You will receive your 'Campuscard' (i.e. your semester ticket and your ASH Berlin student ID) during the mandatory orientation days at the beginning of the semester. The semester ticket for the winter term is valid from 1 October to 31 March, the semester ticket for the summer term from 1 April to 30 September. These dates cannot be changed or adapted to your individual period of stay.

To cover public transport for the time before 1 October or 1 April, you need to buy regular public transport tickets at the BVG or the S-Bahn. They offer single, day, week or monthly tickets for the tariff zones A, B and C. Should you arrive in Berlin more than two weeks before 1 October or 1 April, we recommend buying a monthly ticket.

Currently, there is the so-called "Deutschlandticket", a monthly subscription that entitles you to use all local public transport such as subway, S-Bahn, buses, ferries and regional trains all over Germany for a full calendar month (not valid for IC, EC, ICE long-distance trains). The subscription costs €49 per month and is the cheapest option for a monthly ticket. 

More about public transport

After moving into your dorm or flat, you are required to register your address at a so-called Bürgeramt (Citizens Registration Office), usually within two weeks. For that, you need to book an appointment and go to the Bürgeramt in person. Due to the current situation, it is likely that you won't be able to get an appointment within the two week period.

You can either book an appointment onlineor by calling the telephone number +49 30 115.  You can register at any of Berlin's Bürgerämter, no matter where you live.

If you can't go to the Bürgeramt yourself, you can also send someone else who needs to bring an authorization document as well as the registration form, each signed by you.

When registering at the Bürgeramt, you will receive a confirmation of registration called Anmeldebestätigung. You need this document to open a bank account, apply for a residence permit or to use public services of the city of Berlin, so you should always carry a copy of it with you.

The following documents are required for the registration:

• Registration form ("Anmeldeformular") and Confirmation of your move-in, signed by your landlord/landlady or owner of the apartment ("Einzugsbestätigung")
• Valid passport or ID card

If you're not sure how to fill out the forms, you can use our "How to complete the Bürgeramt-Anmeldung" instructions.

All people who are older than 18 years and who are registered in Germany (see above), are required to pay a mandatory broadcasting license fee ("Rundfunkbeitrag") of currently 18.36 EUR per month - no matter where you're from or how long you'll stay in Germany.  

After your registration with the Bürgeramt, you'll receive an automatic letter with the details of how to register and pay the fee. The rule "one apartment - one fee" applies so if you live in a share flat, you can also share the fees with your flat mates. If you're not sure how to register and pay the broadcasting licence fee, feel free to check our guide on how to register for the Rundfunkbeitrag.

You can find further information in German at rundfunkbeitrag.de, the website also provides details in different languages (e.g. English, Spanish, Turkish).

When you leave Berlin at the end of your Semester, you then also need to de-register from the broadcasting licence fee. You can do that on the website of the Rundfunkgebühr. You can use our guide on how to de-register from the Rundfunkbeitrag. 

Students who are NOT citizens of EU member states or of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein need to apply for a residence permit at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (Berlin Immigration Office) within 90 days after arrival or before their entry visa has expired, when they do not have a visa that is valid for the entire length of their stay. Students who are nationals of Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States of America may enter and stay in Germany without a visa and apply for a residence permit within 90 days after their arrival.

We strongly recommend applying for a visa for the entire duration of your stay in Germany while you are still in your home country!
If this is not possible, you can apply for a residence permit online via the Berlin Immigration Office website. We recommend that you do this as soon as possible.

Usually, you can extend your residence permit no earlier than 8 weeks before it expires. The appointment should thus take place 4-6 weeks before your visa, residence permit or blue card expires. Please make sure to submit your application while your current visa, residence permit or Blue Card is still valid. After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation of application from the Immigration Office certifying that your current visa or residence permit remains valid in Germany beyond its original expiry date.

Once all your application documents are successfully submitted, you will be assigned an appointment for an in-person interview at the Immigration Office. Please bring the originals of all the necessary documents with you to this appointment and avoid gluing or stapling them.

If you don't speak German well, it is very helpful to have a German native speaker - for example your buddy - joining you at the Berlin Immigration Office.

More information about the residence permit for students can be found on the Berlin Immigration Office website.

Students with Swiss nationality can find specific information about their residence permit on this section of the Berlin Immigration Office website.

If you need assistance in completing the required form or submitting your online application, please do not hesitate to contact us, your International Office at ASH Berlin!

During your stay in Berlin, you may need to open a German bank account, not just to pay rent, but also because your bank at home may charge extra fees for withdrawing cash and/or for every international money transfer you do.

Student bank accounts are mostly free of charge and easy to set up. The bank will probably require the following documents to open an account:

• passport or ID card
• ASH Berlin student ID
• confirmation of registration at the Bürgeramt (see above)
• if applicable, your residence permit (see above)

Student bank accounts do not always include a free debit or credit card. Please enquire with the bank beforehand.