Information for Admitted Students

In order to prepare for your studies in Aachen, you will need to tackle a number of organizational questions. This page provides you with an overview of all necessary steps that need to be completed before and after travelling to Germany. Helpful in this regard will be our checklist which you can download here.

First Steps after Admission

1. Claim your place in the program of your choice: pay the first semester fee, send us the signed participation agreement, and accept your place on RWTH Online.

2. Apply for your visa. We advise you apply immediately after receiving admission. Find the nearest German embassy or consulate. Also check the RWTH Aachen Visa Information

3. Book temporary accommodation and start looking for long-term options. Be sure to check out our Housing section for more info.

4. Get health insurance. You'll need medical travel insurance for three months to apply for your visa and then get statutory insurance to enroll. You can find more info here.

5. Plan your trip. Here you can find travel options and approximate costs from several airports to Aachen.

6. Plan your stay. Please take note of the semester dates when planning your stay. Also keep in mind the activities mentioned in the admission attachment.

7. Register for your Master's Prep Courses, mandatory or voluntary. You can find more info in your admission letter and in our Master's Prep section. Register here.

8. Sign up to our Peer-2-Peer Mentoring Program to find a senior who can guide you through the first few weeks. Simply visit our P2P Mentoring page.

9. Apply for the All-inclusive Master's package. This package includes prep courses, tuition, accommodation, and a pick-up service. More info here. Apply here.

First Steps after Arrival

Upon your arrival in Aachen, there are five important things you'll need to take care of:

Register your new address at City Hall. More info.
Apply for your Residence Permit: As the entry visa is generally only valid for a few weeks, we recommend you visit the local immigration office (Ausländeramt) as soon as possible. The Immigration Office, too, advises new arrivals to start the procedure at least one month before your visa's expiration date. More Info.
Open a bank account: You are free to choose any bank. Common choices among international students include Sparkasse Aachen and Deutsche Bank. More info.
Get health insurance: In order to enroll at the University, you'll need proof of insurance. More on this can be found below in the Health Insurance section of our Student Life page.
Enroll at RWTH Aachen University: In order to become a student at the University, you will need to enroll at the International Office. To find out more, go the Enrollment section of this page.

Enrollment at the University

You must enroll at RWTH Aachen University.

Where? International Office, Super C Building, Templergraben 57 - 5th Floor, Room 5.31

When? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10.30 am to 12.00 noon, and Wednesday from 1.00 to 4.00 pm

You need to provide the following documents:

a valid passport.
your letter of admission from the RWTH Aachen International Academy
originals of your university degree certificate(s) and academic transcripts
originals of the certified translations of your university degree certificate(s) and academic transcripts in case your documents were not in German or English.
your original English language test certificate (no older than 2 years on 01.08.2018)
originals of additional documents that you had to submit (e.g. proof of work experience, GRE score card, ...)
proof of insurance or exemption certificate from a German statutory health insurance
proof of exmatriculation (if you've been enrolled at a German university before)

After enrolling you will be allocated a matriculation number and will be asked to transfer the University semester fee (roughly € 270; this fee is unrelated to RWTH International Academy's fees). For more information on enrollment and the University semester fee, please check the relevant RWTH Aachen University page.

Finalize your student status

To finalize your student status you have to do four more things after enrolling at RWTH Aachen University.

Social contribution fee:
Every semester you have to pay your social contribution fee to RWTH Aachen University. You find all important information about it in your RWTHonline account. To make sure RWTH Aachen University can assign your payment to your account please stick to the instructions and use the payment details.
IT Center Services - Activation:
Internet access, an RWTH Aachen email account, your TIM-Kennung and RWTHonline are useful services provide by RWTH's IT Center. Please activate these services after paying the social contribution fee (point 1).
Student ID - Your Blue Card:
After paying your social contribution fee (point 1) and activating the IT Center Services (point 2) you are able to upload your photo to have your student ID created.
Semester ticket:
After receiving the social contribution fee RWTH Aachen University forwards your information to ASEAG who will creat your semester ticket. With your semester ticket you can travel with public transportation in whole North-Rhine Westphalia for free.