Guide Gelsenkirchen - Westfälische Hochschule

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Guide for Exchange Students at Westfälische Hochschule,
Campus Gelsenkirchen
International Office
Room B3.0.02
Regina Klauke
Neidenburger Str. 43
D - 45897 Gelsenkirchen
Tel +49 (0)209 9596 943
Fax +49 (0)209 9596 447
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.en.w-hs.de
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Campus Gelsenkirchen
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Table of Contents
Semester dates
Examinations
How to get to Gelsenkirchen
Office for International Students
Getting enrolled
Accomodation, Rental Contract
Transportation
Health Insurance
Liability Insurance
Registration Office
Immigrations` Information Office
VISA and Residence Permit
Bank Account
Television and Radio
Sports & Leisure
page 4
page 5
page 6
page 7
page 8
page 9 - 10
page 11
page 12
page 13
page 14
page 15
page 16 - 17
page 18
page 19
page 20
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Semester dates 2016 - 2017
Summer semester 2016
Start of semester
Start of lectures
End of lectures
End of semester
01st March 2016
21st March 2016
15th July 2016
31st August 2016
Winter semester 2016/2017
Start of semester
Start of lectures
End of lectures
End of semester
01st September 2016
19st September 2016
03th February 2017
28th February 2017
Please schedule your arrival in Gelsenkirchen the week
before lectures start. This will allow you to “settle in” and complete
all necessary formalities. Please note that your arrival could be a problem
during weekends.
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Examinations
Examinations are taken as follows:
summer semester:
over a period of two weeks past the end of lectures
winter semester:
over a period of two weeks past the end of lectures
In order to take examinations you have to register online via our QIS HIS system.
You will obtain your password when arriving in Gelsenkirchen.
The exact examination deadlines will be published by the department‘s homepage
in due time.
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How to get to Gelsenkirchen
The nearest airport to Gelsenkirchen is Düsseldorf. If you take the train which
leaves about every half an hour, you are able to reach Gelsenkirchen in
approximately 1 hour. Information about train connections can be found at
Deutsche Bahn www.db.de or the Verkehrsverbund Rhein Ruhr www.vrr.de.
Starting from Gelsenkirchen HBF (main station) take the tram number 302 in
direction Gelsenkirchen-Buer until you reach the stop Buer-Rathaus. From there,
take the bus number 396 in direction Gelsenkirchen-Horst up to the bus-stop
Neidenburger Straße, or take bus number 399, which takes you directly to the
Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen (this bus does not run during the
semester break). By car you can reach us via the A2 or A52 motorway, exit
Gelsenkirchen-Buer.
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Office for International Students
We will be happy to support you before, during and after your studies in
Gelsenkirchen. We are responsible for your application, your accommodation
and your Letter of acceptance. To conclude, we help you to prepare your stay in
Gelsenkirchen.
During your stay at our university, you will be integrated into academic and study
life by tutors who will also assist you with all necessary formalities in the
beginning.
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Getting enrolled
Please note: It is essential that you bring the following items with you during
your registration, failure to do so could result in an unsuccessful enrolment.
Registration takes place in the Office for International Students (Room
B4.0.04) after your arrival.
1. Passport and visa (non EU-members), copy of passport
2. Two recent passport photographs (with your name written on the back)
3. Certificate of valid health insurance (EU health insurance card or certificate
from a German insurance company). We hand out to non EU-members an
application form for a German health insurance at the time of your arrival.
4. Student ID or certificate of enrolment from your home-university
For ERASMUS-students
5. Learning Agreement/Training Agreement, Confirmation Letter of arrival/
departure
Upon registration students need to pay a tuition fee of currently 300,00 €.
This fee includes the NRW ticket which allows you to use public transportation
(tram, bus und trains) for free within NRW. We recommend you to pay it
before your arrival so you can use the ticket at once.
