Preparing for Your Studies in Erfurt

If you are looking for a place to live in Erfurt, you have many options. For example, you can look for a shared apartment (WG), a single apartment, or a residence hall, which is usually run by the Student Services Organization (Studierendewerk).

We recommend that you apply for housing as early as possible. The application period for student residence for the winter semester begins on April 1 of the year in which you begin your studies.

For students who have not yet found an accomodation at the beginning of the semester, the Student Council (StuRa) organizes an offer, the so-called Couchbörse in which students who are already living in Erfurt offer a place to sleep (usually an extra bed, mattress or a couch) to support new first-year students. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, you can apply here. Please bear in my mind that the offer is only intended for a few weeks and is not an accomodation service. 

For more information about housing, please refer to the student handbook or visit the University's website here.

Once you have paid the tuition fee for the first semester following the payment instruction provided with your admission letter, you will be enabled to start and complete the enrollment process online via the university application portal. We strongly recommend to start the enrollment process (i.e. to submit the "request for enrollment") as early as possible (and before September 15). 

Login to the university application portal

To begin, please login to the application portal (upper right corner of initial page) with your username (received per e-mail after the payment) and initial password (your birth date in the following format: DD.MM.YYYY) and follow the instructions in order to change your initial password to a new password. During this process, you will be prompted to select whether you would like to enable email notifications. These notifications will inform you of any new documents or status updates within the system. 

Request for enrollment

Fill in the required information and follow the instructions within the portal. If you need further assistance, please follow our step-by-step guideto find out how to proceed with the steps of the enrollment process.

Please note that you can always stop and save your progress to continue at a later point in time. 

The required steps for enrollment are:

• fill in the required information for enrollment (e.g. univeristy qualification etc.)
• uploading a picture for your student ID-card
• taking care of student health insurance (more detailed information)
• paying the semester contribution

Final steps of enrollment

Please follow the instructions in order to transfer the semester contribution (€ 297,40) and to upload a proof of payment. As a last resort, this contribution can also be paid upon arrival. However, this will result in a later enrollment and issuance of your student ID-card (thoska). As for international transfers, fluctuations in the exchange rate or hidden bank fees may result in a reduced amount arriving at the University of Erfurt, we would suggest to transfer an even amount plus approx. 30 Euros (in total: 330.00 €) in order to guarantee the automatic processing by the computerized system. The excess payment will be credited to your semester contribution account and can be used for the next semester, i.e. it will be automatically taken into account when issuing your next invoice for the summer semester 2025.

Finally, please upload any requested documents in order to finalize the enrollment.

Download your enrollment certificate

If you have enabled the e-mail notifications, the new university system will inform you accordingly once your enrollment is complete. You will then be able to access your enrollment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung) inside the portal for print-out or download.

After your enrollment you can start setting up your univeristy accounts. As part of the Orientation Week, the Brandt School will offer additional sessions to help you getting started. You can also set up your accounts on your own by following our  step-by-step guide.

University User Account (Moodle, ELVIS, HISinONE etc.)

After successful enrollment, students receive their access data to their user accounts via the application portal. The user data for the university-login includes:

• a username
• an initial password
• and your inidividual email address at the University of Erfurt

The initial password is preset for the user account and must be changed in the first place. For your user account, you can change the password via the user portal. We recommend a different password for your email account and your user account. For students who have not received the access data or have received incomplete access data, the IT-service desk can provide the access data.

Email Account

• Students will receive a separate email account for their webmail inbox with their university account. You can access your mailbox directly via the web-based login, using the the same username and initial password provided by the application portal.
• When you register for the first time, please note that you have to change your initial password  separately from your user account. You will find further information for the setup on your own device here. 
• If you have any problems registering, please contact the Service Desk via email or telephone 0361/ 737 5454.
• Once you have changed your password, please send a test email to publicpolicy@uni-erfurt.de and you will be rewarded with a surprise gift at the Brandt School reception desk.
• The test email should contain the following information: (a) your student ID number, (b) your address in Erfurt, (c) your German phone number and (d) by which name you would like us to address you.

