Welcome Centre

EU countries, European Economic Area and Switzerland

If you come from an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you generally do not need an entry visa. Your valid identity card is sufficient. If you plan to stay in Germany longer than 90 days or to work here, please register at a Bürgerbüro (Resident Services Office) in Leipzig.

Australia, UK, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and the US

Nationals of these countries do not require an entry visa (unless employment is intended directly upon arrival). They do, however, require a residence permit for stays of more than 90 days. You can apply for this after entering Germany. More information is available from the Federal Foreign Office.

Nationals of all other non-EU countries

Research visa

As a visiting scholar with a doctorate, you will need a visa to enter the country and stay in Germany for more than 90 days. You can apply for a research visa under Section 18d of the Residence Act. The research visa can be issued if you have a scholarship or private funds of approximately 1600 euros per month (examined on a case-by-case basis and depending on your cost of living).

You will require a hosting agreement to apply for the visa. This is a contract concluded between you and your research institution and forms the basis for issuing the research visa.

Your stay in Germany will last longer than 90 days and you do not have a research visa

If you require a visa to stay longer (longer than 90 days), then you must apply for this visa at the German mission in your home country before you enter Germany. The German mission in your home country is then responsible for obtaining the consent of the Ausländerbehörde at your future place of residence in Germany (in Leipzig, the English name for the Ausländerbehörde is “Foreigners’ Authority”).

• The visa application form for a long-term stay (longer than 90 days) is available free of charge from the German mission in your home country. Please enquire at your local German mission for more information. You may also use the application form provided by the Federal Foreign Office. Simply fill it in and hand it in at the German mission in your home country.
• Under Regulation (EU) 265/2010, if you hold a national visa (Type D visa) and a valid travel document you can move freely within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
• You can apply for a national visa (Type D visa) for a stay of up to twelve months, in which case it may no longer be necessary to apply for a residence permit in Germany. The duration of your research must not exceed the period of your residence permit.

To apply for a national visa (Type D visa) you will need the following documents:

• passport (valid for the duration of the stay)
• proof of the intended activity (e.g. scholarship, employment contract, letter of invitation or hosting agreement with the relevant Leipzig University research institution)
• proof that you have sufficient financial resources to support yourself, unless this is apparent from the aforementioned documents
• proof of health insurance (the Foreigners’ Authority does not accept travel health insurance)
• information about your planned accommodation in Germany
• for family members: marriage and birth certificates with legalisation or apostille
• application form (available from the German mission in your home country).

Depending on the embassy, further documents may be required. Please check with the German mission in your country of residence to find out which documents you will need for your visa application.

The national visa (Type D visa) is usually issued for a period of three (up to a maximum of twelve) months. Based on the duration of your visa, please apply for a residence permit at the local Foreigners’ Authority.

Your stay in Germany will not last longer than 90 days

If your research stay in Germany will not exceed 90 days within a 180-day period, then in most cases a Schengen visa (Type C) is sufficient to enter the country.

• One of the requirements for obtaining a Schengen visa is that you prove your ability to support yourself financially for the duration of your stay in Germany.
• In principle, travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros (figure subject to change) is required for any country in the Schengen Area.
• When applying for a Schengen visa, make sure you specify “scientific work” or “research” as the main purpose of your journey.
• A Schengen visa entitles you to travel freely throughout the Schengen Area, which is made up of all the signatory countries to the Schengen Agreement.

The addresses of German missions abroad and information about entry requirements are available from the Federal Foreign Office.

Please make sure you apply to the Foreigners’ Authority for a residence permit well before your entry visa expires. We will be happy to assist you with contacting the Foreigners’ Authority and check which documents you need for your residence permit.

If you have entered the country without a visa and are planning to stay longer in Germany, please first register at one of Leipzig’s Resident Services Offices. You must then apply for a residence permit within three months of entering the country. This will initially be valid for the duration of your employment contract or hosting agreement and can then be extended.

The German Rectors’ Conference has compiled an overview of different rights of residence for researchers from non-EU countries in Germany.

