Information for International Researchers and Employees
On this page you will find information that may be useful to you in preparing for your stay in Paderborn. Of course, the Welcome Services would be happy to help you at any time and advise you personally. Please contact us via e-mail or telephone to arrange an appointment.
On request, we can provide you with checklists on the topics of preparation, finding accommodation, as well as steps you should take after arrival and before departure, which could help you to organise your stay.
Are you employed at Paderborn University and have an employment contract? The Human Resources Department would be happy to help you with questions about documents and contracts.
Topics and Information
Whether you need to apply for a visa depends on your country of origin and the duration and purpose of your stay. The entry and visa requirements for Germany may change. Please check all information on the respective visas on the website of the Federal Foreign Office before travelling to Germany.
Please note: This information is not legally binding. It is not a substitute for expert advice, but only provides an initial overview of the subject. If necessary, please seek advice from the relevant diplomatic mission abroad.
Citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) or Switzerland | Citizens of EU member states, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland generally do not require a visa. However, for longer stays of more than three months and to take up gainful employment, you must register with the Residents' Registration Office. If necessary, the immigration authorities may request proof of your entitlement to freedom of movement. Swiss nationals and their family members also enjoy freedom of movement within the EU, but must apply for a special, purely declaratory Swiss residence permit. |
Citizens of Australia, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and the USA | Citizens of these countries do not require a visa to enter the country. For longer stays of more than three months, however, you must apply for a residence permit from the relevant immigration authority after entering the country. In some cases, however, it may be advisable to apply for a visa before entering Germany. Research award winners of the Humboldt Foundation, for example, can only begin their academic work in Germany once a residence permit has been issued. This can take several weeks. If you receive a scholarship, please enquire directly with your scholarship provider to find out which regulations apply to you. |
Citizens of all other countries | A) Short stays of up to three months If your stay in Germany will not last longer than 90 days per six-month period, a Schengen visa is usually sufficient for entry (C visa). Please note that the Schengen visa cannot be extended beyond a three-month stay or reissued for a different purpose of stay. After three months, you must return to your country of origin. In order to obtain a Schengen visa, you must prove, among other things, that you can finance your living and travelling expenses from your own assets or income during your stay in Germany. In addition, you will need travel health insurance valid for the entire duration of your stay and for the entire Schengen area with a minimum cover of 30,000 euros. Make sure to state "scientific activity" or "research" as the purpose of your stay in the application for the Schengen visa. The Schengen visa authorises you to travel freely and to stay in all countries that have joined the Schengen Agreement. B) Stays of more than three months For stays of more than three months or stays that lead to taking up gainful employment, you must apply for a national visa for Germany (D visa) in your home country or country of residence. This also applies if you are already staying in another European Union country. Please do not travel to Germany with a "visit or tourist visa" (category C Schengen visa) if you are planning to stay in Germany for longer than three months. With a category "D" national visa, you can also move freely within the Schengen area for up to three months in a six-month period. The national visa is usually issued for a period of three months. After entering the country, you must apply for a residence permit based on the visa at the relevant immigration authority. Usually, the following documents are required to apply for a D visa:
Please enquire at the respective diplomatic mission abroad in good time which documents you need for your visa application, as the documents may vary depending on the country of application.
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Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Euraxess Germany, website of the Foreigners Office of the City of Paderborn
As it can take some time to find suitable accommodation in Paderborn, it is advisable to organise accommodation for yourself (and possibly your family) as early as possible. The Welcome Services will be happy to provide you with an annotated list on request, which will give you an initial overview of accommodation options. If you need assistance in finding accommodation (e.g. in communicating with landlords), we will be happy to support you personally.
Short-term accommodation
If you are looking for accommodation for the first few nights or are only coming to Paderborn for a short time, hotels, hostels, or the youth hostel are a good option. You can find an overview of hotels and holiday flats in Paderborn on this website.
If you are only looking for accommodation for a few weeks, there are several guest houses in Paderborn with rooms in various sizes and price ranges. An annotated list can be requested from the Welcome Services.
Guest house apartments
Visiting academics (without an employment contract) at Paderborn University have the opportunity to rent an apartment in the Jenny Aloni Guest House via their host faculty if there is an apartment available at the time of your arrival. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the campus and comprises a total of eight flats. As the guest house is often fully booked, you should make a reservation well in advance.
The guest house is managed by the International Office.
Please note: Reservations can only be made by a faculty of Paderborn University. Reservation requests for students, interns, employees, or private guests cannot be accepted. The guest house flats are rented on a monthly basis; it is not possible to book individual days or weeks.