WLAN / WIFI

• The University of Erfurt is a member of the Initative Education Roaming (eduroam) and thus offers its employees and students free Internet access. External users whose home institution is also a member of the eduroam network can use eduroam with the configuration and login data of their institution.
• A quick start guide:

1. You have changed your initial password of your user account (you can change it via the user portal )!
2. Connect your device with the "gast-ue"-WLAN (only connect but do not log in!)
3. Open a browser (like Safari or Google Chrome) and go to the page "cat.eduroam.org" and select the University of Erfurt as your institution. Then follow the instructions on the page.
4. Android users up to version 7 have to download the  "eduroam CAT"-App from the Google PlayStore(you can't download the app from the "gast-ue"-WLAN), version 8 or higher have to download thegeteduroam-App from the Google PlayStore and open the downloaded configuration file with it.

Please note that this information is subject to change as the winter semester 2024/25 will be the first year that the Deutschlandsemesterticket will be available as a digital ticket.

All students are required to pay a semester contribution. Part of this contribution covers the so-called “Deutschlandsemesterticket”. The Deutschlandsemesterticket, once you have it, entitles you to travel free of charge on all city routes of the Erfurt municipal transit authority (EVAG) within the city of Erfurt as well as in Germany nationwide when presented with your ID card or passport on regional public transport (regional buses, trams and trains (often called “RE” trains)).  The Deutschlandsemesterticket is not valid on the faster ICE or Intercity trains, nor is it valid on private transport such as Flixbus or Flixtrains.

The Deutschlandsemesterticket will be available as a digital ticket, which can be ordered through the VMT (Transport Association for Central Thuringia) website and accessed via the EVAG (Erfurt Transport Company) app. To get access to the Deutschlandsemesterticket, you'll need to authenticate yourself on the VMT website with your university's username (received in the portal) and your password, so please make sure that your email and univeristy accounts are already set up. After authentication, you will receive an e-mail with your subscription number. With this number and your date of birth you will then be able to request your Deutschlandsemesterticket in the EVAG app (Erfurt Mobil).  [Please note that, apparently, the app sometimes reacts with the failure message "invalid link" upon first entry but the ticket does appear eventually, after a couple of minutes or hours, i.e. no further action is required].

Please note that the validity period of the Deutschlandsemesterticket begins on October 1, 2024 and is automatically updated each month. If you arrive earlier, you have to buy a one-way ticket, otherwise you have to pay a penalty. The Deutschlandsemesterticket is valid in combination with an official photo document (ID-card, passport)!

Good to Know:

• To create the ticket, it is important that your personal data (surname, first name, date of birth) match. 
• Once you have ordered your semester ticket, your semester fee can no longer be refunded!
• The Deutschlandsemesterticket is personalized. It is generally not possible to take children over the age of 6 free of charge. However, children under the age of 8 or up to the first day of school can travel free of charge in the Central Thuringia Transport Association if accompanied by an adult.
• Bicycles can still be taken free of charge on local trains in Thuringia. However, this may be different outside Thuringia.

As the Brandt School is part of the University of Erfurt, MPP students can choose from a great variety of language courses offered by the University's Language Center. In addition, the Brandt School offers special German beginners' classes for international MPP students.

During their studies at the Brandt School, students are required to complete two semesters of a language module:

• International students with no or little knowledge of German take German classes up until level A2 (CEFR)

• International students with A2 or higher-level knowledge of German continue improving their German language skills or opt for another foreign language on offer (e.g. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish)

• German native speakers improve their knowledge of a foreign language (e.g. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish)

Enrollment for the language courses takes place exclusively via Moodle and takes place in three phases:

• During the first enrollment period (from 16.09.2024, 12:00 to 01.10.2024, 23:00), students who have already successfully completed a language course at the University Language Center and wish to continue at a higher level (from A2) can enroll.
• The registration for students with no previous knowledge (courses on A1 level) will take place from 10.10.24, 16:00 Uhr until 11.10.24, 18:00 Uhr. Registration for all other courses (from A2) is also possible during this period.
• In the third enrollment phase (from 18.10.2024, 16:00 to 20.10.2024, 23:00), courses with free places will be reopened for registration. All students can register for any remaining places here.

The enrollment key for the Moodle courses is SPZ_WiSe2024.

Please note: Some classes require a placement test beforehand; for the test dates see here. Registration in Moodle does not mean final admission to the course. The respective lecturer decides on final admission to the course. It is essential that you attend the first course session, otherwise you will lose your spot on the language course!

