Please see also our International student guide

In your home country:

After being admitted to our program, you will have to go to the German Embassy.

You will need: Your passport and the letter of admission from the MHH / your respective PhD program.

Usually, you will get your visa within two months.

You will either get a student applicant visa (valid three months) or already a student visa (valid for one year).

In case you are going to be employed with MHH, you could in some countries already apply for a working permit as a PhD student.

Important:

Please, don’t come with a tourist visa!! In order to change it into a student visa you will be asked by the German authorities to return to your home country!!

In order to be on the safe side, we recommend that you take a travel insurance, which is valid at least a month until you have the proper health insurance here.

After your arrival in Hannover:

Accomodation:

Please, tell us if you need accommodation!

We will try to reserve an apartment for you in one of the MHH's guest houses or student's hostel. We only have a limited amount of rooms available though. You do not have to stay in a hostel for the whole 3 years. Lots of the senior students moved into rented appartments after a while (either alone or with one or two friends).

We can recommend websites like https://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/ or https://www.immobilienscout24.de/

HBRS and PhD office:

You will find the HBRS office in the Medical School in the building I4 (Forschungswerkstätten), level 1, on Carl-Neuberg Strasse, follow the signs of MD/PhD or HBRS seminar room.

Way to HBRS

There is an information desk at the MHH-main entrance, where you may ask for the I4 building.

If you cannot find us, here is the phone-number:

Tel.:0049-511-532-9844. (within the Medical School you only need the ‘9844‘).

International Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt)

The International Office is situated in building I1 (library building), level S, where you can ask Frau Steinhusen for information and help.

Tel.: (532)-6027 More info

Your first weeks in Hannover

Registration at the public authorities:

During the first days after arrival, you have to register at a "Bürgeramt" in Hannover. You can go e.g. to the Bürgeramt Aegi and Podbi Park without appointment.

At registration you have to present your passport and visa and fill in a registration form. You also need a form of your landlord (possibly the owner of the guesthouse or the person in charge of administration for student residences) to prove your residence.

Take care of your "Confirmation of Registration". Every time you change your place of residency, you have to inform the Office within the first week!

After that non-EU students would have to extend their visa at the "Ausländerstelle" (Aliens’ Registration Authority). This office is situated not far from the centre: Am Schützenplatz 1.

You would need an appointment to go there. The PhD coordination offices can help you with this.

Your visa (usually granted for 3 months) has the status of a temporary residence permit. Before these 3 months have elapsed, you will have to extend the visa for 12 months.

If your initial visa is valid for 12 months, you only have to report to the authority at the beginning of your stay and will be spared extension procedures.

Registration at the MHH:

You can register at the MHH’s Registrar’s Office, the "Studierendensekretariat" online (starting from middle of September).

You have to fill in a questionnaire and to pay a social contribution of roughly  € 400 (semester contribution). As yet no fees are charged by German universities. The semester contribution contains a semester ticket, which entitles you to use Hannover’s very good public transport free of charge during the whole semester.

The student registration at the MHH is only valid for one semester. For each subsequent semester you have to pay the matriculation fee!

Health insurance

There are several statutory health insurance companies. You are free to select one, which you think is most advantageous for you.

In any case, insurance is a must!! Otherwise, you cannot register at the MHH.

We can do matters of insurance together in the orientation weeks if you like!

Salary, scholarship

As a PhD-student, you usually receive a salary from the department, where you perform your PhD project. In this case you are not only a student, but also an employee. That means, you have to sign a working contract and get in contact with our "Personalabteilung". Here, your supervisor in your department will help you.

Alternatively you receive a scholarship from the respective program or the supervisor. In this case you have only the student’s status.

Difference Stipend / Salary

We estimate the living expenses (accommodation, food, study material etc) of a student living away from home in Hannover would be 900 Euro per month.

There are no study fees for our PhD programs! You only have to pay for matriculation (around 400,- Euro/semester).

Bank account:

For all financial transactions you need to open a bank account. There are several banks, all, even the private ones, are subject to state control.

You will find the "Sparkasse" at Roderbruch market.

We will do this together in the orientation weeks!!

E-mail:

In case you want an-email address at the MHH, please ask your respective department / institute secretary.