How to enter the German university system?
It takes a great deal of planning and organisation to study in a foreign country. First of all you have to get as much information as possible - and then more information - and then yet more information. There is a broad spectrum of publications you can consult, especially the World Wide Web pages of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the respective international offices of the universities.

Study checklist: Allow about a year for preparation. You should consider the following questions and take the relevant initial steps:

In general:

• Where can I study biology (my specific subject) in Germany?
• What scholarships are available?
• What requirements have to be fulfilled in order to qualify for a scholarship?
• How can I apply for a scholarship?
• Do I have to take the DSH ("Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber" German Language Test for Foreign Student Applicants)?
• Perhaps take a German language course.

For first-year students:

• What are the entry requirements for my preferred course of study?
• Applying for admission: biology is a subject with restricted admission, so take note of the various regulations and deadlines! You have to place your application with a central agency called the ZVS ("Zentralstelle für die Vergabe von Studienplätzen" Central Admissions Office), not directly with the university (address and regulations see below).

In-depth study for advanced students:

• In which semester will I be placed in Germany?
• What recognition will be paid in my own country to my academic achievements in Germany?
• Does the curriculum at the institution I have chosen offer what I am looking for?
• Would it be a good idea to take a final examination in Germany?

For post-graduate students:

• Where can I pursue my preferred post-graduate studies?
• Do I fulfil the entry requirements?
• What is the teaching-language on my course?
• When is the closing-date for applications?
• When does the academic year begin for my course?
• How many semesters will my course take?
• Which final examinations can be taken? Is this what I need in order to further my academic ambitions?

For doctoral students:

• Find out which professor at the institution is willing to supervise your doctorate ("Doktorvater")
• Do I have to register at my chosen institution immediately or only later?
• Can I fulfil the requirements for registration (eg. knowledge of German) while pursuing my research at the institution or do I have to provide proof in advance?

Registration
As soon as you have received notification of admission ("Zulassungsbescheid") from the ZVS ("Central Admissions Office ") if you have applied for a full course of study, or from the Foreign Student Office ("Akademisches Auslandsamt") if you applied as an advanced student, and taken the language test, you can register as a student at the respective institution of higher education (you will be given a registration number, "Matrikelnummer"). The notification of admission also tells you by when you should register. Please note that the deadlines are often short-term and that you usually have to appear in person! Registration takes place at the Registrar's or Admissions Office ("Studentensekretariat" or "Immatrikulationsamt"). The procedures differ from one institution to another, so get hold of a copy of the information leaflet from the Registrar's Office well in advance. This will tell you which documents you have to bring with you, eg. certificates, usually the originals with certified translations. In any case, apart from the notification of admission, you will have to produce a health insurance certificate ("Krankenversicherungsnachweis") unless you fall into one of the exceptional categories exempt from compulsory insurance cover. Academic fees are not charged at German institutions of higher education, you will merely be required to pay a minimal social contribution ("Sozialgebühr") which can extend € 50 depending on the institution, and which will entitle you to a student identity card, a course record book, and several registration certificates ("Immatrikulationsbescheinigungen"). By registering and paying the social contribution at some institutions you become entitled to a so-called "Semester Ticket" which allows you to use public transport during the semester free of charge. The charge for the social contribution is increased accordingly. Now you are a certified student in Germany. The student identity card is usually a computer print-out, although some institutions have introduced an identity card (similar to a credit card) so that certain administrative procedures, such as registration renewal, course registration and library lending, merely involve inserting the card into a machine. You need the registration certificates when applying for student accommodation or for obtaining reduced-price fares from the transport companies.

Registration Renewal
Registration at German institutions of higher education is only valid for one semester. If you want to continue studying in Germany subsequently, you have to submit a registration renewal declaration ("Rückmeldeerklärung") for the next semester to the Registrar's Office. This you will receive together with your course record book ("Studienbuch"). Similarly, each semester you will have to produce a new insurance certificate from your health insurance agency and pay the social contribution (and the semester ticket where applicable). There are closing-dates for renewing registration which are posted in the Registrar's Office and contained in the university catalogue. Please note that you will be exmatriculated if you fail to renew your registration in time!

Course Registration
With your course record book you will receive a registration sheet ("Belegbogen") for noting the lectures and seminars you have attended. You need it for registering for examinations, together with the course certificates ("Scheine"), proving you have taken part in the mandatory parts of your course. N.B.: Due to the fact that some courses are far too full, many professors now require students to register for their lectures and seminars before the semester begins. When a certain number has been reached, registration is simply closed. So do enquire at the department well in advance to which courses this applies.

Important Dates
The academic year comprises the winter semester (October, 1st to March, 31st) and the summer semester (April, 1st to September, 30th).
Starting dates for the courses are usually April, 15th (summer semester) and October, 15th (winter semester). The dates vary from one institution and from one federal state to another. Precise dates in the Course Catalogue or at the Foreign Student Office. Closing date for admissions applications at the Foreign Student Office are July, 15th for the following winter semester and January, 15th for the following summer semester.
Closing date at the ZVS in Dortmund is July, 15th for the following winter semester, and January, 15th for the following summer semester.

Where can I apply for a study place at a German higher education institution?
EU citizens interested in studying biology are treated on the same basis as German applicants and should apply to the Central Admissions Office (Zentralstelle für die Vergabe von Studienplätzen (ZVS) at D-44128 Dortmund).