Applying for a residence permit

To apply for a residence permit, you will need to send the following documents to the Foreigners’ Authority. You can either upload them via the online portal of Foreigners’ Authority or email them (via the Welcome Centre). If you choose to use email, please send your documents as a single PDF file of no more than 10 MB.

• The completed residence permit application/application for renewal of residence permit (signed original/scan)
• Passport or identity card, with a copy/scan
• Entry visa (copy/scan)
• Confirmation of registration from the Resident Services Office (copy/scan)
• Proof of the activity (e.g. employment contract, scholarship award letter, hosting agreement with the host institute) (copy/scan)
• Proof of health insurance (not travel health insurance!) indicating costs and scope (insurance conditions) (copy/scan)
• Biometric passport photo (please note the passport photo requirements of the Federal Foreign Office) (copy/scan)
• For family members: marriage certificate, birth certificates of children with legalisation or apostille (copy/scan), with a translation (copy/scan)
• Rental agreement stating the number of square metres, the rental period and the rental price (copy/scan).

If you are staying longer than six months in Leipzig, your residence permit will be issued in the form of a credit card-sized card with additional electronic functions. Infants and children also receive their own card.
More information about the electronic residence permit (fees, deadlines, requirements) is available from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the Free State of Saxony.

If you are a scholar collaborating with our university in research and teaching, it is possible to conclude a guest agreement. The guest agreement is tied to our university’s fee schedule and is also possible for guest professorships.

Guest agreements can be concluded for up to six months. If you are planning another guest agreement, there must be a gap of one month in between.

• Short-term guest agreements (up to 22 days) must be signed by the head of the host institution, except in the case of programme funding for bilateral academic exchanges (e.g. DAAD, Erasmus+).
• Guest agreements for up to three months must be signed by the head of the host institution.
• Guest agreements for periods exceeding three months must be signed by the Rector. Your host institution submits the prepared guest agreement to Leipzig University’s Department of Human Resources, which in turn forwards it to the Rector.
• If you wish to give a lecture at our university, you will need to complete a guest lecture agreement. It is not possible to combine a guest lecture agreement with a guest agreement.

For more information please contact the following colleagues from the Department of Human Resources of Leipzig University:

• Brit Reinhold
  Phone: +49 341 97-33057
• Nancy Förster
  Phone: +49 341 97-33075
• Annett Priebe
  Phone: +49 341 97-33071 
• Dr Alexander Ciesek
  Section Head
  Phone: +49 341 97-33003

Being recognised as a visiting scholar secures your legal status at our university despite the fact that you are not employed here:

• Please first read the information about the granting of visiting scholar status.
• Applicants are required to conclude an agreement on the granting of visiting scholar status. The application form (Antrag auf Genehmigung des wissenschaftlichen Gastrechts) includes this agreement and is also available in English. To apply for visiting scholar status, this form must be completed by the visiting scholar and the host institute.
• Please submit one copy of the application form and three copies of the agreement (signed by the head of the institute) to the Department of Human Resources (Section 31). The documents can submitted either by the host institute or the visiting scholar themselves.

You can find more information in our flyer Infrastructure for visiting scholars at Leipzig University or contact the following colleague:

• Brit Reinhold
  Department of Human Resources
  Phone: +49 341 97-33057

As soon as the host institute knows that the scholar will be coming, the documents should be prepared before the scholar's arrival. After being signed by the dean of the respective faculty, the completed form must also be forwarded to the Department of Human Resources, which then passes it on to the Vice-Rector for Campus Development: Cooperation and Internationalisation.

Registering your place of residence

If you have not entered the country on a tourist visa and plan on staying longer than three months, you are required to register: no later than 14 days after arriving, you must register your place of residence personally at one of the City of Leipzig’s Resident Services Offices. Should you change your place of residence, please register again at the Resident Services Office within one week.

You will require the following documents when registering:

• the registration form
• landlord’s certificate (Vermieterbescheinigung) stating the name and address of the landlord
• passport (with visa if applicable)
• when registering spouses and children: marriage certificate, birth certificates with legalisation/apostille and official German translations.