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Student Accommodations
Wodanstraße 7a-f, 45891 Gelsenkirchen
The village is comprised of several houses each containing 2, 3 or 4-room
apartments with furnitures. It is situated in Gelsenkirchen-Erle in a very central
position with local amenities only approx. 300m away. You will get your
roomkeys from your tutor or the keys can be collected in the caretakers office
during his opening hours:
Monday-Friday between 09.00am and 11.00am (Phone: +49-209-9772216).
There are also washing-machines and dryers within the student residence.
Düppelstr. 12, 45897 Gelsenkirchen
There are two double and five single rooms with furnitures. There are several
bath rooms and a big kitchen. The residence is 10 minutes away from the
Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen.
Akademisches Förderungswerk Bochum” (AkaFö).
Contact Person: Mr. Dennis Bauch
Tel.: +49-234-3211414.
In case of damages or other problems in your room please contact the
caretaker.
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The rental contract
Those students who do not wish to accept the offer of accommodation in the
hostel are expected to find their own accommodation in the private sector.
However, as we do not provide lists of suitable rooms for rent and
acceptable accommodation at moderate prices it is difficult to find in
Gelsenkirchen, we recommend you to accept the offer of place. As the
number of applications normally exceeds the number of rooms for our
exchange students we recommend you to reserve space early.
The rental contract runs for the duration of one semester or the academic
year, including semester breaks. Your accommodation can only be rented for
6 or 12 months. It is not allowed to cancel your contract and to leave earlier.
The rental contract runs from 1st September to 28/29th February in the winter
semester and from 1st March to 31st August in the summer semester.
The total rent per room is approx. 1.500 - 1.700 € per semester.
You have to provide a down payment of 800 € by 15th February/15th August
for your reservation. The rest has to be paid by 1st Mai for the summer
semester, by 1st November for the winter semester. You do not have to pay
a deposit. When you sign the “Application for Accommodation” the landlord
(Akafö) will contact you by email with further details.
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Transportation
You can use your Semesterticket on all buses, trams and trains for free
in North Rhine-Westphalia two weeks after paymant the tuition fees.
In Cranger Straße close to the student village is the tram stop Breite
Straße, from which tramline 301 is running. From your student
accommodation in Wodanstr. you have to take number 301 until
Rathaus Buer in Goldbergplatz. From there you can take the bus
number 399 directly to Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen in
Neidenburger Straße. You can also take the number 396 which travels
to Gelsenkirchen-Horst.
Get out at the stop Neidenburger Straße and walk the remaining 5
minutes to Westfälische Hochschule. The city centre can be reached by
the tramline 301 that brings you straight to the main station.
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Health Insurance
During your stay in Germany a sufficient health insurance cover is
required. Students from countries within the European Union only need to
present their EU health insurance card.
If you come from a country outside of the European Union, you need
a travel insurance for the first 4 to 6 weeks of your travel to Germany. This
travel insurance must have a cover amount of 30.000 €. After your arrival
in Germany you have to take out a German student`s health insurance
which costs approx. 80 € per month. The Office for International Students
will be happy to assist you with the application procedure.
Please don’t take out private health insurance in your home country
for the whole period of your stay in Germany. This kind of insurance
will not be accepted and you may have to pay cash for medicine,
medical treatment and a stay in hospital.
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Liability Insurance
We highly recommend that all students take out liability insurance
(e.g.: www.asstel.de: Haftpflichtversicherung) to cover any accidental
damage caused to other persons or property during their stay. This is not
required by German law but is nevertheless strongly advised.
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Registration Office (Town Hall / Rathaus Buer, Bürgercenter),
Goldbergstraße 12, 45894 Gelsenkirchen
Opening hours:
Mon, Tue 8.00 am - 4.00 pm
Wed
8.00 am - 2.00 pm
Thu
8.00 am - 6.00 pm
Fri
8.00 am - 1.00 pm
In Germany you are obliged to get registered as a resident at the local
Registration Office within one week once you have a permanent address.
Please remember to bring with your passport (and, if applicable, your visa).
