Immediately after you have received our confirmation letter, you should apply for a visa. You must be aware that even an arrangement of an appointment in the German embassy or consulate may take several weeks. After you have applied for a visa, you may have to wait again several weeks until you finally get the visa. Only when you have received the visa, you are eligible to enter Germany.

In order to support your visa application, we provide you with a recommendation letter. We hope that this recommendation helps to speed up the processing time.

Blocked Bank Account

Foreign students who do not come from an EU country must prove that they can pay for their studies and living expenses themselves. Proof of financial means is usually required when applying for a visa and is a prerequisite for a residence permit in Germany.

In order to provide such proof, a blocked account is often required. This is a special account which the holder cannot freely dispose of. Students must pay a legally prescribed minimum amount into the blocked account: This is currently 934 euros for each month that the student stays in Germany. This amount remains blocked until the account holder arrives in Germany. Another special feature of the blocked account is that the holder cannot withdraw or transfer as much cash as they wish. A maximum of 934 euros per month may be used from the account. Unless more than the prescribed minimum amount has been deposited.

How do I open a blocked account?

1. Collect documents: You can open a blocked account from home. To do this, you need to fill out the necessary account opening form from the relevant savings bank or private bank. You can find it on the Internet or have it sent to you by e-mail. The form is usually also available in English. You will also need a copy of your valid passport and a copy of your university admission letter.
2. Have documents notarized: Have you got all your documents together? Then it's time to visit the German Consulate or the German Embassy in your home country. You will need to have all the necessary documents notarized there. The consulate or embassy will then send your documents by post to your savings bank or bank.
3. Transferring money: Once your documents have arrived in Germany, the savings bank or bank will start the account opening process. This takes about a week. There may also be one-off fees for setting up the account. As soon as your account has been opened, you will receive account details (IBAN and BIC) by email. You can then pay the required amount by bank transfer abroad. For one academic year, for example, this would be 11,208 euros. You don't have to pay the amount all at once - several installments are possible. Your family or friends may also be able to help out and transfer money to the account.
4. Getting money in Germany: Have you arrived safely in Germany? Then welcome! Now all you have to do is pop into your branch. Don't forget your passport and visa. Once you have presented both, your account will be activated. You will receive your girocard¹ and your access data for online banking. From now on, you can withdraw cash and make transfers from the blocked account. But beware: only the prescribed 934 euros are available to you each month. The rest of the sum remains blocked. Do you need more money per month? Then you can pay more than the required blocked amount into your account.

Current account for international students

A current account is required for many business transactions in Germany, e.g. payment of rental contracts, mobile phone contracts, sports club memberships, cash withdrawals, salary payments or online shopping. Therefore it is recommend to get a current account with debit and credit card. If you compare several accounts with each other, you will find the best offer. Before taking out an account, you should know how much you have to pay for a debit card and credit card and how high the account management fees and overdraft interest are. Sometimes it might be easiest to follow your fellow students and choose a current account that is well-known among other international students, e.g.:

Sparkasse: Nationwide, state-supported banks with a dense branch network. You have easy access to personal advice, but rather higher fees and fewer digital services.
Commerzbank: Germany's second largest private bank with a good combination of digital products and local branches.
Deutsche Bank: Germany's largest private and internationally best-known bank. Like Commerzbank, it combines digital and offline banking.
WISE: An account that works both in Germany and at home? This is the WISE multi-currency account that can be opened in your home country - for all people who live across borders.

In Germany, every person must have health insurance. The insurance must meet German health insurance standards. You must provide FH Wedel with proof of your health insurance policy. Depending on the country of origin you need this prove already by the time you apply for a visa or latest before enrolment. It is best to clarify your health insurance situation as soon as possible.

