Free Movers or Visiting Students

are students at a foreign university

  • who apply for a study abroad period at Universität Ulm
  • whose home university does not have an existing exchange agreement with Universität Ulm

After successful application visiting students will be admitted as temporary non-degree students for a maximum period of two semesters. Once they are admitted, temporary students have the same rights and obligations as degree seeking students, but they cannot earn a degree from Universität Ulm.

Most study programmes offered at Ulm University are open for applications from Free Movers.

However, we cannot accept Free Movers into the following programmes:

  • Medicine
  • Dentistry
  • Psychology
  • Molecular Medicine
  • Molecular and Translational Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Systems

Admission to study levels:

Admission to Undergraduate Programmes:

  • Proof of one successful year of study at home university in the same field (at the time of application)

Admission to Graduate Programmes: in the field for which the student applies as visiting student (at the beginning of the study abroad period at Universität Ulm)

  • a Bachelor degree or
  • 3 years of successful study  or
  • an equivalent of 180 ECTS

Language Requirements:

Please note: if both English and German are used as language of instruction, proof of proficiency in both languages must be submitted

English:

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Score 5.5 or better,
  • First Certificate in English (FCE), Certificate in English Language Skills (CELS) Vantage
    oder Business English Certificate (BEC) Vantage Cambridge exam English for Speakers of
    Other Languages (ESOL) (Cambridge University),
  • Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC): Score 400 (listening), 385 (reading), 160 (speaking) und 150 (writing) or better,
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based (TOEFL iBT): Score 72 or better,
  • UNIcert® Level II,
  • PTE Academic, Score 59 or better

German:

  • Goethe Certificate B2,
  • telc Deutsch B2-Certifikate (exam passed),
  • Österreichisches Sprachdiplom (ÖSD) B2-Zertifikat,
  • Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH) with a total score DSH-1
  • Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (TestDaF): results with level 3 or better in all four partial exams (paper-based or digital),
  • a university degree for a programme which was partially taught in German.

All temporary non-degree students have to pay

  • administration fee
  • student union fee
  • see for the constituted student body

For amounts and details refer to the information of the registrar's office.

Non-EU students who wish to enroll for courses or do their final thesis at Ulm University are also subject to tuition fees.

No tuition fees are charged to students who come exclusively for research.

Download Application Form

Additional Documents:

  • Copy of Passport or National ID Card
  • Copy of Higher Education Entrance Qualification / Diploma
    • Copy of Translation (English or German) of Higher Education Entrance Qualification / Diploma if the original is in another languge
  • Transcript of Records from Home University
  • Recommendation Letter by Professor of Study Programme at Home University
  • Proof of Foreign Language Proficiency (see above: Requirements)

  1. Application documents will be sent to the faculty / department for the respective study program.
  2. If the faculty / department agrees to accept the applicant, the approved learning agreement will be sent to the International Office.
  3. The International Office issues the official acceptance letter for admission as temporary non-degree student.
  4. The International Office supports accepted students with the enrolment procedure.

German universities do not award any scholarships or provide financial aid. Incomings may apply for a scholarship at any institution in their home country or at German institutions through the German Embassy, the Goethe-Institute or the DAAD office (German Academic Exchange Service) in their home country.

The International Office does not provide accommodation for temporary visiting students.

Application Deadline

For winter semester (October - March): July 15

For summer semester (April - September): January 15

Students who need to apply for a visa are strongly advised to submit their application six months before the beginning of the study period at Ulm.

Erasmus+ Traineeships

Please note: Students who receive an Erasmus+ Traineeship grant from their home university may not register as free mover! Instead, the hosting department must arrange for an internship contract with the human resource department.