The City of Leipzig website provides more information about the Resident Services Offices.

When registering you will receive a confirmation of registration, which you will require to extend your visa or open a bank account.

Approximately two weeks after registering, you will receive your tax identification number by post.

De-registering your place of residence

Is your stay in Germany coming to an end? Before you leave Germany, please remember to de-register at the Resident Services Office. You can also de-register online via the online form of the City of Leipzig.

You can de-register no earlier than 7 days before your departure.

If you are going to work at Leipzig University with an employment contract, your foreign university degree must be officially recognised in Germany. You can find more information about this topic in our information sheet Assigning salary groups and recognising foreign university degrees.

If you are travelling with a partner or spouse, then it may be necessary to have their foreign professional qualifications recognised.

Federal Recognition Act

The Federal Recognition Act is intended to facilitate the integration of skilled foreign workers who hold foreign professional qualifications into the German labour market. It only concerns professions for which the Federal Government is responsible. Occupations for which the individual federal states are responsible (e.g. teaching) are not covered. The Federal Government has set up a portal to provide more information about the Federal Recognition Act.
Learn more

AKZESS project – fast access to the labour market for non-EU citizens

The Free State of Saxony set up its AKZESS initiative in order to speed up the administrative processes for residence and work permits.
The project is a service for skilled workers from abroad who have found a job in Dresden, Chemnitz or Leipzig.
Learn more

Further information and guidance

The Integration through Qualification programme provides information on the recognition process for foreign professional qualifications and can put you in touch with the authority responsible for you.
Learn More

The Informations- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitsmarkt Sachsen (IBAS) is part of the IQ network for migrants, offering advice on having foreign qualifications recognised.
Learn more

The Recognition in Germany website offers useful information on having foreign professional qualifications recognised in Germany, including German equivalents of qualifications, the necessary steps for recognition, and the competent authority.
Learn more

Scholarships

If your time as a researcher in Germany is tied to a scholarship, then pursuant to the German Income Tax Act you are exempt from paying tax under certain conditions – for example, as a DAAD or Alexander von Humboldt Foundation scholar. Please contact your scholarship provider for more information on the tax rules applicable to your scholarship.

Staying in Germany with an employment contract

If your research stay is based on an employment contract with a German research institution lasting more than six months, you will generally be liable to pay tax in Germany. The basis is your total income and assets generated worldwide for the calendar year.

Unlimited and limited tax liability

Germany distinguishes between limited and unlimited tax liability. This depends on whether you are domiciled in Germany.

You are subject to unlimited tax liability if you are domiciled in Germany or are spending more than six months of the respective tax year here. Your employer deducts the tax from your salary and pays it on your behalf. You must list any income that you earn abroad after moving to Germany in your tax return (“worldwide income principle”).

You are subject to limited tax liability if you are not initially domiciled in Germany and do not spend more than six months in Germany. Assuming that you earn income from freelance work or as an employee or have other income in Germany, this is taxed at the source of the income (“place of work principle”). If you are employed at the University, for example, your salary will be taxed directly there. The standard tax rate is 15 per cent. You can apply for a reduction for all income-related expenses incurred in connection with the job. Only income earned in Germany is relevant for this limited tax liability.

Comprehensive information on this topic can also be found in our tax information brochure for visiting scholars at Leipzig University.

We have also created a flyer with important information about tax returns.

When spending time in Germany, you will come across and need to organise various types of insurance:

• social security
• health insurance
• pension schemes
• unemployment benefit
• accident insurance
• long-term care insurance.

The EURAXESS service portal offers up-to-date information on regulations applicable throughout Germany.

If you are a scholarship holder from outside the EU/EEA, please see this document for information about health insurance and visit the EURAXESS Germany website.

If you plan to stay in Germany for a long time, receive a regular salary or scholarship and have to pay rent, you will need a current account with a bank.

If you are spending more than six months in Germany, you can open a current account at any branch of a bank or savings bank (Sparkasse). Please note the terms and conditions of the individual banks. To open an account you will require:

• your passport or identity card
• registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) from the Resident Services Office
• some banks also require your residence permit from the Foreigners’ Authority.