You have two options:

• German public health insurance: You can obtain health insurance from any statutory health insurance company in Germany. They generally charge a standard fee for student health and nursing insurance. The insurance company will issue you a certificate on the existing insurance coverage, which you need to submit to FH Wedel latest during enrollment. You will find more information on public health insurance on the websites of the DAAD: Healthcare and Health Insurance - DAAD. A list of all insurance companies you will find here: Krankenkassenliste. If you want to shorten the process you might just pick one of the largest insurance companies, e.g. Techniker Krankenkasse. 
• Private health insurance companies: Students above 29 years of age must obtain a policy from a private health insurance company, at higher cost. The insurance company mawista offers private health insurance services at reasonable costs: Health insurance for international students abroad. 

Accomodation is not supplied by FH Wedel and we do not take responsibility for your accomodation. Incoming students will have to find their own accommodation before arrival.

You will find more information about accomodation under Accomodation. 

Student homes: The best option is to rent a room at the student accommodation (Studentenwohnheim), which is located only five minutes from the campus. They have a long waiting list, so you need to apply early.

Rental contracts for private accommodation: In case you choose to live in a privately rented accommodation, you will at some point sign a rental contract. Here is some general advice: 

• Please make sure the length of your rental agreement matches the length of your stay. Most contracts have a three-month termination period, so terminate the contract in time to avoid paying rent after you move out.
• Apart from the monthly rent, your landlord will also ask for a security deposit, which usually is an amount equal to two or three rental payments. You will receive this money back once you moved out and leave the apartment in good condition.
• When your rental period nears its end, make an appointment with your landlord regarding the key transfer and the state of your rental room. This way you are present when they verify the condition of their property, and solve any problems together.

All students are legally obliged to pay the student union fee. Please transfer the amount before starting your travel to Germany, September 1 (winter semester) or March 1 (summer semester) at the latest. Enrollment is not possible without payment!

The fee must be transferred to the Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein. Proof of payment will be forwarded directly to FH Wedel. You will find the required bank data on the supplement "Studente Union Fee" of your contract. 

The formal start of semester and regular arrival date is April 1 or Oktober 1. The official welcome and the lecture period usually starts a few days later. But you will need time to settle in and complete formalities.

If you have completed all the formalities in good time and have a few days free, explore Wedel and Hamburg. Hamburg offers you many opportunities for sport, culture and leisure. 

Inmportant Notice:

If you are unable to meet the official arrival date, you must contact us immediately and postpone the start of your studies by one semester. If you arrive too late for enrollment, it will no longer be possible to enroll for the planned semester. In this case, your residence permit may be revoked in agreement with the German authorities. 

If you can foresee that you will be late for enrolment , please inform us immediately! We will then send you a new admission letter valid for an intake in the subsequent semester. If you do not inform us in time, your admission will be cancelled without reimbursement.

As at many other German universities, students at the FH Wedel are obliged to purchase a semester public transport pass, the 'Deutschlandsemesterticket'. The semester public transport pass is valid for local and regional public transport throughout Germany and will be issued by the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV). The price of a Deutschlandsemesterticket is reduced about half the price of a regular Deutschlandticket and only available for students.

The ticket is a solidarity ticket, i.e. the university participates with all students and thus receives significantly discounted conditions. Students who are enrolled at FH Wedel are obliged to pay the semester ticket. The FH Wedel collects the fees without any surcharges and forwards them directly to the contractual partner HVV.  

After the payment of the fee of the first semester where the costs of the Deutschlandsemesterticket have to be added, you can after a few days obtain the ticket by downloading it from the ticket portal to your cell phone. All information and instructions you will find here.

As international student, you will most likely arrive at Hamburg Airport, the region’s largest airport. The best way for travelling to Wedel is to use the public railway (S-Bahn) from the airport’s own station. If you have followed our instructions you will already have registered at the local tranport provider HVV and therefore dont need to purchase a ticket. You can use all S- and U-Bahn trains in Hamburg and surrounding as well as all buses belonging to HVV. 

If you dont posses a semester ticket or you travel before the tickets validity date (April 1 oder October 1) your will need to purchase a one-time ticket. One-time tickets as well as daily or even monthly tickets are available at stations and in buses. One time tickets cover journeys to a destination across different means of transport, allowing you to change between bus, train and boats without buying a new ticket each time.

