Incomings – Visiting Students at the HfK
If you want to apply as a visiting student, your first point of contact is the International Office of the HfK. Applications are possible for both the winter semester and the summer semester. Visiting students usually stay for one to a maximum of two semesters. This applies to visiting students from partner universities and, if capacity is available, also to individual applicants (free movers).
As a visiting student, you do not have to take an entrance exam.
National Code of Conduct
The National Code of Conduct formulates quality standards for foreign students at German universities. The aim is to ensure or improve the quality of support for international students by establishing common standards in the areas of information, advice and advertising, admission and classification as well as technical, linguistic and social support and follow-up care.
The University of the Arts Bremen (HfK) has joined the National Codex for Foreign Students.
As a foreign student at the HfK, you may contact the International Office for any question about the National Code or if you have any complaints. The full text of the National Codex is available below.
- National Code of Conduct (PDF)
- 1. Application visiting students
Students visiting the HfK from a partner university need to take these steps: the International Office of your institution has to notify us on your interest in taking an exchange semester here via email (contact: international-office@hfk-bremen.de).
We accept applications for winter and/or summer semesters.
Applications can only be filed via our application portal under Gaststudium / visiting students.
The portal opens six weeks ahead of the application deadline.
Deadline for the winter semester: May 15th
Applications: April 1st to May 15th
Deadline for the summer semester: November 15th
Applications: October 1st to November 15thRequired documents:
- a CV including address, email, date and place of birth, nationality
- essay on your motivation including the study programme you wish to take
- Faculty Fine Arts and Design: portfolio
- Faculty Music: recording and/or video (as a file or link)
- Information on existing skills in the German and/or the English language
- 1 passport photo
Visiting students are not required to document a specific level of language skills.
Comprehensive information for visiting students is available in the PDF document below.
Semester contribution
As a visiting student you have to pay a semester contribution that covers and includes: semester ticket, contribution to support association for students (Studierendenwerk), contribution to students’ association (Studierendenschaft) and semester ticket for cultural events (Kultursemesterticket). The HfK does not collect a semester fee.
Overview on the public transport systems accepting the semester ticket: Semesterticket / semester ticket – Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss (AStA) (uni-bremen.de)
- 2. Visa and residence
Entry requirements
Before you travel to Germany, you should check whether you meet all the requirements for your stay. Students from certain countries need a visa, which also entails financial and insurance regulations.
It is very important that you apply for the visa several months before your stay in Germany, as processing can take weeks to months. A list of all countries with their respective visa requirements can be found on the Federal Foreign Office website: Entry: Visa yes or no
Open all- Who needs a visa?
For a study visit (longer than 90 days), students outside the EU usually need a student visa (visa for study purposes). Members of the EU/Schengen area do not need a visa and can enter Germany freely. You just need to register at the “Bürgeramt” (see below). If you move into an apartment, you are legally obliged to register within two weeks. You will then receive a registration confirmation.
- Where do I apply for a visa?
The German embassy in your home country issues visa to enter the country for study purposes. If you plan to stay beyond the period of validity of the visa, you must apply for a residence permit at the immigration office in Bremen.
You generally have to provide the following documents with your application:
• a valid passport
• proof of financing (Finanzierungsnachweis)
• a confirmed registration for a residence in Bremen
• proof of health insurance
• proof of enrolment
• 1 passport photo
• payment of the visa fees when submitting the applicationAttention: you are not permitted to enter the country for studying with a visitor or tourist visa! A tourist visa cannot be converted into a study visa.
Residence permit
The immigration authorities have set up a branch on the University premises for all foreign students in Bremen. Here you can apply for or extend your residence permit.
Bremen Services Universität (BSU)
Bibliothekstr. 6 (Zentralbereich)
28359 Bremenwww.uni-bremen.de/en/bsu/contact
www.uni-bremen.de/en/bsu/residence-permitsOffice hours (only after prior arrangement)
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Confirmation of residence
Students from abroad who intend on staying in Germany longer than three months are required to register a residence in Germany within the first two weeks of their arrival. Permits are handled by the Bürgeramt/Bürgerservicecenter.
Work permit
Students from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are permitted to work for up to 20 hours a week without an additional work permit. Students from other countries outside of the EU are limited to working for pay on up to 120 days per year for up to 8 hours, or during up to 4 hours for up to 240 days.