You can also open a bank account online with a digital-only bank. Please see our document on bank accounts in Germany for more information.

The electronic, multifunctional Leibniz Card is a personalised instrument for improving the infrastructure for international visiting scholars at Leipzig University who will stay here for at least 3 months and wish to use the University canteens and the University library: (*except Medical Faculty/UKL)

• to pay guest or staff prices at the university refectories (you will need to be an employee of the Free State of Saxony or hold a valid International Student Identity Card to qualify for employee/staff prices)
• University Library (the Leibnizcard functions as your library ID card)
• for IDM Wifi eduroam guest account and to receive a Leipzig University email address please contact the respective person of your host institute (intranet Uni Leipzig IDM Ansprechpartner Gastzugänge) or contact servicedesk(at)uni-leipzig.de or the Welcome Centre for the list of the respective person in charge of guest accounts.

To receive a Leibniz card, please first register with the MoveOn database for visiting scholars. The following documents must also be uploaded to the database when you register (as confirmation documents)

• copy of the visiting scholar agreement (wissenschaftliches Gastrecht) issued by the inviting institute (a signed copy of the application for visiting scholar status (wiss. Gastrecht) of your host institute is also provisionally accepted). It has to be signed by your supervising university lecturer and dean) with date of submission to Dezernat 3 SG 31 (Brit Reinhold) 
• or scholarship agreement directly issued by Leipzig University (no visiting scholar agreement needed)
• DAAD, Humboldt, CSC, and other external funded fellows need to provide a visiting scholar agreement to receive a Leibniz card
• copy of valid international student confirmation or ID (valid throughout your stay at Leipzig University; if applicable)
• passport photo (or portrait photo in jpg format)

Visiting scholars are requested to contact their host institutes at least 4 weeks prior to arrival to obtain a signed visiting scholar agreement by the Vice-Rector upon arrival.

*visiting scholars/staff of Medical Faculty/UKL please contact Mr. Oliver Dorn  directly for infrastructure.

To help you settle in and find your feet, a network of academic institutions and authorities in the city of Leipzig provide a wide range of useful information and contacts for before and during your stay on the WELCOME TO LEIPZIG website.

In comparison to other European cities, housing in Leipzig is still relatively inexpensive. However, as a visiting scholar it can be hard to find an affordable furnished or partly furnished apartment for short- or medium-term rent (between one month and one year). We strongly advise you to start looking for accommodation for yourself and your family several months before coming to Germany.

The University’s guest houses

Our university has apartments for international visiting scholars and their families at two locations:

• IBZ Werner Heisenberg Guest House (24 furnished one-, two- and three-room apartments)
• guest apartments at Ritterstraße 12 (13 one-, two- and three-room apartments, some of them maisonettes)

Private housing market

Most of the apartments offered on Leipzig’s housing market are unfurnished. Furnished accommodation is rare and therefore usually expensive. Furnished apartments have at least a bed, a table and a cupboard or bookcase.

Landlords often require what’s known as a Kaution when renting an apartment. A Kaution is a deposit, meaning you pay a certain amount of money (usually equivalent to one to two months’ rent, excluding ancillary costs) into a passbook account. The deposit is refunded to the tenant at the end of the rental agreement, provided that the apartment is returned undamaged.

In Leipzig there are a number of housing and room services with a large portfolio of furnished apartments. Some landlords require a scholarship letter or an employment contract as proof that you will be able to pay the rent. In some cases you will also be asked to present your identity card with a valid visa. When first contacting the estate agent or when visiting an apartment, ask them which documents you have to present.

We also advise you only to sign the rental agreement if you fully understand its contents.

These websites can help you find accommodation:

• HC 24
• ImmobilienScout24
• Immowelt
• wunschimmo.de
• WG-gesucht

Child benefit

Under certain circumstances, you may receive financial support in the form of Kindergeld (child benefit) for children living with you in Germany:

• if you are registered in Germany and hold a residence title in accordance with Sections 18b, 18c, 18d of the Residence Act or
• if you are a citizen of an EU country, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Morocco, Serbia, Montenegro, Tunisia or Turkey.

