts

Download our Key Facts PDF or read on below to for information about application deadlines, semester dates, tuition fees, accommodation and language requirements.

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Application Process

Find out how and when to apply, including a list of required documents and an overview of the entire application process.

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Administration and Preparation

Find out about the administrative tasks you need to complete in relation to your exchange: health insurance, visa application and registration in Germany.

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Academic Supervision

Here we explain how you can find out more about course selection and ECTS points.

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Student Support

An exchange semester can be challenging but we organise an orientation week to make sure you get off to a good start and there is plenty of support for the duration of your time here.

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Contact us

Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions, we look forward to hearing from you!

exchange.incoming@uni-due.de

Key Facts

Deadlines

Nomination Deadlines
Winter Semester: 1st May
Summer Semester: 1st November

Application deadlines
Winter Semester: 1st June
Summer Semester: 1st December

Semester Dates

The academic calendar at German universities is divided into winter and summer semesters:
Winter Semester: 1st October - 31st March
Summer Semester: 1st April - 30th September

Each semester is divided into lecture periods and lecture free periods. The dates of the lecture period as well as holidays vary from year to year. You can check the dates here.

Exams are usually taken in the first weeks of the lecture free period but it can vary so check with your Faculty Coordinator before making travel plans.

Tuition Fees

Although there are no tuition fees, all students at the UDE (including all exchange students) have to pay a "Social Contribution" of approximately €302.40 each semester. You will be asked to pay this amount by bank transfer after you arrive.

Please note that the Social Contribution is neither a tuition fee nor a registration fee, but a payment that includes the following:

  • payment for a semester ticket for public transport in Germany ( Deutschlandticket - entitles the holder to free travel on local public transport)
  • contribution for the student service organisation "Studierendenwerk Essen- Duisburg"
  • contribution for the students' union "AStA"

Accommodation

The student residences in Duisburg and Essen are run by the "Studierendenwerk", a student welfare services organization. As there is a high demand for student residences every semester, it cannot always be guaranteed that a student will actually get a place in a dormitory of Studierendenwerk or may mean that not all preferences for a student residence  can be taken into account.

The room will usually be furnished but you should bring/buy your own pillow, blanket, bed linen and sheets, cutlery and crockery etc.

The typical rent per month is from approximately €330 to €430, depending on the room type you are allocated. There might be additional costs such as TV license and in some cases separate electricity bills.

Further information about how and when to apply for student residences will be provided when admissions letters are sent.

Further links for room offers can be found here.

Language requirements / Language Courses

The language requirements will depend on which Faculty you belong to and which courses you choose. After the nomination deadline, you will be given the contact details of your Faculty Coordinator at the UDE. This is the best person to ask about language requirements.

The Institut für wissenschaftliche Schlüsselkompetenzen (IwiS) offers German language classes for exchange students. You will have to take an online placement test in order to apply for the correct level of course. Places are offered according to a lottery system if courses are oversubscribed. You should also note that entrance to examinations (and therefore the ability to gain ECTS credits) is dependant on full attendance. Student who miss more than two classes for any reason will not be eligible to take part in examinations.

The International Office can also match you with a language "tandem partner”, giving you the opportunity to improve your language skills by interacting with native speakers in an informal setting.

Administration and Preparation

Health Insurance

You must ensure that you have sufficient, valid health insurance for the duration of your time in Germany. You will need to provide proof of this in order to complete enrolment at the UDE.

Students from EU countries will usually have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Students from Turkey usually bring the AT 11 form. 

Non-EU students must take out a health insurance policy in Germany if their home insurance coverage is not sufficient.

Since the International Office cannot check whether students have sufficient health insurance cover, we refer all students to consult a statutory German health insurance company. If you have valid health insurance for Germany, the health insurance company will issue a digital notification "M10" confirming this or, if you do not have sufficient insurance cover, they will ask you to take out a suitable German health insurance policy. Insurance premium rates for students are currently priced at around €90 a month. If you are older than 30 years, rates increase to at least €160 a month. Find further information here or here.