In order to get to Wedel, simply enter the airport’s S-Bahn station and enter the next train of the line S1 (green) towards Wedel. Note that all trains go in the right direction. From here, take the bus line 189 (destination: Blankenese) and get off at Fachhochschule.

Some trains terminate short of Wedel at the Blankenese station. From Blankenese, you may wait for the next train to Wedel, or take a bus 189 (destination: Wedel) and get off at Industriestraße to reach the campus.

The HVV is the company managing public transport in the city of Hamburg and the surrounding region, including buses, trains (S-Bahn and U-Bahn) as well as boats on the river Elbe. You can find maps of the various train and bus lines online on the HVV’s website. The website also offers a tool to find the fastest connections from station to station or from address to address. There is also an App for mobile devices that can be used to find connections as well as purchase tickets (make sure you purchase tickets before entering the train or bus!).

You can reach Hamburg’s central station, the Hauptbahnhof, within about 40 minutes from Wedel. Here, there are frequent regional, national and international train connections, as well as the main bus station just next to it.

Within Wedel, there are a number of bus lines getting you where you want to go. If you are going to be using them on a regular basis, it might be worth looking into a monthly subscription to save on fares.

The registration period runs either from April 1 to 10 or from October 1 to 10. Within this period you have to appear in person at the university, show your identification and register for your studies. 

After enrollment, we will set up an e-mail account for you under the university domain. We will use this account to communicate with you via e-mail or MS Teams. You will also receive your student ID and the necessary access data for our Campus Management System "myCampus" and the course system "Moodle". 

Important Notice:

If you are late for enrolement, your reservation of a study place will be cancelled and no refunds will be made. On decision of the German authorities, you might have to return to your home country.

Registration certificate (Meldebestätigung)

You have to register you at the "Einwohnermeldeamt" (registration office, located at the town hall) within two weeks of your arrival. You will need the following documents:

• Confirmation from your landlord (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) which is a certificate you can obtain from your landlord, alternatively bring your rental agreement/contract.
• Your passport

Residence permit

You need to apply with the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) to obtain your residence permit for study purposes. You will need the following documents:

• The certificate from the local register office (Meldebestätigung, see step 1)
• German health insurance policy
• Your passport and biometrical passport photo
• Matriculation certificate from FH Wedel admission office, which you can also print yourself from the FH Wedel online student office with your matriculation number and password.
• Money to pay registration fees at the local immigration
• A copy of your visa (visa has to be up-to-date) 
• You must fill out and sign the form Application for Residence Permit before the appointment
• A proof of sufficient funds / bank certificate (open a bank account). Non-EU students will have to give proof of financial resources. Your consulate will inform you about the current rules for a study permit. Please bring the original of this proof when you travel to Germany. The German Academic Exchange Service provides detailed information on this matter: www.daad.de/en/studying-in-germany/living-in-germany/visa/

You will be wellcomed by your programm directors. They will provide you with further information about the course and the venue by e-mail. Usally we will welcome you at 13:00 o´clock in lecture hall H3. 

You will find the date of the welcoming event in our calendar of this website listet as category "Semestermin" under "Begrüßung" (be aware that the time given is adressing national students).    

Following the official welcome, we offer you a get-together where you also have the opportunity to make contacts with students from other degree programs.

Lectures start the day after the welcoming day. You will find it in the calendar of this website listet as category "Semestertermin" under "Erster Vorlesungstag". 

In thecourse schedule  you can select your study programm "IT-Engineering (Master) (including supplement)" to find your schedule for the following weeks. Please note that individual courses may not be offered directly in the first week.

All hints for the organisation of your actual courses will be given in the first week of lecture period. 

The university is open to students Mondays to Fridays from 7 am to 8 pm. On Saturdays, school is locked by default, but individual entrance is possible for special occasions on request. On Sundays and public holidays, school is not accessible under any circumstances.

During the lecture-free period, the rooms are closed earlier due to falling attendance. The instructions of the locking service must be followed.