Child benefit is paid for every child from birth until the age of 18, or until the age of 25 in the case of children who are still studying or in education. This is the responsibility of the Familienkasse (“Family Benefits Office”), and in some cases of the employer.

For information about applying for child benefit and about the relevant Familienkassen, please refer to the documents Welcome to Leipzig and How to apply for child benefit.

Childcare in Leipzig

Children over the age of three are legally entitled to a place at a kindergarten. The City of Leipzig is legally obliged to offer every child between the ages of three and six residing in Leipzig a place at a kindergarten. Children under the age of three are entitled to childcare if their parents are working, in education or if attending a facility is considered necessary for the child’s development.

Children usually start at day-care facilities at the start of the school year (late August/early September). Remaining places are often available from September to December. In the period from January to July, it is difficult to find a place at a children’s day-care facility close to where you live.

In principle, you are free to ask at the facilities in person or contact a local childminder (Tagesmutter or Tagesvater). You can search for a place using the online service at www.meinkitaplatz-leipzig.de. We or the City of Leipzig’s Family Information Office can assist you in searching for a place for your child.

Further information:

• How to apply for a childcare place
• Ticket application for access authorisation to apply for a day-care place
• Bedarfsanmeldung (registration of requirement) for a day-care place

Applying for a childcare place

To apply for a place for your child, you must first notify the Jugendamt (Department of Children and Family Services) by filling in a so-called Bedarfsanmeldung. To do this, you and your child must have already registered at one of Leipzig’s Resident Services Offices. In exceptional urgent cases, it is possible to ask the Jugendamt for a childcare contract for your child up to three months in advance.

If you are not yet registered in Leipzig and urgently need a place after your arrival, please fill in the “ticket application for access authorisation” and send it to the Jugendamt in Leipzig. You will then receive an access code by post, which you can use to search for a place in advance via the parents’ portal.

Schools in Leipzig

Regardless of their residence status, all children and adolescents in the Free State of Saxony are required to attend school. In order to facilitate integration in schools, it is vital that children learn German and constantly develop their language skills. With the aim of teaching and promoting German as an educational language, German as a second language (DaZ) has been established as a regular subject and is taught by trained teachers who follow a curriculum. There are also preparatory classes at selected primary schools and secondary schools.

The City of Leipzig provides information on its website about schools in Leipzig offering preparatory classes.

Please refer to this document for comprehensive information about the school system in Saxony.

In these classes, language learning takes place in three stages:

• Stage one: German as a second language is taught in the preparatory class. The aim is to establish the general and educational language foundations for participation in regular classes.
• Stage two: German as a second language is taught in the preparatory class and also gradually in regular classes.
• Stage three: Lessons take place in regular classes. It is also possible to receive tailored support for language skills. Lessons in the third stage are possible at all schools.

Schools with foreign language teaching in Leipzig

• English:

Leipzig International School (LIS) has approximately 1000 pupils from 70 countries. Most pupils come from the United Kingdom, the US, Russia, France, the Netherlands and Germany. The language of instruction is English, but the pupils can also learn German. The school’s fees amount to between 775 and 1130 euros per month. Children can learn at Leipzig International School from the age of three (“Early Years”) to grades 11–12.

• French:

The Deutsch-Französisches Bildungszentrum Leipzig comprises five institutions that offer education and childcare in German and French – from day care to secondary school. They work according to a consistent, uniform and integrated concept across all institutions. This creates a pedagogical educational complex for bilingual education in German and French, which children can begin at different times: in the day-care centre, at the start of primary school, or when commencing secondary education.

The five institutions of the Deutsch-Französisches Bildungszentrum Leipzig:

• Integrative Kindertagesstätte „Kleiner Muck“
• Pablo-Neruda-Grundschule
• After-school programme at the Pablo-Neruda-Grundschule
• Caroline-Neuber-Schule
• Reclam-Gymnasium

Germany has a sophisticated public transport system. You can reach most destinations with Deutsche Bahn, suburban railway (S-Bahn) services, buses, trams and, in some cities, underground trains.
Cycling is a practical alternative to public transport in Leipzig. The city has an extensive network of cycle paths.

