To start your studies or your stay abroad, you still need to complete a few tasks. And don’t forget: Studying at Leipzig University also means living in Leipzig! We’ve summarized the most important steps for preparing and information for getting a good start in the city.
Preparation for starting your studies in Leipzig
Congratulations on being offered a study place! You will now need to officially accept your place and then enrol in person (you can find more information about that process in the “Enrolment” section).
Studying at Leipzig University
- Log in to the AlmaWeb portal with your application log-in data and open your letter of admission under “Account” > “Documents.”
- Send the completed declaration of acceptance that you can find on the final page of your letter of admission. Make sure to send it to the listed email address by the deadline.
After your acceptance has been processed, you will receive
- Log-in data for the IT service portal IDM by email. As soon as you have activated your IDM account, use your new log-in information for AlmaWeb. In your IDM account, you will also need to upload a photograph for your UniCard.
More information on enrolment (health insurance, semester fee etc.) can be found on AlmaWeb.
Study stays abroad at Leipzig University
After your admission has been processed, you will receive log-in data for the IT service portal IDM by email.
- In your IDM account, you will need to upload a photograph for your UniCard. As soon as you have activated your IDM account, use your new log-in information for AlmaWeb.
- Log in to the AlmaWeb portal with your application log-in data and open your letter of admission under “Account” > “Documents.” There you can find your enrolment number (Matrikelnummer).
Who needs a visa?
Before you enter Germany to study, check with the responsible German embassy or consulate to see whether you need to apply for a visa. Students with citizenship in an EU or EEA country do not need a visa.
You can find more information about visas for studying in Germany at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Applying for a visa
Because the visa process takes time, we recommend that you apply for your visa as early as possible. You can apply for a prospective student visa while you apply for a study place (e. g. with the review report from uni-assist). If you have already been admitted, you can request a visa for study purposes directly.
To apply for a visa, contact the German embassy or German consulate general in your country. Under no circumstances should you travel to Germany with a tourist visa.
You can find information about the visa process, your entry into Germany and the necessary application forms at the Foreign Office. There you can also find a database with contact information for questions about visas and entering Germany.
After your visa has expired, you need a residence permit for study purposes. You can find more information about this in the Registration and Residence Permit section.
Mobility in the EU
If you do not have European citizenship but already have a visa for studying in another EU member-state (for example as part of a joint degree with Leipzig University), then this can be used for entering and staying in Germany within the framework of EU mobility. Your residence permit for the other EU member-state must be valid for the entire duration of your stay in Germany, and in total you may not stay in Germany to study with EU mobility programmes for longer than 360 days. If you stay longer than this, then you must declare your intent to study in Germany to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). In Germany, the hosting higher education institution carries out the registration. As part of your application, you will be contacted by the International Centre by email if this regulation affects you.
All students at Leipzig University (including exchange students, doctoral researchers and Studienkolleg participants) pay a semester fee before the semester starts (it is also considered re-enrolment before the start of a new semester). Newly enrolled students pay an additional fee of 10 Euros for their student ID card (UniCard).
Transfer the semester fee:
- as soon as you have your enrolment number
- by the stated deadline
- if applicable, as soon as you have received your visa and before you enter the country
You can find more information on AlmaWeb or it will be sent by email as soon as you have accepted your study place.
In Germany, all students are legally required to show proof of sufficient health insurance coverage for the duration of their studies – even if they spend part of the time studying abroad. Without health insurance that is valid for your studies, you cannot be enrolled.
Use our Health Insurance Guide to find information about what coverage applies to you.
If you were nominated as an exchange student from a partner university in Europe, then you receive the Erasmus+ scholarship from your home university.
If you were nominated as an exchange student from a partner university outside of Europe (Erasmus+ studies worldwide), then you can receive financial support in the form of monthly payments and a travel allowance. For this, your stay will need to be at least three months long. The amount of your financial support can be found in your scholarship notification and the grant agreement that you receive after applying for the scholarship. Before starting your stay, please submit the Learning Agreement. The scholarship is transferred in monthly instalments after your arrival. For this purpose, you will need to open a German or European bank account (SEPA region) (also see the Opening a Bank Account section further below on this page).
Planning your life in Leipzig
In addition to a roof over your head, you will also need a registered address for other official business. Because it can be difficult to find housing, we recommend that you look for a room at an early point in time.
Student halls of residence
You can apply for a room in one of the Studentenwerk Leipzig’s halls of residence using their online form as soon as you have received your letter of admission to our university. Doctoral researchers are unfortunately not permitted to live in the halls of residence unless they are coming to Leipzig University as part of a study stay abroad.
For all questions related to halls of residence, please contact the Studentenwerk Leipzig.
Shared flats
Students are particularly fond of shared flats (Wohngemeinschaften, WGs). Platforms such as WG-Gesucht or Kleinanzeigen can be helpful for finding a room.
You can find general information on the costs of studying in Germany on the DAAD website.
