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Get here & Settle in

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Besides admission, enrolment and getting a visa, there are further steps to take care of before you start your studies at Goethe University. To plan your arrival and the first steps in Frankfurt, we have gathered some useful information.

Arrival

To Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof: You will most likely arrive at the main station, the Hauptbahnhof. From here you can continue by public transport (the subway or “U-Bahn“, tram, bus).

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is on of the biggest airports in Europe. There are two train stations from which you can easily reach the city centre: Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (for long-distance trains - ICE and IC trains) and Frankfurt Flughafen Regionalbahnhof (for regional trains - RE, RB and S-Bahn). It takes 10-20 minutes to Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof from either of these; however, tickets for trains leaving from the regional station are cheaper.

Sometimes it might be cheaper to fly to other airports around Frankfurt: e.g. Düsseldorf, Köln-Bonn or Stuttgart are only a moderate trip via train away.

To get to Goethe University Frankfurt am Main:

Goethe University is spread on five different campuses with different key fields of research. You can reach all of them easily via public transport. Maps of campuses and instructions on how to get there can be found on the website of Goethe University.

First Steps

Once you get here
Finding affordable accommodation in Frankfurt is a challenge. We advise you to start looking for accommodation as soon as possible, before you come to Germany. For example, you can apply for a room in halls of residence/student dorms from abroad. Once you get to Germany the chances to find a room in a shared flat or a whole apartment are much higher because you will be able to have a look at the room/apartment yourself and meet the landlord/landlady. Here you will find important information on looking for accommodation in Frankfurt.

n Germany it is mandatory to be officially registered if you are living in one place for more than three month and also if you are moving within one city. Once you have found a room or a flat in Germany, you must register within two weeks with the registration office – the Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt – of the town where you live. For this registration, you will need, as a rule: a passport or ID and a confirmation from your landlord/landlady that you have moved in (the so-called Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). You might also have to pay a fee. Please read the information on the website of the respective Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt. The  confirmation that you have moved in can also be obtained from a hostel or hotel in case you haven't found a flat or a room yet.

Once you have registered, you will receive a Meldebescheinigung (confirmation of registry), which you will need e.g. for opening a bank account. More information and opening hours are available on the website of the registration office: Bürgeramt Frankfurt. Information about the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung amd the form is available here.

You can also make an appointment online in order to avoid long waiting times.

We recommend you open a current account with a German bank in order to arrange regular payments (rent, insurances etc.), shop online, get cash and pay with an EC card (debit card). You can open an account either online or in a branch. You will need a form of ID and your confirmation of registry ("Meldebescheinigung"). You can access information about the different types of banks in German on the website of the German Central Bank.

As a rule, all students who are enrolled at a German university or who are doing a compulsory internship must be covered by health insurance (including nursing care insurance), starting with the beginning of the semester (1st October or 1st April of a given year). You must provide proof of coverage upon enrolment.

As a rule, students from EU and EEA countries are sufficiently covered if they maintain their home country health insurance, as long as these meet EU regulations. Foreign insurers do not always cover all cost of medical treatment. It is best to check details and questions with your health insurance before you come to Germany.

Enrolment at university („Immatrikulation“ or „Einschreibung“) must occur within the timeframe that is stated in your admission letter. If you have not already enrolled via mail, you can do this after you arrive.

There are numerous offers for new international students at Goethe University at the beginning of each semester. Here you will get plenty of information helping you with starting your studies. The Buddy Programme for example will match you with an experienced student to accompany and assist you during the first semester.

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