After Your Arrival at Bielefeld UAS

After you have received your admissions letter, you have to get matriculated at Bielefeld UAS. You will find a list of the documents you need for that on your admissions letter.

The FH-Card will be your student ID. You will receive it after you have been matriculated. It can also be used for the following purposes:

• Paying in the canteen and cafeteria (you can top up the card with cash at a terminal in the university building)
• Lending books from the library
• Access card for the University Sports Service

More information can be found here [in German].

Students from the EU and from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland will not need a residence permit.

Students from outside the EU:

If you have entered Germany with a visa, you will be able to apply for a residence permit approx. 6 weeks before your visa becomes invalid. If you were able to enter Germany without a visa, you will have 90 days after your arrival in Germany to get in touch with the “Ausländerbehörde” (foreigners’ office) to apply for a residence permit. Please make sure to bring the following documents to your appointment:

• Proof of matriculation
• Proof of insurance from a German statutory health insurance

or (if you have a private insurance)

• Proof of insurance from a private health insurance and a “Befreiung von der Versicherungspflicht” (exemption from statutory health insurance, a document which can be issued by any German statutory health insurance)
• Passport (incl. visa, if applicable)
• Passport photograph
• Proof of financing (blocked account, scholarship, guarantee from your parents or the like)
• Cash for paying the processing fee

You will receive more detailed information from the appropriate foreigners’ office.

Bürgeramt der Stadt Bielefeld
Kommunale Ausländerbehörde
Niederwall 23
33602 Bielefeld
Telephone: 0521 / 51-0
E-mail: auslaenderbehoerde@bielefeld.de

Website

Ausländerbehörde Kreis Gütersloh

Kreishaus Gütersloh – Bauteil 6
Herzebrocker Straße 140
33334 Gütersloh

Telephone: 05241 / 85-0

E-mail: auslaenderbehoerde@gt-net.de 

Website

Ausländerbehörde Kreis Minden-Lübbecke

Kreis Minden-Lübbecke
Portastraße 13
32423 Minden

Telephone: 0571 / 807-20600

E-mail: auslaenderwesen@minden-luebbecke.de

Website

You should open up a bank account with a German bank (Sparkasse, Volksbank, etc.) for the duration of your stay in Germany. Almost all banks offer accounts for students that are free of charges. This will also save you charges that might be incurred when you withdraw cash using a credit card. With a German bank account, you can either use online banking or you go to your local branch to withdraw, deposit or transfer money at a terminal or a desk.

In order to open up a bank account, you should make an appointment with the bank. You will usually need the following documents:

•     ID card or passport (incl. visa or residence permit, if applicable)
•     Proof of matriculation
•     Proof of registration (which you will receive when registering at the municipal office)