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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
Daumen hoch! Oder lieber nicht?
Meet the Germans – YouTube

Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. Every two weeks she explores a new topic – from allotment gardens to money to language.

Meet the Germans – YouTube (DW Euromaxx)

 

Living in Heidelberg

Living and working in Heidelberg as an international doctoral candidate

Heidelberg University has an excellent academic reputation nationally and internationally and the city of Heidelberg has one of the highest standards of living in Germany. Therefore, it is not surprising that Heidelberg attracts doctoral candidates from all over the world. This page provides information about living in Heidelberg and working at the University as well as about services available to international doctoral candidates.

Housing

Finding housing in Heidelberg can be difficult as rents are high and there is a chronic shortage of suitable apartments and rooms. We hope that the following information is helpful to you in your housing search:

► Information flyer on housing Adobe

License Fee for Public Broadcasting Services (formerly known as GEZ)

Every household in Germany must pay a license fee of 17.50 Euro per month to support public broadcasting services. This includes apartments, dormitory rooms, houses etc. The fee is independent of the number of inhabitants and broadcasting devices (radios, televisions, computers, tablets, smartphones etc.) in the household. Please make sure to register within one month of moving in to your new room or apartment; failure to register and pay the license fee will result in monetary fines and legal problems. Please make sure to respond to any correspondence you receive from the "Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio". If you need assistance with the correspondence, you are welcome to contact the Graduate Academy Service Point.

Further information:
► Information on the License Fee for Public Broadcasting Externer Inhalt
► Information flyer on the License Fee for Public Broadcasting (English) Adobe

Multifunctional Student ID

You can obtain a multifunctional Student ID by enrolling at the University.

The Student ID can be used:

  • as a student identification card,
  • as a library card at the University library,
  • to access services at the library and computer center that require a login,
  • to access and pay for services at the sports center,
  • as a payment card for student services such as the cafeterias, the photocopy machines, the washing machines in student dormitories, at the central language laboratory etc.,

Further information:
► Uni Heidelberg: Student ID Externer Inhalt

 

Food and Drink

The Studierendenwerk’s four cafeterias and nine cafés provide a large variety of meals at reasonable prices.

The addresses, opening hours and menus are available on the website of the Studierendenwerk:
► Studierendenwerk: Eat and Drink Externer Inhalt

Further information:
► Gastronomy Externer Inhalt

Mobility in Heidelberg

Getting around in Heidelberg and the metropolitan region is relatively easy. You can choose from various modes of transportation.


VRN-Anschluss-Semesterticket

The VRN Anschluss-Semesterticket can be purchased by all doctoral candidates who are enrolled at the University. The Anschluss-Semesterticket is valid for six months as of the date of purchase in the entire region covered by the VRN with the exception of the Westpfalz. You can purchase the Anschluss-Semesterticket at the VRN service center across from the main train station, at the Studierendenwerk InfoCenter or InfoCafé International or online.

Further information:
► VRN-Anschluss-Semesterticket Externer Inhalt (German)

Jobticket

The Jobticket can be obtained by almost all University employees, including doctoral candidates who have a contract with the University as a research associate (wissenschaftlicher Angestellter) or as an academic assistant (wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft). Because the Jobticket is valid for a year, the employment contract must also run for at least twelve months. The Jobticket can be used in the entire region covered by the VRN.

Further information:
► Heidelberg University: Jobticket Externer Inhalt (German)
► VRN-Jobticket Externer Inhalt (German)

Carsharing

Carsharing is available in Heidelberg through the Stadtmobil-Gruppe. The holders of annual or six-months passes from the VRN are eligible for a reduction in the registration fee and security deposit.

Further information:
► Stadtmobil Externer Inhalt

Women’s night taxi

The women’s night taxi allows women who live in Heidelberg to take a taxi between 11 pm and 6 am anywhere within the Heidelberg city limits for a flat rate of 9 Euros. Tickets must be obtained in advance from the Local Administration Office (Bürgeramt) and are valid for up to four eligible users travelling in the same direction.

