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.

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

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.

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.

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.