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Contact information

Graduate Academy Heidelberg University

Service Point

Im Neuenheimer Feld 370
Room 3
69120 Heidelberg

Telephone Icon 17x17 +49 (0) 6221 / 54 - 19765
E-Mail graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de

 

Walk-in office hours

Monday: 10 am to 12 pm
Tuesday: 2 pm to 4 pm
Wednesday: 10 am to 12 pm
Thursday: 10 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm
and by appointment

Outside of our office hours you can reach us by telephone or email.

 
Useful links

Research Visits in Heidelberg

 

 
+++ Special measures due to the corona pandemic +++
 
 

Doctoral candidates can come to Heidelberg University to carry out a short-term research project as part of their doctoral studies at their home university. The first step towards carrying out a research stay is to find a professor at Heidelberg Univesity who agrees to supervise your research visit and who will issue you a letter of invitation or acceptance. There is more information about finding a research supervisor at the university here: Step 1: Finding a supervisor

If you are enrolled as a doctoral candidate at your home university, there are two forms of registration at Heidelberg University that will give you differenct degrees of access to university facilities while in Heidelberg – you can register either as a (1) visiting doctoral candidate or as a (2) visiting researcher.

As soon as you begin planning your research visit, we strongly advise you to contact the Graduate Academy (graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de) directly to clarify any questions about your status at the university, about access to university facilities or about visa regulations.

1. Research stay as a visiting doctoral candidate

Coming to Heidelberg as a visiting doctoral candidate involves enrolling as a student at the university and gives you full student status including the multifunctional student ID card, access to all university facilities (library, cafeterias, computer center, sports center etc.) and access to the services provided by the student services organization (Studierendenwerk) such as

 

- reduced student prices at the cafeterias

- the possibility to apply for a room in a student dormitory

- access to the Studierendenwerk housing service

 

If you choose to enroll at the university, you will be required to pay an administration and student services fee every semester in which you are enrolled. The current semester fee is 151.05 Euro per semester (as of December 2023).

Please read through the information below about admission and enrollment at Heidelberg University well in advance of coming to Heidelberg so that you can prepare all of the necessary documents. Please note that it is not possible to enroll at the university without all of the documents listed below.

 

The application portal for applications for the summer semester is open from December 1  to March 31. It is not possible to submit an application for the summer semester after March 31.  The summer semester runs from April 1 through September 30.


The application portal for applications for the winter semester is open from June 1  to September 30. It is not possible to submit an application for the winter semester after September 30.  The winter semester runs from October 1 through March 31.

 

Application for Admission as a “visiting doctoral candidate” (“Forschungsstudent”)


Before you can enroll as a visiting doctoral candidate, you must first apply for admission to the university in the heiCO system.

Please go to the heiCO website and click on “APPLICATION: Go directly to the online application here” . You will be required to create and then confirm a user account. After your user account is set up, you can log in and begin the application process in the system.

Please note:

  • For “Type of studies” please choose “other study” and for "intended degree" choose "Research Student (without ECTS)"
  • For “Degree Programme” please select the subject in which you will do your doctoral training

 

Then proceed to fill out the rest of the online application. For assistance in filling out the online application, please refer to the following manuals found in the heiCO Download Center:

 

During the online application process, you will be required to upload the following application documents:


One single PDF (not larger than 10MB) that contains all of the following:

  • copies of all of your university diplomas (Bachelor, Master etc.), including transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) for each semester or year of study, and certified translations of all of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English
    • Applicants from China: Please note! For all school and university diplomas and transcripts, applicants from China must submit certified copies and translations that are issued by an official notary whose office is affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Justice. Other forms of certification/translation (for example certification by means of a red star stamp) will not be accepted unless the applicant also submits an original APS certificate. In either case, only actual certified copies will be accepted - not photocopies or print outs of certified copies.
  • copies of your secondary school leaving certificate (e.g. Abitur, high school diploma, Attestat, Matura etc.) including transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) and certified translations of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English
  • if applicable, copy of your university entrance examination results and certified translation of this document into either German or English if it was not originally issued in German or English
  • copy of your current enrolment certificate as a doctoral candidate from your home university
  • recent letter of acceptance from your supervisor of your research project at Heidelberg University. If the system does not request this letter, please upload it with your university diplomas. This letter should be on the letterhead of Heidelberg University or of the Heidelberg University hospital and must:
    • confirm that your research stay is taking place within the framework of your doctoral studies in your home country,
    • confirm that he/she will supervise your research stay in Heidelberg,
    • indicate the time period of your research visit and
    • if applicable, confirm that German language proficiency is not necessary for your research visit.
  • if applicable, proof of any time spent at a German university as well as proof that you are no longer registered at that university (Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung).
  • photo in passport format
  • copy of your passport/national ID card

 

After you have submitted a complete application online, it will be processed by the student administration and you will be notified through the heiCO system about your admission status. After the Zulassungsbescheid (admission notification) is issued in the system, you can proceed with your enrollment. You can wait to complete your enrollment after you arrive in Heidelberg as long as you will be enrolling during the same semester in which you applied for admission.

In order to enroll, you will be required to enter additional data in your account that is relevant to enrollment. When this information is complete, you will be able to print out the enrollment form. You will also be asked to pay the appropriate semester fee.


To complete your enrollment you will need to send the enrollment form and the necessary enrollment documents by postal mail to the student administration at the address indicated on the enrollment form. The system will indicate which documents you must submit.  Please be aware that your final enrollment will not be processed until the student administration receives your physical documents and the semester fee.

 

Before your enrollment can be completed, you will also need to be registered in the electronic registration system for student health insurance existing between the public health insurance system and the university. This is also true if you have private health insurance.

