At the University

Info Event: Welcome Days

Before the beginning of every semester, the International Relations Center (ZIB-WiSo) together with the  PIM and CEMS Student and Alumni Club Cologne e.V. organizes information days for all international students visiting the WiSo Faculty. 

Two Welcome Day event series take place per semester:

  1. At the start of the pre-semester German course (September and March, respectively) 
  2. A week before the beginning of lectures (October and April, respectively). 

For the precise dates of Welcome Days, please refer to the Semester Schedule:

The Welcome Days consist of info events on organising studies and choosing courses, tours and parties to help newcomers get to know one another, thus easing their way into Cologne student life.

Those new to Germany can take the blocked course “Developing Intercultural Awareness- Living and studying in Germany” (course description below).

In particular, the second series of Welcome Days a week before lectures furnish incoming students with detailed information on the organization of studies as well as on course selection and registration.

The Cologne buddies are also very welcome to join in on the social events durign the Welcome Days.

Here you find the Welcome Days’ time schedule with information on the Welcome Days' events and sessions for the current semester:

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Student ID, Library Card and E-mail Login:

Student ID

Upon arriving in Cologne, international students receive a provisional student ID at ZIB-WiSo.

Public Transport Ticket

Incoming students who attend the pre-semester German course (March or September, respectively) must purchase a  public transport ticket for the month in question.
During the introductory events, incomings receive a form needed to buy this KVB ticket at a discount.

Social Contribution

All students of Cologne University must remit a social contribution of about €215 per semester. This is not a tuition fee but a solidarity payment that enables all students to use the canteens and cafés, the sports offer and student associations at reduced prices. The contribution also includes the cost of the Semester Ticket (free transportation; see below). Incoming students initially receive a provisional student ID together with a remittance slip for the social contribution. After transferring the requested amount, they are handed out their final IDs. You can access the account data including IBAN/BIC codes  here.

Not until you have received your final student ID will you be considered a regular student – able to register for exams, for example.

You can obtain a  detailed list of what the semester contribution is used for here.

The Semester Ticket permits the free use of all public transport means (buses, trams, and urban and regional trains) throughout the entire state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) during term. For more details, click  here.

The provisional student ID issued to visiting students upon their arrival is valid as a ticket only within the  VRS region.

Here you find further information on travelling with your provisional student ID:

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Library Card

Alongside the  Cologne University Central Library (USB), nearly every department and institute has its own library. Click  here for a list of all WiSo Faculty libraries.

To borrow books or use the Internet in library rooms, you require a library card. You must personally apply for it in the Central Library. For more details, please click  here.

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E-mail Account

At the beginning of term, ZIB-WiSo moreover provides incoming students with a user name and password for a student-mail (s-mail) account, allowing them to use the WLAN on the entire campus as well as the PC pool of the Cologne  University Computing Centre (ZAIK / RRZK). Student receive an email address (*@smail.uni-koeln.de). The smail account is also neccessary for using KLIPS and ILIAS.

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In the City

Cost of Living

For your guidance, here some average monthly figures (based on experience) on the cost of living during a study visit in Cologne:

  • Rent (including ancillary costs:  €300-500
  • Books and learning material:   €50
  • Food:   €300
  • Leisure activities:   €100-250
  • Health insurance:   €75

Not included is the payment of the semester contribution of ca. €215.

Finding accommodation in Cologne

The guide “Living in Cologne / Flat-hunting” is full of information and advice on finding accommodation in Cologne. Background information on the accommodation sitution in Cologne, key vocabulary and useful websites will help make your flat hunt easier

Obligation to Register/Citizens’ Service

In Germany, every resident is obliged to register with the competent local authorities, who then hand out a registration certificate as official proof of residence. This certificate is required for numerous other procedures, such as opening a bank account or applying for a library card. For an overview of citizens’ service centres and municipal residence registration offices, please click  here.

If you have found an accommodation in Hürth or Hürth-Efferen, please register with the local authorities there:  Einwohnermeldeamt Hürth.

For further information on residence registration and to download the registration form, please  click here.

All international students, regardless of their home country, must moreover apply to the district  foreign nationals’ office – Bezirksausländeramt  – for a residence permit. Several residence registration offices also take care of this formality.

Visa/Foreign Nationals’ Office

As a rule, incoming exchange students subject to visa requirements receive a visa only for the first three months of their stay. Before its expiry, students concerned must apply to the district foreign nationals’ office for a residence permit for study purposes. The competent offices are based at the citizens’ service centres also responsible for residence registration.

Incoming students receive a detailed information sheet on visas and residence permits at the ZIB-WiSo introductory event.

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Work permits

Please note that as a visiting student, regardless of your nationality, you are only allowed to work in Germany on a limited scale.

For information on working in Germany, please refer to the pertinent webpages of the  German Federal Employment Agency.

You can also find information on casual jobs  PDF here.

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