When you leave Germany you have to go to the Residents’ Registration office
and cancel your registration.
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Immigrations` Information Office (Ausländerbeörde)
Husemannstr. 32, 45875 Gelsenkirchen
Telefon +49 (209) 169-2907, Fax +49 (209) 169-3502
E-Mail: [email protected]
Opening hours:
Mon
8.30 am - 3.30 pm
Tue, Thu & Fri
8.30 am -12.30 pm
Closed on Wednesdays
Once you have arrived and registered with the Residents` Registration
Office you must go to the Immigrations` Information Office in order to apply
for a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). Students from EU countries may be
exempted from this rule.
Please remember to bring the following documents:
• your passport (and, if applicable, your visa and supplementary sheet)
• your registration certificate (Meldebestätigung) issued by the
Registration Office
• copy of your certificate of study
• letter confirming financial support from parents or scholarship of at least
670 Euro per month
• copy of your health insurance certificate
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How to apply for a VISA
Usually, foreigner (from non EU-countries) need a visa to enter Germany.
For stays longer than 3 months you need a residence permit
(Aufenthaltserlaubnis) in addition.
You must apply for a student visa in your country of origin before you move
to Germany. After your immigration you have to apply for a residence
permit at the Immigrations` Information Office (Ausländerbehörde). Please
make sure that you do not apply for a tourist visa.
USA, Israel, Brazil or South Korea
Students from so called „positiven Drittstaaten“ such as the USA, Israel,
Brazil or South Korea can enter Germany without visa. However, they
have to get their stay legitimized by the Immigrations` Information Office
(Ausländerbehörde) in Germany.
Thus, they need to apply for a residence permit (Aufenthalterlaubnis),
usually.
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How to receive a VISA
A student visa allows you to immigrate to Germany. First, you need to document your
financial background. Thus, you must prove to the German embassy in your country
of residence and to the city of Gelsenkirchen that you can finance your stay in
Germany. The approximate value is 8040 € per year, which corresponds to monthly
670 €.
You can document your financial background by:
• starting a blocked account „Sperrkonto“ with a value of at least 8040 €.
Note, that the amount depends on the duration of your stay. If you stay for six
months, you will only have to put 6 x 670 € in the blocked account. The blocked
account will allow you to take out 670 € per month max.
• presenting a formal commitment („Verpflichtungserklärung“) of a third
party (such as your parents) stating to support you with at least
670 € per month. The formal commitment must be presented to the
German diplomatic representations.
• presenting documentation of an acknowledged publicly financed
scholarship (such as DAAD or from your home university) which
support you with at least 670 € per month or comparative proves of
income (e.g. salary).
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Bank Account
It may be advisable to open a German bank account. This students` account
will be free of charge. There are several banks near the bus station in
Gelsenkirchen-Buer:
•
Stadtsparkasse Gelsenkirchen, Neumarkt 2
•
Volksbank Gelsenkirchen, Kirchstraße 1
•
Deutsche Bank Gelsenkirchen, Essener Straße 1
You will find other banks in the near of the student accommodation in Cranger
Straße.
To open a bank account you need your passport and your certificate of study.
Our tutors will be glad to help you.
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Television and Radio
For the use of your private radio and television sets you must pay broadcast
fees, which are set by the GEZ (fee introduction center). The fee is 52,50 €
for three months.
Please find the registration under following link:
www.rundfunkbeitrag.de
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Sports & Leisure Time
The Westfälische Hochschule offers a variety of (free) sport opportunities. These
are displayed on the blackboard from AStA. If you are interested, contact the sportrepresentative in the student union: http://www.asta-wh.de/.
In Gelsenkirchen there are many ways to enjoy your free-time: sport- and leisure
centres, wavepools, saunas, solariums, tennis-courts, cinemas and theatre.
For more information on cultural and free time activities, visit the tourist office in the
city centre of Gelsenkirchen (Ebertstraße 20). You can also obtain information on
the following web site: www.gelsenkirchen.de