To get registered, please take a copy of your health insurance policy and your passport to a public health insurance company (e.g. AOK, DAK but not the TK) and ask to be registered in the system. The student administration provides a letter that explains your enrollment status and registration category - giving this letter to the public health insurance company can help facilitate the registration process. If you would like a copy of the letter, please contact us in the Service Point (graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de ). Please be aware that, if you have private health insurance, you must register in the electronic health insurance system within 3 months of the beginning of the semester. For the summer semester, the deadline is June 30th, for the winter semester it is December 31st.

Please be aware that it takes 3-5 working days for your registration to be visible to the student administration in the system.

 


The necessary enrollment documents should include (as physical documents, not scans or digital documents):
  • the print-out of the enrollment form, with your original signature on the last page
  • the letter of acceptance from your supervisor in Heidelberg
  • copy of your current enrolment certificate as a doctoral candidate from your home university
  • certified copies of your secondary school leaving certificate (e.g. Abitur, high school diploma, Attestat, Matura etc.) including transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) and certified translations of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English. These documents need to bear the original stamp and signature of the person certifying the document and, if applicable, the original stamp and signature of the certified translator.
  • if applicable, certified copy of your university entrance examination results and certified translation of this document into either German or English if it was not originally issued in German or English. These documents need to bear the original stamp and signature of the person certifying the document and, if applicable, the original stamp and signature of the certified translator.
  • certified copies of all of your university diplomas (Bachelor, Master), including transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) for each semester or year of study, and certified translations of all of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English. These documents need to bear the original stamp and signature of the person certifying the document and, if applicable, the original stamp and signature of the certified translator.
    • Applicants from China: Please note! For all school and university diplomas and transcripts, applicants from China must submit certified copies and translations that are issued by an official notary whose office is affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Justice. Other forms of certification/translation (for example certification by means of a red star stamp) will not be accepted unless the applicant also submits an original APS certificate. In either case, only actual certified copies will be accepted - not photocopies or print outs of certified copies.
  • copy of your passport/national ID card
  • passport photo
  • if applicable, proof of any time spent at a German university as well as proof that you are no longer registered at that university (Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung).
  • any other documents listed in the heiCO system.

 

After receiving and processing your enrollment documents and your semester fee, the enrollment office will send you an email to inform you when you can pick up your student ID card. You must pick up your ID card in person at the university administration building.


The university will use your university email address to send you important information; therefore, please remember to check this email regularly. Additionally, the university will send notifications to you by postal mail to the mailing address that is in the enrollment system. You are responsible for keeping this address current in the heiCO system.

Please be aware that you can upload normal copies of all of your educational documents during the application process. However, for your final enrollment, you will be required to submit certified copies (physical documents!) of your school and university diplomas and transcripts as well as of your passport.

A certified copy is not simply a normal photocopy of an original document. A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document that has on it the confirmation that it is a true copy of the original. The certified copy must bear the original seal and the original signature of the person who is authorized to make the certification. Certified copies can be made by the educational institution that issued the document, by German diplomatic missions, by the embassy of the country in which the document was issued, by notaries and by other public authorities who are authorized to carry out such certifications. In Germany, certified copies can be obtained at the Bürgeramt, the local municipal offices, among other places.
A photocopy or a (print out of a ) scan of a certified copy is no longer certified and will not be accepted by the admissions office.
Please do not hand in your original diplomas and transcripts as we cannot guarantee that they will be returned to you!
For candidates with university degrees from Italy:
Because the online verification system for Italian digital diplomas does not work in Germany, we can offer the following options for obtaining a  copy of your Italian diploma that is confirmed as a true copy for enrollment purposes:
-    Request that your Italian university send a digital copy of your diploma directly to our office (graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de ). We will then be able to stamp and sign a printout of the diploma, confirming it as a true copy for your enrollment.
-    Drop by our office in person to demonstrate that you received the digital diploma directly from your university – either by email from your university to you or through a download portal. This will allow us to stamp and sign a printout of the diploma, confirming it as a true copy for your enrollment.

 

Fees and re-registration

Visiting doctoral candidates are not required to pay tuition fees at Heidelberg University. However, if you enroll at the University, you will have to pay a semester fee that covers administrative costs, costs for student services and student representatives. The total fee is currently 151.05 Euro per semester (as of December 2023).

In order to remain enrolled at the University, you must re-register each semester by paying the fee described above. The time periods for re-registration are as follows:

  • June 15 to July 15 for the winter semester,
  • January 15 to February 15 for the summer semester

Please be aware that you must pay the full semester fee for every semester for which you are enrolled regardless of when during the semester you arrive or leave. Therefore, if possible, it is a good idea to plan the timing of your stay to coincide with the university semesters. The university semesters are as follows:

Winter semester: October 1 to March 31
Summer semester: April 1 to September 30

2. Research stay as a visiting researcher

Coming to Heidelberg as a visiting researcher involves registering with the Welcome Center and gives you limited access to University facilities. If you have a scholarship or are funding your research stay privately, you will receive a visiting researcher card after registration, which confirms your association with the university and enables you to apply for additional cards to use the university library, the university cafeterias and the university sports center. Please note that you will not obtain access to the services provided by the student services organization which means you will not be eligible

 

- to live in a student dormitory

- to use the housing service provided by the student services organization

- to receive reduced student prices in the university cafeterias

 

In general this means that you will receive less support and will need to be more independent in organizing your research stay and finding housing. Depending on where you live and how much you wish to cook for yourself, you may also need to budget for higher expenses for food and other living costs.

You can register as a visiting researcher at Heidelberg University online on the website of the Welcome Center .

 

More information:
► Welcome Center Externer Inhalt
► Visiting Scholar Card Externer Inhalt

 



 

Web Administrator: Eric Herbst
Latest Revision: 2024-03-22
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