Information for Incoming Students

Two prerequisites need to be met for you to be able to apply for an ERASMUS stay at the University of Hamburg: First, an agreement between your home institution's and our ERASMUS coordinator must be made. And second, you should be enrolled for a Mathematics degree at your home university. Therefore, for initiation and planning purposes, your first contact should be the ERASMUS office of your home institution. The ERASMUS coordinator of your home institution will then refer you to us, so that we can help with accommodation, planning, and paperwork as early as possible.

ERASMUS+ Fact Sheet for incoming students (PDF)

The paperwork required prior to your arrival in Hamburg maily concerns the following steps:

• Applying at University of Hamburg and enrolment
• Applying for accomodation
• Verifying health insurance
• Securing a visa and/or residence permit (for non-EU citizens).

After being nominated for an exchange stay at Hamburg University by your home university, we will send you all information necessary to handle these steps. We will also be more than happy to support you with filling in the necessary forms and with other administrative details. To this end, however, it is quite important for you to get in touch with us as early as possible, meaning at least three months before your arrival in Hamburg.

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Hamburg Welcome Center (info about visa and residence permit)

Hamburg Service Offices (appointment for residence permit) 

The Hamburg Student Services (Studierendenwerk) offer rooms and residences for exchange students. You can apply for a residence with a form sent to you by our ERASMUS Office. The halls of residence are spread all over the city and are generally well equipped, i.e. with internet access and other useful facilities. However, it is important that you contact us as early as possible so that we can support you in the application process. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will receive a room. If required, we will support you in your efforts of finding private accomodation in Hamburg.

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Hamburg Student Services (accomodation, canteens, student support services)

Private rooms (flat shares, non-university provider)

We strongly recommend incoming students to attend a free German language course offered by University of Hamburg. This is not only useful since most of the Bachelor modules (lectures with tutorials and seminars) in Mathematics are held in German, but it will also make everyday life in Germany easier. For successful participation in the Bachelor lectures, students should have a German language level of at least B2. The German courses are run by professional and experienced language teachers and are split into three different skill levels. Prior to the start of the courses, a free placement test is available to determine each student's language skill level. All Master degree courses are held in English, so a level of B2 in English is required for Master courses instead.

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German language courses at University of Hamburg

Language levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

The semester contribution for your ERASMUS+ stay in Hamburg includes a public transportation pass for the duration of one semester. This pass is valid for the subway, city train, bus and ferry lines in the Hamburg area, but also - with a few exceptions - for all regional trains and local public transport throughout Germany. Moreover, you will obtain an international student's card from the university shortly after your arrival in Hamburg.

Students can easily open a bank account at any bank in Germany. To this end, the following documents are usually needed: identiy card or passport, confirmation of residence showing your address in Germany, and your student identity card.

Make sure to collect a transcript of records before your departure from Hamburg. The transcript of records lists all modules (lectures with tutorials and seminars) that you have attended and/or passed, showing corresponding ECTS credit points and grades (if applicable) for each of the individual modules. Most modules require a final (written or oral) exam at the end of the semester. Most module lecturers are flexible enough to organize separate oral (or written) exams for ERASMUS students in English. If you wish to choose this option, please get in touch with the module lecturer as early as possible.