Information for international students

To determine whether you need a visa and which type is appropriate for your situation, we recommend using the Visa Navigator provided by the German Federal Foreign Office. This tool helps guide you through the requirements based on your nationality and purpose of stay.

To find the German embassy or consulate responsible for your visa application in your home country, visit the following link: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/laenderinformationen. Tip: We recommend booking a visa appointment as early as possible, even before you receive your official admission letter. Please note, however, that you will need to present your admission letter at the actual appointment.

A "prospective student visa" may appear to be a suitable alternative if your admission is still pending. However, this visa is only issued in very limited cases and only by certain embassies. Therefore, it is not a guaranteed option and should be approached with caution.

If you are required to open a blocked account as part of your visa application process, you can find detailed information on how to set one up, including a comparison of providers, at: https://www.mygermanuniversity.com/blocked-account-germany.

• What about a “prospective student visa”? 
  A "prospective student visa" may appear to be a suitable alternative if your admission is still pending. However, this visa is only issued in very limited cases and only by certain embassies. Therefore, it is not a guaranteed option and should be approached with caution.

   

• How long does the visa process take? 
  Visa application processes can take very long. Please check if applicant visas are offered by your embassy or if there are special categories in which visa applications are processed more quickly. The respective information is provided on your embassy’s website.

   

• I haven't heard back from my embassy. Can the HNEE contact the embassy on my behalf?
  No. Unfortunately, as a higher education institution, HNEE has no influence on the allocation of visa appointments or the earlier processing of visa appointments by the respective embassies. Please follow the instructions of the respective embassies regarding the allocation of appointments and the required documents to be submitted.

• I need a letter of late arrival for my visa application. How can I obtain this letter?
  Please send an email to studieren(at)hnee.de to check eligibility for a late arrival letter. Please note that having an insurance is mandatory for receiving a Letter of Late Arrival.

• I need proof of fulfilling the language requirements for my visa application. How can I get that certificate?
  Embassies may require proof that you fulfil the language requirements. Usually, German Embassies and Consulates accept the proof of language skills that are required by the study programme you applied for.

• How do I open a blocked account?
  Opening a blocked bank account explains why you need a blocked account and how to close it. Here a quick guide on how to secure a blocked account.

• Can I apply for a Master's before finishing my Bachelor's degree?
  "Yes, you can apply with a preliminary certificate. When applying for a Master's programme, you must submit a certificate from your university confirming at least 150 ECTS, your provisional average grade, and the expected graduation date."

• I want to join HNEE as an exchange student. Where can I get more information?
  Information for prospective exchange students can be found here.
  If you are coming to HNEE as an exchange student and your question is specific to this status, please contact incomings(at)hnee.de. Welcome(at)hnee.de will reply to other general questions you might have.

• How do I know if HNEE has received my application documents?
  Uni-assist pre-checks whether your application is complete and if you meet the formal admission criteria on behalf of HNEE. If everything is in order, they forward your application to HNEE for final consideration. Once your application is imported into our system, which may take a few days, we will let you know if you fulfil the requirements for your chosen field of study. For restricted-admission study programmes, the notification of the results of the selection procedure will be sent out by e-mail by the middle or end of August at the latest. Please be patient during this process.

• Do I meet the admission criteria for my chosen study programme?
  Depending on where you obtained your university or Master's entrance qualification and what you would like to apply for, you must either apply directly to our university or via uni-assist e.V.. Please refer to the relevant degree programme pages under Application for information on the application process that applies to you. For specific questions you can contact studieren(at)hnee.de

• When do I receive my admission letter from HNEE?
  For study programmes without admission restrictions, once Uni-assist has completed the preliminary check of your documents, your application will be transferred to our system. This process may take a few days. As soon as your data has been imported, we will inform you whether you meet the requirements for your chosen degree programme. For study programmes with admission restrictions, you will receive the outcome of the selection process by email—at the latest by mid to late August.

• Is it possible to postpone my admission to a later semester or start date?
  No. Admissions are only valid for the term and intake they were issued for. If you are facing delays in your arrival to Germany, please reach out as soon as possible to the Welcome-Team for more information on your options regarding enrolment.