Long-term accommodation
If you are coming to Paderborn for a longer stay, you have various options for finding accommodation in Paderborn and the surrounding area.
- Property portals (e.g. Immowelt, ImmobilienScout24)
- Ad portals (e.g. Kleinanzeigen, WG-Gesucht, social media)
- Daily newspapers and university notice boards
Unfortunately, there are also occasional fake flat adverts on the Internet. Please do not make any advance payments without first signing a contract! You can find tips on how to recognise fake flat advertisements and what you can do if you have become a victim of property fraud on the website of the consumer advice centre (only available in German). |
In order to live in Germany, both you, and any family members who may be accompanying you, need health insurance.
There are both statutory and private health insurance companies in Germany. Whether you are eligible for statutory health insurance or private health insurance depends on your individual situation.
Statutory health insurance | A standard contribution rate of currently 14.6% of gross salary applies to all statutory health insurance companies (as of July 2024). Under certain circumstances, health insurance companies may charge additional contributions. Health insurance contributions (including possible additional contributions) are paid equally by employees and employers. The benefits provided by statutory health insurance are largely fixed. There are differences, for example, in additional contributions, additional benefits and customer service. Statutory health insurance companies settle any costs incurred directly with the doctor or hospital. All you have to do is present your insurance card before treatment. If your spouse or children accompany you to Germany and then have their first place of residence in Germany, they can be insured together with you under certain circumstances (family insurance). You can find an overview of statutory health insurance companies here. |
Private health insurance | In contrast to statutory health insurance, access to private health insurance is limited and depends on your annual income. Anyone with an annual income above the annually changing annual income limit (as of 2024: 69,300 euros) can take out private or statutory health insurance. If your salary is above the annual income limit and you prefer private health insurance, it is advisable to obtain detailed information in advance, as it is not easy to switch from private to statutory health insurance. In order for your health insurance to be recognised when you apply for a residence permit, it must offer the same level of protection as statutory health insurance in Germany ("private substitutive full health insurance"). Therefore, please always check exactly which benefits are covered by the respective health insurance. As many insurance companies offer a range of different tariffs, you should also make sure that you have chosen the right tariff for your stay when taking out the policy. For example, some tariffs have a maximum insurance period, cannot be extended, or can only be taken out before, or shortly after entering the country. Please note that new private health insurance policies generally do not provide cover for pre-existing medical conditions and there are often waiting periods for pregnancy treatment. You can find a comprehensive overview of private health insurance policies here. |
Information for EU citizens:
If you use healthcare services during a short-term stay (e.g. attending a conference) in another EU country or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid and you can have the costs reimbursed by your health insurance company.
If you are in Germany for a longer stay, for example for a visiting professorship or a research stay, and have statutory health insurance in your home country, your home health insurance company will issue form S1 on application. You can use this to register yourself and your family members with a German health insurance fund.
You can find detailed information on this here.
Please note: The information on this website does not constitute legal advice or legally binding information and cannot replace the information provided by specialists for the respective individual case. We will be happy to put you in touch if required.
Do you have any questions about living in Paderborn and working at our University? We would be happy to advise you individually. In addition to personal appointments in the Welcome Services office, we also offer online counselling (e.g. via Zoom). Simply contact us via e-mail to arrange an appointment.
As a family-friendly university, Paderborn University supports you in planning and organising your stay with your family in Paderborn. The first point of contact at Paderborn University for questions about childcare and (financial) support options is the Family Service Office.
Visa/residence permit for family members
Depending on your nationality, your family may also need a visa to enter Germany. On the website of the Federal Foreign Office you will find an overview of the countries for which a visa is required to enter Germany.
If you or your family members require a visa, it is advisable to submit the applications for you and your family members at the same time. This usually also applies if your family wishes to enter Germany at a later date, as it can take several weeks to process the application. It is best to make an appointment as early as possible and find out which documents you need to submit.
Please note: This information is not legally binding. It cannot replace information from experts, but only provides an initial overview of the topic. If necessary, please seek advice from the relevant diplomatic mission abroad.