You need a work permit even for a part-time job lasting for more than 120 days. Permits are available at the local registration office for foreign citizens residing in Germany (BSU) and the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit). These institutions will assist you with any questions you might have around working in Germany.
The 120 day-rule does not apply if you are employed as a student assistant at the HfK.
- Who needs a visa?
- 3. Health insurance
Sufficient health insurance is mandatory for your (guest) studies. You cannot be enroled without valid health insurance!
Since January 1, 2022, it is necessary for visiting students to report their health insurance coverage to the University of the Arts Bremen through a German statutory health insurance company. The reports are sent by a German statutory health insurance company exclusively electronically via the Student Reporting Procedure (SMV). In order to transmit your insurance status electronically, the health insurance company requires the sender number of the University of the Arts Bremen. The sender number is H0002966.
A list of statutory German health insurance companies is available here:
Open all- Visiting students from EU countries
Please contact any German statutory health insurance provider so that they can send an electronic report about your insurance status to the university. If you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you are adequately insured. An electronic report must still be made to the University by a German statutory health insurance company. You have to provide your current address, a copy of your EHIC card and a copy of your ID for this.
- Visiting students from outside of the EU
Please contact any German statutory health insurance company to buy coverage with them. An electronic report of your insurance status will be sent to the University by the health insurance company.
- Visiting students older than 30 years
Please contact any German statutory health insurance company and clarify your insurance status. As a rule, people over 30 are exempt from compulsory student insurance. A corresponding electronic notification of the exemption must be sent to the University by a German statutory health insurance company.
- Visiting students from EU countries
- 4. Accommodation
The International Office rents out rooms at dormitories to visiting students (1 to 2 semesters, max.). There are six rooms available (in three double-apartments). Therefore, two students are sharing a bathroom and a kitchenette.
If all of the rooms have already been allocated, you need to find your own accommodation. The International Office can support your search by providing links such as the ones listed below here.
Affordable hostels
- Townside Hostel: www.townside.de
Finding accommodation online
- 5. FAQ Incoming Open all
- Semester contribution versus semester/tuition fee
As a visiting student, you have to pay a semester contribution – the HfK does not collect semester/tuition fees. The contribution ranges depending on the semester and between 270 and 320 euros.
The contribution covers and includes: semester ticket, contribution to support association for students (Studierendenwerk), contribution to students’ association (Studierendenschaft) and semester ticket for cultural events (Kultursemesterticket).
- Semester ticket: Overview on the public transport systems accepting the semesterticket
- Proof of language proficiency
Visiting students are not required to hand in proof of language proficiency. However, skills in German and English are helpful.
- Which language is used for teaching?
In Music, Fine Arts, Integrated Design and the Bachelor programme in Digital Media, the language of instruction is German. In the Master programme in Digital Media, the language of instruction is English. Many lecturers speak English and your fellow students will help you with any difficulties in understanding.
There is also a special section in the course catalogue: "English speaking students welcome" for courses in English or in German and English (individually adapted). However, this does not mean that as an incoming/visiting student you are only allowed to attend these courses. All courses are open to incoming/visiting students.
- Transcript of Records / Certificates for incoming/visiting students
Approximately 4 weeks before the end of the lecture period, the International Office will send you a PDF file, the so-called "Schein". You must have this certificate completed and signed by the lecturer for each course you have attended. The following applies to students of Fine Arts: at the HfK, Fine Arts is not organised in modules and there are no grades or credits. If you require CPs and/or grades as an incoming/visiting student, please inform the lecturer so that the CP and/or grade can be entered on the certificate. Please collect all certificates for all courses you have attended in good time before the end of the lecture period/your stay with us. When everything is complete, send all certificates in one e-mail to the International Office: international-office@hfk-bremen.de
The Transcript of Records will be created for you by Department 1 on the basis of the certificates submitted and emailed to you and your home university.
- Online Learning Agreement – Data for OLA
In order to be able to start the OLA, you will need the following data:
- ERASMUS code of HfK: D BREMEN03
Responsible persons
- Fine Arts:
Professor Ingo Vetter: i.vetter@hfk-bremen.de - Integrated Design:
Professor Samuel Nyholm: foreign-representative@hfk-bremen.de - Digital Media:
Roland Kerstein: r.kerstein@hfk-bremen.de - Music:
Dean of Studies Professor Barbara Stiller: b.stiller@hfk-bremen.de
- Semester contribution versus semester/tuition fee