All German and foreign students who would like to study in Germany need health insurance. Without a proof of health insurance, you won’t be able to enrol in a German university nor apply for the visa from the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). Please inform yourself whether you will be able to use your health insurance from your home country. Travel insurance is not considered valid health insurance for enrolment or visa purposes.

• Can you check my health insurance policy?
  No, we do not check health insurance policies for their suitability. Please find more information on the matter via the provided links and in the guide for new students.

• I am over 30 years old. Can I get public health insurance?
  Yes. It will not be the regular student health insurance though. Instead, you will be looking for a voluntary statutory health insurance (freiwillig gesetzliche Versicherung). The fee is based on your income. As you are likely to have no or little income, a fictive income will determine the fee. Please check with statutory insurance providers for the exact fees and procedures.

• What is the "electronic notification" from a statutory German health insurance provider, and how can I obtain it?
  For enrolment at HNEE, an electronic notification from a statutory German health insurance provider confirming your student insurance status is required. This notification must be sent directly by the insurance provider to the university. To request this, please contact the statutory health insurance provider you have signed up for and provide them with HNEE’s sender number: 02293075. The insurance provider will then submit the required confirmation electronically to HNEE.

• Which documents are needed for enrolment?
  All documents necessary for enrolment are listed in your admission letter alongside the deadline for submission. Documents must be translated by a sworn translator and be sent via post to HNEE in paper form. Please plan enough time for shipment as the deadline applies to the date of arrival of the documents at HNEE.

• Where, how and until when should I pay the semester fee?
  This information can be found on your letter of admission. Please pay attention to fees for foreign bank transfers, if applicable. Costs for transferring the money from abroad must be paid by the applicant.

• Where and when do I need to send my documents?
  You can find all relevant information about the deadline on your admission letter. The address is the following:
  
  HNE Eberswalde
  Abteilung Studierendenservice & International Office
  Schicklerstraße 5
  16225 Eberswalde
  Germany

• Can I submit my admission documents via e-mail?
  No. All documents must be submitted via post as stated in the admission letter. Please take into account shipping times and the enrolment deadline stated in the admission letter.

• Can I send you a copy of my enrolment documents via e-mail, so that you can check them before I send the paper version?
  No. It is sufficient to submit the paper version. You will receive feedback from the enrolment office after they have checked your documents. Please make sure to adhere to the list of documents and their format listed in your letter of admission.

• Is a simple copy of my passport sufficient, or does it need to be notarized or apostilled?
  Yes. A simple copy of your passport is sufficient and does not require notarization or apostillation. Please note: For academic certificates and official documents, an official translation is required. Depending on the document, a certified or notarized copy may also be necessary.

• Can I send my documents at different times and/or from different locations?
  It is strongly recommended to send all required documents together in one shipment. If this is not possible, please make sure to inform the university in advance by emailing, clearly stating that your documents will arrive separately or from different locations, so that we can track and process them accordingly.

• I have submitted all required documents. How can I know if HNEE has received them?
  Once you have completed all the required steps (submitted documents, paid the semester fee, and arranged health insurance), it may take up to two weeks to receive your enrolment certificate. If any documents are missing or incomplete, the Enrolment Office will contact you directly. Please note: No confirmation of receiving documents or payments will be provided in between these two steps.

• Will HNEE provide a receipt acknowledging the payment of the semester fee?
  No. HNEE does not issue payment receipts. Once you have submitted all the necessary documents for enrolment, the Student Service Centre will issue your certificate of enrolment. If the semester fee has not been credited to our bank account or if any required documents are missing, the Service Centre will contact you.

• What is the guide for new students?
  The guide for new students is a document compiled by the Welcome Centre and is sent to newly admitted students around two weeks after they receive their admission. It contains checklists for the enrolment phase, as well as information on crucial topics, such as accommodation, health insurance, bank accounts, etc.

• When should I plan to arrive in Eberswalde?
  We recommend that you arrive two weeks prior to the start of lectures. This allows for enough time to handle necessary bureaucratic tasks, settle in before lectures start and take part in the Introduction Week. However, we strongly advise that you have a valid visa and a place to stay before booking any tickets.

• Will there be an Introduction Week for new students?
  Yes. The Introduction Week takes place one week before the official start of lectures.
  It includes a variety of orientation activities as well as an Introduction to German Language and Culture course. Details on how to register for the Introduction Week and the language & culture course will be shared in your Welcome Email.