Proof of Financial Means
Most foreign students study in Germany without a scholarship or grant. Hence, you are strongly advised to assess your own financial means early and realistically. The German foreign missions or aliens' registration authorities must be convinced that you have sufficient financial means at your disposal to cover your cost of living for your whole study duration in Germany. The section on Costs, Fees, Scholarships and Funding will give you a breakdown of the cost of living of around € 665,- in the old regional states (west) and € 537,- in the new regional states (east). No Chance for Working Students You must not plan on financing your studies by working in Germany. The German authorities adhere strictly to the employment legislation applicable to foreign students in Germany. Any violation may lead to immediate expulsion from Germany. Although students from EU countries may work in Germany, jobs are hard to find. Scholarship holders and foreign students who are not citizens of an EU country may only earn a kind of pocket-money; such work is carefully monitored. Please ensure that you give serious consideration to the proof of financial means.

Living and Studying Costs
The standard of living in the Federal Republic of Germany is high and, consequently, so too are the costs and expenses needed to be able to share in that standard. Based on the 1999 index, you should reckon with monthly expenses totalling at least € 665 in the old regional states (west) € 537 in the new regional states (east). Your will find that this will allow you only a modest lifestyle.
State-maintained institutions of higher education in Germany do not charge tuition fees. However, there are several costs, listed below, which arise through studying.

Contributions to the Studentenwerk (Sozialgebühren)
Each university has a Studentenwerk, a student services organisation, which provides social facilities, such as the student refectory, cafes, student halls of residence and sports facilities. All students pay social contributions for the use of these facilities. At present this amounts to between € 18 and € 46 per semester. In addition to collecting the Studentenwerk contributions, some higher education institutions also collect a payment of up to around € 92, depending on the respective town, for the so-called Semester Ticket, which entitles students to free-of-charge use of local public transport in and around their university town for six months.
Over and above these costs, the regional states of Berlin and Baden-Württemberg have additionally introduced a so-called administration fee or respectively registration fee. This amounts to € 51 per semester (as per 2000).

Health Insurance
All students are entitled to compulsory statutory health insurance cover until completion of their 14th full semester, but only up to a maximum age of 30. If you meet these timing conditions, this has the positive consequence that the statutory health insurance funds must insure you at student rates. Apart from a minor personal contribution (excess) which you must pay, this health insurance covers medical fees for visiting a doctor, hospital expenses, and any prescribed medication. The student rates for statutory health insurance currently amount to about € 281 per semester (six months). This sum already includes the premium for nursing care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) which has been introduced in Germany. You must pay your premiums to the health insurance fund before registering at your higher education institution.
If you are older than 30 years of age on the date of arrival in Germany, you are strongly advised to insure yourself with a private health insurance company, since medical fees and hospital expenses are very high in Germany. For example, just one day in hospital will cost an average of around € 205.
For information on insurance questions, please contact the foreign student office or the general local health insurance fund (the so-called AOK - Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse) or another health insurance company of your choice.

Health Test
If you require an entry visa, the local German embassy or consulate will advise you of whether or not you must take a medical test in your home country, i.e. present a health certificate. Germany's legislation on foreigners does not prescribe a medical test by a German physician. If you wish to extend your residence permit in Germany, then you will find that the individual federal regional states differ in their regulations regarding health tests. The state aliens' registration authority at your place of study will be able to provide information on this aspect. Accident Insurance
All students are insured against accidents at, on their way to or from their university by the statutory accident insurance scheme. You can turn to the foreign student office for information on additional accident insurance coverage.

Study Materials
Further costs arise, for example, for the purchase of books and study materials. Depending on the discipline studied, these can easily amount to between € 230 and € 307 and more per semester. Furthermore, most degree courses today are inconceivable without the use of a personal computer (PC). However, if you do not have your own PC at your disposal, most faculties, schools and departments, or the computer centre, will have a pool of university computers available for use.

Scholarships and Funding
German institutions of higher education generally do not themselves award any scholarships. There is, therefore, little or no point in submitting a scholarship application (Stipendienantrag) to the university. There are, however, several scholarship awarding organisations. The most extensive scholarship programme is that offered by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). However, only advanced students may apply for DAAD-scholarships, or depending on country of origin and subject, in some cases only graduates. Other scholarship awarding institutions have varying conditions, for example, regarding country of origin, subject, previous study achievements, duration of support, etc.

You cannot work on an empty stomach - the "Mensa"
Every day the cooks in the restaurants at German institutions of higher education are faced with the mammoth task of filling thousands of empty stomachs. These meals are often subsidised from public funds and are thus considerably cheaper than the restaurants and snack-bars in the vicinity. There is usually a choice of dishes including a vegetarian dish and a salad bar. You can eat a hot evening meal in some Mensas, too. Some institutions offer special meals for members of the Muslim faith. The dishes are divided into different categories and cost between € 1 and 3. You either pay in cash, with a food chip (Essensmarke) you get at the cash-desk beforehand, or by U-Key, which means "feeding" banknotes into a machine in advance from which the relevant sums are deducted at the cash-desk. Students who have got into financial difficulties through no fault of their own may be eligible for a restricted number of free-meal chips from the local Student Services ("Studentenwerk"). Anyone who is far too busy studying to allow themselves a proper meal-break can get rolls and other snacks from the cafeteria.