Family members of EU and EEA nationals | If you are a national of the EU or the European Economic Area and an employee in Germany, your family members who are themselves nationals of an EU or EEA country do not require a visa for entry or a permit for a longer stay. Only a valid passport or identity card is required for entry. After entering the country, your family members must also register with the Residents' Registration office. Swiss nationals and their family members also enjoy freedom of movement within the EU. However, they must apply for a special (purely declaratory) residence permit. An exception applies to family members of EU and EEA citizens who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens themselves: Whether or not a visa is required for entry is determined by the provisions that apply to persons with the respective nationality. An exception applies if you hold a valid residence permit from another EU or EEA member state. As there are a number of other exceptions or regulations, for example for family members of students, please check with the relevant authorities in advance to find out which rules apply to you. Further information can be found here. |
Family members of nationals of a third country/non-EU member state | Spouses and unmarried minor children of an international researcher can obtain a residence permit for family reasons. Prerequisites:
If the person to be joined has a residence permit for researchers (§20) or is the holder of an EU Blue Card (§19a), the family members do not need to provide proof of German language skills. Further information can be obtained from the German diplomatic mission abroad or the foreigners authority. Detailed information on family reunification can be found on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. and on the website of the City of Paderborn:
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Welcome to Paderborn! After your arrival, you will need to take care of some bureaucratic matters. Here you will find an overview of the most important first steps.
On campus
There are a few things to take care of during your first days at Paderborn University. You can find a detailed checklist for new employees at UPB here.
Bank account
If you are staying in Germany for a longer period of time and regularly receive a salary or scholarship and have to pay rent, electricity and other bills, it is advisable to open a current account at a German bank.
For this you will need:
- Your passport or identity card
- the registration certificate from the Residents' Registration Office (you will receive this after you have registered with the city)
- Some banks also require your residence permit, proof of regular income or confirmation of the duration of your stay
As account management fees vary, it is advisable to compare the prices of the different financial institutions.
When you open your account, you will receive a so-called EC card, which you can use to withdraw money from your bank's ATMs free of charge. If you want to withdraw money from another bank's ATM, you may be charged a fee.
In addition to cash, most shops, restaurants and companies accept EC cards and credit cards. Smaller amounts, for example in cafés, are usually paid in cash.
You can find more detailed information here.
The Licence Fee
Germany has independent radio, television and online programmes from ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio. The are unbiased by economic and political influences. Anyone who is registered as living in Germany is legally obliged to pay the licence fee to finance the public broadcasters. The current monthly fee is 18.36 euros (as of July 2024).
If you are only in Germany for a short time and therefore do not need to register with the Residents' Registration Office (for example, if you are staying in a hotel), you do not have to pay the licence fee. Residents of the Jenny Aloni House do not have to pay the licence fee either, as it is already included in the rent.
If you are staying in Germany for a longer period of time and have registered your residence with the Residents' Registration Office, you will normally automatically receive a letter via post, with a request to pay the license fee. If you do not receive this letter, it is advisable to register yourself online, otherwise you may have to pay high additional fees.
The amount must be paid per residence. This means that if you live in a residence (house, flat, etc.) with several people, you only have to pay the licence fee once.
You can find detailed information on the licence fee here.
As the visa only authorises entry and short-term stays, you will need a residence permit for stays longer than 90 days. You must apply for a residence permit at the local Foreigners' office accordingly and in good time, before your visa expires. This is issued as an electronic residence permit (eAT) in the form of a card. This is the responsibility of the Foreigners' office in whose jurisdiction you wish to take up or already have your main residence.
Citizens of Australia, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, and the USA who have entered the country without a visa and are planning a longer stay in Germany must also apply for a residence permit within three months of entering the country.
The application should be submitted as early as possible but only after you have registered with the Residents' Registration Office.
You can find further information on the website of the city of Paderborn.
An exception applies to citizens of EU/EEA countries: They do not require a residence permit, but simply register their place of residence with the city within two weeks of moving.
For your information: The responsibility of the employees of the Foreigners' Office of the City of Paderborn depends on the first letters of the applicants' surnames.
Please note: The information on this website does not constitute legally binding information. It cannot replace information from experts, but only provides an initial overview of the topic. Please seek advice from the diplomatic mission abroad or the local Foreigners' Office.
In Germany, all persons moving into a residence are required to register with the city of their residence. Within two weeks of entering Germany or moving within Germany, you must register yourself and all family members travelling with you at the local Residents' Registration Office (Einwohneramt).
Appointments with the City of Paderborn can be made in advance and there may be longer waiting times. You can make an appointment here
If you need help with making an appointment online, click here.
Further information and the opening hours of the Paderborn Residents' Registration Office can be found here.
All over the world, researchers are exposed to acute threats that prevent them from continuing their research in their home countries and force them to flee abroad.
The Welcome Services are helping all international researchers and UPB staff. Our team offers comprehensive support for researchers at risk and interested hosts of researchers at risk. The Welcome Services are also involved in the global Scholars at Risk network and are responsible for funding programmes such as the Philipp Schwartz Initiative for researchers at risk. Information is available via e-mail at: welcome@upb.de
Note: Refugee students are supported and advised by the International Office. Further information can be found on this website.
Links to Important Points of Contact