Public transport

Leipzig has a very good public transport system. It includes buses, trams and S-Bahn trains. If you are spending a long time in Leipzig and often travel by public transport, it may be worth investing in a weekly or monthly ticket or a Deutschlandticket.

For more information, fares and timetables, please refer to the Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe website.

Taxis

Taxis are expensive in Germany, which is why many people only use them in special situations – for example at night or when travelling with a lot of luggage.

Ride- and car sharing services

Ride-sharing services (Mitfahrzentralen) can be an alternative to the public transport system, especially for travelling long distances. Car owners use these services to offer spaces to passengers, usually when they are planning a long drive. More information is available from Mitfahrzentrale Leipzig. Another inexpensive option for using a car temporarily is car sharing via Teilauto.

You can take German courses at various establishments in our city:

• The interDaF association at Leipzig University’s Herder Institute offers courses for international scholars and doctoral researchers.
• Spracheninstitut at Leipzig University
• The Adult Education Centre (VHS) Leipzig offers a variety of German language courses.
• International doctoral candidates who are enrolled at our university may apply to take German classes at the Studienkolleg Sachsen alongside their research activities.
• The City of Leipzig also provides dedicated integration and language learning services. This includes integration courses for family members.
• Further offers of the City of Leipzig can be found at this webpage.

A brochure published by the Federal Employment Agency contains comprehensive information about learning German.

Public holidays

There are several public holidays in Germany. Make the most of these and discover the extensive range of cultural and leisure activities available in Leipzig and the wider region:

• New Year’s Day: 1 January
• Good Friday: Friday before Easter
• Easter Sunday/Easter Monday: dates change every year; usually late March or early April
• May Day: 1 May
• Ascension Thursday: changes every year, 10 days before Whitsun
• Whit Sunday/Whit Monday: dates change every year; late May or early June
• Day of German Unity: 3 October
• Reformation Day (in Saxony): 31 October
• Buß- und Bettag (in Saxony): 3rd Wednesday in November
• Christmas Eve: 24 December (after 2pm)
• Christmas Day/ Boxing Day: 25 and 26 December
• New Year’s Eve: 31 December (after 2pm)

This information can be found on the Academic calendar page. For details of events scheduled at Leipzig University, please go to the Events calendar.

On the web portal Welcome to Leipzig you will find monthly event tips.

Leipzig New Lakeland

Famous for its many lakes, the area around Leipzig is often referred to as Leipzig New Lakeland. From the train station you can reach most of the surrounding lakes in about half an hour by bus or tram.
You can find all the information you need for your trip to Leipzig’s New Lakeland Area at LeipzigSeen.

Cultural events

• Events calendar of the City of Leipzig
• Gewandhaus concert hall
• St. Thomas Boys’ Choir
• Leipzig Opera
• Theatre in Leipzig
• Leipzig Ballet
• Tourist information
• Hidden Leipzig
• welcometoleipzig
• afeefa

In Leipzig, followers of various religions can establish contact with and meet fellow members.
The City of Leipzig website provides more details about the different religious communities in Leipzig.

The City of Leipzig’s guide to the healthcare system is published in several languages and offers information about various aspects of healthcare and prevention:

• public health service of the City of Leipzig
• health insurance
• special regulations on medical care in accordance with Book XII of the Social Code and the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (AsylbLG)
• general medical and dental care
• staying in hospital
• emergency situations
• medication
• check-ups
• directory with the most important emergency numbers, addresses and telephone numbers of health services, hospitals, emergency services and advice centres in Leipzig.

Doctors who speak foreign languages

Details of registered doctors and therapists who speak another language in addition to German can be found in a List published by the City of Leipzig.

In the database of the Saxon Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVS) you can search for specialist doctors near you.

Leipzig Student Services has compiled an illustrated Health Dictionary in German and English.