To find the links or more information on the Moodle courses, please have a look at the respective languages on the website of the Language Center.

You find detailed information on how to travel to Erfurt, how to get to the university as well as a campus map with our building's location here:

www.uni-erfurt.de/en/brandtschool/the-school/contact/location

Upon arrival, please make sure that you have completed all of the above steps. If not, you will have the opportunity to do so during Student Orientation Week.

The Brandt School offers information sessions and will assist you with some of the mentioned steps, such as city registration and setting up your university accounts.

After enrollment, your student ID card (thoska) will be sent to the Brandt School. You can pick it up at the Brandt School Front Office upon your arrival:

Visitors' address
Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt
Front Office: C-19 Forschungsbau "Weltbeziehungen" / C19.02.39 (3rd floor, room no. 39)
Max-Weber-Allee 3
99089 Erfurt
Germany

Before you can use your thoska card, it has to be validated for the first semester and at the end of its validity period. On the front of the card there is a thermal strip which is erased with each validation and re-printed with the current validity dates. At the same time, the new validity date is also set in the chip. A list of all locations of the validation stations can be found here.

Click here for more information about the features of your thoska.

Within two weeks after arrival, all international students must register at the city of Erfurt Registration office (Bürgerservicebüro). As part of the Orientation Week, we book group appointments to assist you with the process. 

For information on what documents are required or how to make a personal appointment, we have prepared  this documentfor you.

Address
Bürgermeister-Wagner-Straße 1
99084 Erfurt

Telephone: (0361) 655-5444
Fax: +49 0361 655-7609

Opening hours (may vary, please check online each time)

Mon / Wed / Fr / Sat:  9.00 - 12.30 Uhr
Tue / Thu: 9.00 - 18.00 Uh
 

If you are a student from a non-EU country, you need apply for a student residence permit at the local Erfurt FRO. They FRO, this year, has given us the following instructions: You should book an appointment as soon as possible but only after having completed the registration at the City Registration Erfurt).

Since their online appointment booking system is currently unavailable, you should send a short e-mail to abh-team1@erfurt.de to inform them that you are an international student at Erfurt University. Please provide your birth date, passport number and your Erfurt residential address. Ask for an appointment and wait for their confirmation. They will the contact you with further instructions and with an appointment.

In general, you should prepare to send/bring the following to the appointment:

• The filled and signed application form: „Ausländerbehörde: Antrag auf Erteilung bzw. Verlängerung Aufenthaltstitel”
• Passport with valid entrance visa and all entry/leave stamps’ pages
• Health insurance certificate/ proof of health insurance
• Rental contract for your current accommodation
• Enrollment certificate or admission letter
• Proof of financial means (e.g. blocked account, bank account statements, scholarship award, etc.)
• Biometric photograph (not older than 6 months; can also be made and paid directly at the FRO a couple of minutes before the appointment)
• Registration at the City of Erfurt (Meldebescheinigung)
• Certified translation of your marriage certificate (in case it applies)

Fees vary according to the service required and have to be paid at the moment they are requested; they may go up to EUR 110.00. They can be paid in cash or by bank card. Please bring along enough money or your bank card.

Address:

Schillerstraße 40

99096 Erfurt

Phone: +49 (0)361/ 655-5444

E-Mail: abh-team1@erfurt.de

The University Library offers guided tours of the library (in German and English) during Orientation Week to introduce you to the library and its main services. 

You can register for the English Library Introduction (45 minutes) on the following dates via Moodle. The library also offers a virtual tour, which you can view here.

• Tuesday, Oct 15, from 12.15-1pm
• Thursday, Oct 17, from 10.15-11am
• Wednesday, Nov 6, from 16.15-17pm

Your thoska can be activated as a library card, when you register with the library by filling out an application form.

Using your library card, you can borrow items from the library and place orders or reservations. You will also receive access to a personal user account in the online catalog and in the Discovery search portal. Here you will find all information about your loans, reservations or outstanding fees and you can also extend the loan period of borrowed items.

To log in to your user account, use the number on the back of the thoska. The default password is your date of birth in the form DDMMYY. 

To learn more about registering for the library, click here or visit the Library's website.