If you have a German buddy, she or he will pick you up at Karlsruhe main station and take you to your accommodation.

All international students have to register in Karlsruhe within two weeks after their arrival.

Registration offices:
Bürgerbüro K8 – Kaiserallee 8 (main office)
Bürgerbüro Mitte – Marktplatz, im Rathaus (inside the city hall), Karl-Friedrich-Str. 10, Karlsruhe

Usually, your buddy makes an appointment for you in advance. Alternatively, students can drop by during the official office hours to take a queue number from the ticket machines which is not recommended due to long waiting hours. Students are required to bring their passports as well their enrollment certificate and a document called “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung” which will be provided by your landlord.

As a welcome present, you will get a semester ticket for free after your registration at the registration office. Then you have to go to an office of KVV (public transportation in Karlsruhe) and pick up your semester ticket: https://www.kvv.de/liniennetz/tarifwabenplan.html

All students who live in the dormitory are required to open a German bank account. When opening a bank account, it is recommended to arrange an appointment to avoid long waiting times. It is always helpful to ask your buddy to come with you in order to translate and help with any questions.

Students are required to bring their passport, “Steuer-ID” (taxpayer identification number), enrollment certificate and residence registration when opening a bank account. For lost or stolen ATM or Credit Cards, call 116 116 to deactivate the card. For cards lost or stolen outside of Germany, dial 0049-30-4050-4050. These services are available 24/7 regardless of your bank.

Bill payments are usually settled through bank transfer. You have to fill out a transfer form and submit it either to your bank or online. For recurring payments that vary in size, students can give the recipient a direct debit authorization which allows them to withdraw the specific amount from your account each month.

For all students who live in the dormitory, it is important to go to Studierendenwerk in order to sign the rental contract. We will organize an appointment for you, so that all international students can go there together.

Please bring your enrollment certificate, two passport photos and your bank account information.