Approximate costs for your life in Leipzig
In Leipzig, you will need to plan around 1000 Euros per month to cover your cost of living:
- Rent: €250–425
(Please note: If you do not get a room in a hall of residence or a shared flat, then the cost of rent could be much higher.) - Health insurance: €140–180
- Materials for studying: €70
- Cost of living: €300
In addition to the monthly costs, when you start your studies you should calculate one-time costs such as a deposit for your housing (two to three months’ rent), the fee for setting up a blocked account and the fee for applying for a residence permit.
Tuition fees
Beside the semester fee, which all students have to pay, there are no general tuition fees at Leipzig University. In certain cases, students who are working toward a second degree at a level they have already completed (e.g. studying on a bachelor’s degree programme when they already have a bachelor’s degree) may have to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are also charged for some master’s degree programmes. You can find more information about this in the Courses of Study section.
Scholarships
You can find information on pcurrent scholarship offers for students who are already enrolled at our university under Calls for Applications during Stays Abroad.
The biggest organisation providing scholarships for international students is the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). You can find an overview in the DAAD scholarship database. You can also contact foundations and organisations that fund gifted students (Begabtenförderungswerke). The conditions for scholarships vary depending on the institution.
Helpful links for funding your studies or scholarship databases:
- Deutsches Studierendenwerk]
- Begabtenförderungswerke
- Stiftungssuche
- MyStipendium
- Scholarships for refugees (Heinrich Böll Foundation)
If you are coming to Leipzig University through an exchange programme, your home university can provide information about possible funding options for you.
BAföG
Under certain conditions, you can request state support as part of the Federal Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG). Please go to the Studentenwerk Leipzig website to see whether you qualify for BAföG.
Liability insurance
This type of insurance covers cases in which another person’s property is damaged or another person is injured (for example an accident with a bicycle or as a pedestrian). You can purchase this type of insurance in Germany or in your home country. You should check to make sure that any existing insurance also covers incidents in Germany.
You are not required to purchase liability insurance. However, we recommend that you at least read up on it.
Accident insurance
As a student, you are covered by state accident insurance (Unfallkasse Sachsen accident insurance fund) during your studies or continuing education at Leipzig University.
Activities that take place within the University’s area of responsibility in terms of content and organisation are covered, for example going to and from lectures, lab practicals related to your study, research work, excursions (including excursions abroad) or going to the University and State Libraries. Even your trip to enrol is covered.
If you have an accident that falls within this area, please contact your study office immediately. They will file an accident report with the Unfallkasse. Please also tell the attending physician – or dentist – that it was an accident related to attending the University.
Getting started in Leipzig
We would like to welcome you at Leipzig University and help you enrol in person. Please make an appointment with us 14 days before your enrolment using our appointment system.
In your documents on AlmaWeb (in the letter of admission / confirmation of receipt or on your exchange student info sheet) you can find more information about the documents you need to bring with you, for example.
Regular enrolment for the language and orientation course, bachelor’s, Diplom, state examination, master’s and doctorates, as well as for international exchange students, for the winter semester of 2025/26 is complete.
Appointments for late enrolment for bachelor’s, Diplom, state examination, master’s and doctorates
- 15 October 2025, 9am–12pm
- 22 October 2025, 1–4pm
- 29 October 2025, 1–4pm
You can find us at the Student Service Centre (SSZ), Goethestr. 3–5, ground floor, booth 6 and 7.
Registration with the Resident Services Office
Students who move to Leipzig are required to register with Leipzig’s Resident Services Office (Bürgerservice) without delay after arriving.
Residence permit
Different regulations apply depending on your country of origin:
- Students from an EU or EEA country do not need a residence permit.
- Students who enter the country without a visa and are permitted to stay in Germany for 90 days must apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studying immediately after they arrive.
- Students who arrive with a visa for the purpose of studying must apply for a residence permit three months before their visa expires.
The application for a visa for the purpose of studying can be submitted online. You can find all necessary information on the documents and fees on the website of the Leipzig Foreigners’ Authority.
You can find more information in our Residence Title Guide.
Welcome Week
Every year, Leipzig University greets its international students with a Welcome Week. In addition to enrolment, we offer many opportunities to get to know Leipzig and your fellow students with campus tours, get togethers and the traditional welcome party!
Faculty services
In the descriptions of the degree programmes in the courses of study overview, you can see the faculty in which you will study. Each faculty offers its own introductory programme and support services at the start of your studies and is happy to help you with questions you have during your studies. On Leipzig University’s Getting Started website, you can find an overview of all the events.
Course catalogue, modules and courses
You need to register for all modules and courses that you would like to attend during your studies. You can find information at Module Registration and in the course catalogue. Your degree programme’s subject advisers can also help you put together your schedule.
Students in the degree programmes Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine and Law receive information about their courses directly from the faculty.
Advisory services
We have bundled Leipzig University’s many different advisory services in the Guidance at a Glance. The International Centre team advises prospective and current international students on all matters related to their studies: from enrolment to exmatriculation.