Getting to Ulm/Neu Ulm
Things to Organize as Soon as Possible
Applying for a Visa
All international students (except EU-nationals, students from EFTA-countries and nationals from a few countries with entry visa waiver) must apply for a student visa with their nearest German embassy or consulate.
Checking Insurance Status
Health insurance is compulsory in Germany. Therefore, all students should check if they have sufficient insurance coverage and make sure they obtain all relevant documents in time to bring to Germany with them.
Paying the Semester Fee
All students who get enrolled at the university must pay a so-called semester fee. This fee is not charged by Ulm University, but goes to the Studierendenwerk Ulm (Student Service Agency). It entitles students to live in a student residence, eat at the Mensa (student restaurant) for a reduced price, and to buy a semester ticket for public transportation.
Students enrolled in a double degree programme and free movers also have to pay administrative fees to the university as well as the student council fee. Students who come to Ulm University for a study abroad period in the framework of an official exchange Program are exempted from paying these fees.
You should make a bank transfer for these fees as soon as possible. This will speed up the administrative procedures after your arrival in Ulm and help you to get your official Ulm University student ID card faster.
In your acceptance letter will find the exact amounts you have to pay and the applicant number you have to enter in the bank transfer form.
| Transfer from a bank in an EU country | Transfer from a bank in a non-EU country | |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Name | Sparkasse Ulm | LBBW/BW-Bank Stuttgart, Filiale Ulm |
| Bank Address | Neue Strasse 66 , 89073 Ulm | Neue Strasse 70, 89073 Ulm |
| BIC/SWIFT | SOLADES1ULM | SOLADEST600 |
| IBAN | DE68 6305 0000 0000 0050 50 | DE15 6005 0101 7439 5032 50 |
| Bank Code* | 630 500 00 | 600 501 01 |
| Account No.* | 5050 | 7439 5032 50 |
| Account Owner | Kasse der Universität Ulm | |
| Account Owner Address | Helmholtzstraße 16, 89081 Ulm | |
| Reason of Payment | Bew.Nr. [enter your applicant number] [enter your name] | |
| * Bank Code or Account No. are not always needed | ||
Travel Planning
In planning your travel to Ulm, you should keep a number of things in mind:
Arrival Days: Please recall that it is usually not possible to move into your room in a student residence on the first day(s) of any given month. Particularly during orientation period and at the beginning of a semester, when large numbers of students arrive, there are certain arrival dates specified. If you arrive before these dates, you must make arrangements to stay in the youth hostel or hotel at your own expense until moving in is possible.
All incoming ERASMUS/EXCHANGE students will be picked up by their S.T.E.P.S. tutor at the train or bus station in Ulm or Neu-Ulm. It is not possible to arrange for pick-ups in other locations.
S.T.E.P.S. tutors work as volunteers. Do not expect to be picked up in the middle of the night. Time your travels so that you arrive in Ulm between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Your S.T.E.P.S. tutor will contact you via eMail. You should exchange phone numbers and photos so you will recognize each other easily.
Remember
Remember to send your arrival notification form at least one month before your intended arrival!
Financial Planning
Students who enter on a visa and have to apply for a residence permit after arrival must bring with them documents as proof of financial resources.
You should plan to bring at least € 700 in cash to make initial payments such as rent, insurance, administration fees, miscellaneous expenses during your first month in Ulm.
Attention scholarship holders: Please note that you will usually receive your first scholarship payment only at the beginning of your second month of stay. Please make sure that you have enough ready money to cover all expenses during your first month. Make sure to give your scholarship agency your banking information immediately after you have opened your bank account.
Also see Fees & Costs
Credit Cards
Please note that credit cards are accepted in hotels and restaurants, for car rentals or the purchase of train tickets and in certain shops, but not in the student cafeterias or restaurant (Mensa) on campus. Grocery stores normally accept charge cards from banks (ECCard, GiroCard), but rarely credit cards.
Rental payments cannot be made by check or credit card, but only by bank transaction. After arrival, you have to open a German bank account and authorize Studentenwerk for making withdrawals.
Exception: if you come from a country which is part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), you do not need to open a bank account in Germany, but you can use your account in the home country for the rental payments (authorization of withdrawal).