Further information:
► Frauen-Nachttaxi Externer Inhalt (German)

Bicycles

Bicycling is a popular mode of transport in Heidelberg – you can reach practically any destination in the city, including all parts of the University, by bike. It is possible to take your bike free of charge on the bus or tram on weekdays after 9 am and on weekends all day.

Information about second hand bicycles:
► Heidelberg University: Second hand bicycles Adobe

VRNnextbike

The public transportation company VRN offers bikes for rent in Heidelberg, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Speyer. There are many rental stations located throughout these cities, usually close to bus or tram stops. The rental bikes can be returned to any station within the area served by the VRN.

Further information:
► VNRnextbike Externer Inhalt

The self-help workshop URRmeL

The self-help workshop URRmeL provides tools and instructions to students who want to repair their bicycles themselves.

Further information:
► Self-help workshop URRmeL Externer Inhalt (German)

Leisure activities, sports and culture

Heidelberg and the nearby cities Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Ludwigshafen offer a great variety of interesting cultural and leisure activities.


Sports

The courses provided by the university sports center are open to all doctoral candidates. If you are enrolled at the University, you can access and pay for the courses with your CampusCard. Doctoral candidates who are registered at their faculty can obtain a pass for the sports center by showing their letter of admission from the faculty (Annahme als Doktorand) and paying a fee of 5 Euro.

Further information:
► Hochschulsport (university sports center) (German)

Leisure activities

The following links provide information about movies, theater, cultural and sporting events and much more in the region.

► Gloria Kino Heidelberg Externer Inhalt (German)
► Heidelberg Aktuell (German)
► Naturpark Bergstraße Odenwald Externer Inhalt (German)
► Naturpark Neckartal Odenwald Externer Inhalt (German)
► Mannheim: Kultur erleben Externer Inhalt (German)
► Karlsruhe: Kultur Externer Inhalt (German)

Further information:
► Heidelberg University: Sports & leisure activities
► Heidelberg University: Culture

Information for emergency situations

If you are in an emergency situation, you will need help quickly. The Graduate Academy has compiled an information brochure containing the most important contacts and information in case of an emergency.

Doctoral candidates with children

If you have children, you can take advantage of the child care services provided by the Studierendenwerk and by the city of Heidelberg.

The Studierendenwerk also has some housing available especially for families and single parents. In order to use the Studierendenwerk services, doctoral candidates must either be enrolled at the University or have an employment contract with the University.

 

Kinderhausbüro / Service for Families der Universität Heidelberg

The Service for Families, part of the Office of Equal Opportunities, is the central advising office at Heidelberg University for questions regarding childcare, family issues and balancing a family and a career. The Children’s Center (Kinderhausbüro) offers childcare services covering a variety of ages and hours. Long-term, full-day childcare is available at the Crèche / Kinderkrippe 685, the Day Care Center / Kindertagesstätte INF 159, and the Kids-Club INF 370. There is a separate holiday care program to cover school vacations and holidays, a congress program to assist visiting scholars attending a conference in Heidelberg and even a backup service for short-term emergencies. The childcare services are all located on the campus in Neuenheimer Feld and have flexible hours that suit the working hours at the University.

Further information and advising:
► Kinderhausbüro / Service for Families at Heidelberg University Externer Inhalt
► Nursery management of the Studierendenwerk Heidelberg Externer Inhalt

Childcare services by the city of Heidelberg
► Additional childcare offers from the City of Heidelberg Externer Inhalt
► Children and Youth Office (Kinder- und Jugendamt)  Externer Inhalt (German)

IMPORTANT!
The Studierendenwerk offers particularly reasonable prices to doctoral candidates who are enrolled at the University.

Doctoral candidates with disabilities or chronic illness

The office for students with disabilities or chronic illness is happy to advise doctoral candidates about organising university life.

They give information on such issues as barrier-free access to campus buildings and access to technical aids and assistants. The office also provides information about barrier-free housing and living with a disability or chronic illness in general in Heidelberg.

Further information:
► Commissioner for disabled and chronically ill students

Web Administrator: Eric Herbst
Latest Revision: 2024-03-07
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