Please note that you cannot complete enrolment without sufficient and valid health insurance.

Visa Applications

International students often need a visa to enter Germany. Sometimes they also need a residence permit. Whether you need these documents depends on which country you are from and how long you intend to stay.

If you are a non-EU national but you already have an residents permit for the purpose of studying issued by another EU country, it is possible that you might not need to apply for a visa. Please contact us for further details.

All other students should check this information from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for further information about who needs a visa and how to apply.

Please note that you are responsible for the necessary arrangement of your authorised entry to Germany.

Registration in Germany

It is compulsory for everyone in Germany who moves into an apartment or moves from one place to another to register at the local registration office within 14 days. The International Office will provide you with furter details during enrolment.

Application Process

We have prepared an overview of the application process so that you can see what the next steps are and when you need to take action. You can view the Application Guide for Exchange Students here.

After the nomination deadline you will be sent an email with a link to our online application form, where you will need to upload

the following documents:

  • Current Transcript of Records (PDF)
  • Academic Preparation form*
  • ​A copy of the photo ID page of your passport/identity document (PDF)
  • A passport-style photo that can be used for your student ID (JPEG)
  • German Studies and Medicine students will also be required to upload proof of proficiency in German (PDF)

*Later in the process this will be used as a basis for your (online) Learning Agreement

Academic Supervision

All exchange students are assigned a Faculty Coordinator at the UDE. We will provide you with the contact details after the nomination deadline.

Your Faculty Coordinator will be able to help you with questions about the following issues:

  • course selection
  • (online) Learning Agreements
  • language requirements
  • ECTS 

They will remain your first point of contact for academic issues during your time at the UDE and at the end of your exchange, they will issue the Transcript of Records.

The course catalogues from previous semesters can be viewed online to help with course selection.

Choose the semester and language you prefer on the top right. Although it looks as if you need to log in, you can just select "Course Overview/Vorlesungsverzeichnis" from the menu on the left hand side. Now you can select your faculty and browse previous courses or select "Sprachkurse" to see language classes offered by the IwiS.

Student Support

Welcome Days
A few days to settle in before the lectures begin! We provide orientation sessions offering a chance to get to know fellow exchange students and the International Office Staff.

Tutors
Still worried about living in a foreign country? Fellow students working as tutors from the ISAAC (International Student Activity and Assistance Club) will be there to help you. They organise fun excursions and social events so that you can meet new people and visit local attractions but they also hold info sessions for questions about (student) life in Germany.

Buddy Program
The ISAAC runs a Buddy Program to match you with a volunteer UDE student who can provide one-to-one support, particularly in the first weeks after your arrival.

International Office
The Incomings Team has regular office hours and is there to support you throughout your stay.

I have been accepted... what's next?

If you have been accepted as an incoming exchange student, you will already be in touch with the International Office and we will always keep you informed of the next steps by email.

Further information can be found on these websites, which will be updated every semester:

Exchange students: After admission

ERASMUS+

ERASMUS-Code: D ESSEN04

ECHE: 220383-EPP-1-2014-1-DE-EPPKA3-ECHE

ERASMUS+ Charta 2014-2020

ERASMUS+ Policy Statement

ERASMUS+ mit Partnerländern

Eu Flag-erasmus+
​​

Information for Freemovers

If there is no student exchange agreement between your home institution and the University of Duisburg Essen, you can apply as a “freemover”. To be eligible you need to be enrolled as a regular student at your home university, your degree program has to be offered at the University of Duisburg-Essen and there must be no exchange agreement between the University of Duisburg-Essen and your home university.

First, please check our list of courses  to see whether your degree program is offered at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Next, please contact exchange.incoming@uni-due.de. You will then receive all the information you need to apply from the International Office.

Application Deadline:
Winter semester: 01. April
Sommer semester: 01. October