• Will someone pick me up from the train station in Eberswalde?
  If you sign up for the Welcome programm  and let the Welcome Team know at least one week before your arrival, a Welcome Teamer can pick you up from the train station in Eberswalde and accompany you to your flat.

• Will someone pick me up from the airport?
  No, we do not pick up students from places outside Eberswalde. You can find detailed information on how to get from the airports to Eberswalde, how to buy train tickets, and how to navigate the German trains in the travel guide.

• Can someone support me with the German language and administrative tasks?
  To facilitate your arrival in Eberswalde and to help you getting along with paperwork and bureaucracy during the first weeks in Germany, the Welcome Team programme is for you. Please find more information Welcome Team Programme . If you would like to take part in the Welcome Team Program, please contact them.

• What is the travel guide?
  The travel guide is a document compiled by the Welcome Centre and is sent to newly admitted students around two weeks after they receive their admission. It contains information on finding train connections on long-distance and regional trains to Eberswalde, explains the ticket pricing system, shows how to navigate German train stations, and gives examples of routes from the student dorms to the campi.

Some students do not make it to HNEE by the start of the lectures due to visa process delays. This section refers to these students

• I will be arriving after the start of lectures. What should I do?
  Please reach out to the Welcome-Team and let them know as soon as possible that you will be arriving late. This way you will receive important information regarding the next steps. The Welcome Centre will also be able to tell you when you should get in touch with your program’s coordinator regarding you late arrival.
   
• Until which date can I arrive and join classes on campus?
  Please reach out to the Welcome-Team for up-to-date information on this question.
   
• Will there be online classes?
  Teaching at HNEE happens on site. Online classes therefore are an exception if they are being offered. For further information, please reach out to your study program’s coordinator.
   
• Can I take exams despite not having participated in classes because my arrival will be delayed?
  Please reach out to your study program’s coordinator regarding this question. Note that an exam registration deadline applies. Different dates apply for block modules vs regular modules. Details regarding this deadline can be found here.

Make sure that you have a place to stay before you arrive in Eberswalde. At German universities, on campus accommodation is not provided upon enrolment. Each student is responsible for arranging a place to stay for themselves. The housing situation is difficult in Eberswalde. Timely arrangements are necessary.

• Will the university support me in finding accommodation?
  No. The university does not own accommodation and cannot support students beyond providing information on where to search for accommodation. Please refer to the subsection Living in Eberswalde & the surrounding area  and the guide for new students for more information.

• Can you support my application with the Studentenwerk (Student accommodations) and have them assign me a room sooner?
  No. The Studentenwerk is an independent organization and not part of the HNEE. The availability of rooms in the student dormitories is limited and subject to high demand. If the Studentenwerk cannot offer you a room, it is because all rooms are currently occupied. Unfortunately, it is not possible to influence the timing of when a room becomes available, as this depends entirely on when current tenants move out.

• When does the term start?
  The winter term starts on September 1^st. The summer term starts on March 1^st. Classes usually start later. Please check the section Semester dates for more details.

• When do classes start?
  Classes start a couple of weeks after the start of the semester. Please check the website section Semester dates for the exact dates.

• Where do I find information regarding my schedule?
  This information is provided in EMMA . You must login with your HNEE login credentials. (e.g: abc123 or u12345). If you cannot find your schedule there, please contact your study program’s coordinator. Their contact details can be found on your study program’s subpage.

• Where do I find information on my courses? Lecture material,...?
  All information regarding your lectures can be found on Moodle (link).

• Will there be online classes?
  This varies between study programs. Please contact your program’s coordinator for details.

• Where can I get scholarships?
  You can find general information about scholarships and way to finance your studies on  Student financing .
  Please note: there are fewer scholarships available in Germany than in some other countries. This is partly the case because a se German universities are subsidised by the German government and are therefore a lot cheaper to study at than universities in other countries.
   
• Can someone support me in applying for scholarships?
  No. Applications for scholarships are each student’s responsibilities.

• What is the current cost of the semester fee and what does it comprises?
  Our current tuition fee is about 343,40 Euro (as for May 2025) per semester and is the same for all students. More info under student financing to have an exact view of what it comprises.