You can find all of our information on applying for an exchange program at JGU, language requirements, admission, enrollment, health insurance, and the semester fee on the webpage below.

While at JGU, you will need somewhere to stay – ideally in Mainz. You do not automatically receive accommodation along with your admission.

The student residences are managed by the Studierendenwerk Mainz and are fully furnished. You can buy basic room equipment with the basic pack on offer in the student residences.

You do not yet have to be admitted to JGU to apply for a room in a student residence. Proof that you have submitted an application for admission is sufficient (confirmation email from the JGU application portal JOGU-StINe).

The rental price of the room varies slightly depending on the size of the shared or individual apartment and the student residence in question. You will need to pay a deposit of two months’ rent when you move in; it will be reimbursed in full if the room is in good condition when you move out.

You can find all the information you need about health insurance on the application page.

EU and EEA citizens do not need a visa, even if they wish to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days or would like to take up gainful employment.

Citizens of a number of other states also do not need a visa. However, very specific rules apply (overview of visa requirements/exemptions). Make sure you check carefully whether you are required to apply for a student visa (not a tourist visa) before you depart for Germany. The procedure and required documents may vary from embassy to embassy! Citizens of all other countries are required to obtain a visa.

If you need a visa, submit your application as soon as possible – at least three months before your intended arrival in Mainz.

Therefore, it’s best to apply for a visa in your home country – if possible for the entire time you will be spending in Germany. Find information about wait times and required documents via your German embassy. You can only receive a Fiktionsbescheinigung if you enter Germany on a valid D-Visa, meaning you must have applied for and received it through your German embassy. This certificate allows you to travel within Germany and Europe and to your home country without problems up until your appointment with the foreigners’ registration office.

You can find more information on our webpage dedicated to this topic.

You can find all the information you need about enrollment on the application page.

The Learning Agreement (LA) is a list of courses you want to take in Mainz.

You can find the course catalog online in JOGU-StINe. Your binding registration for courses will take place after you arrive in Mainz.

As a general rule, 50% of the courses you as an exchange student take should be from your own subject.

You can also take courses in other subjects as long as the relevant department or members of the teaching staff give their approval. Exceptions are courses in the Art, Music, and Medicine programs (unless they are taught in a language other than German).

The LA must be filled out by all exchange students studying in Mainz via the Erasmus+ program. It lists the courses you intend to take (changes can be made later). It is the basis for recognition by the home institution after the stay.

If you have questions about the LA and which courses to choose, reach out to the departmental coordinator for your subject at JGU. They will help you to select the right courses and will ultimately confirm your selection. This consultation can also take place before final submission of the Learning Agreement.

Even if your university does not mandate an LA, we still recommend making arrangements regarding your course selection with your home institution and your departmental coordinator at JGU.

Submit the Erasmus+ LA online, if possible (Online Learning Agreement (OLA) – Erasmus without Paper (EWP)). Please send Learning Agreements not related to Erasmus+ to your departmental coordinator.

Your arrival date should be the first business day in October (winter semester) or April (summer semester), as this is the official move-in day for the Studierendenwerk’s student residences. If you arrive then, you can participate in the Welcome Week and get acclimatized until the start of the lecture period.

You should have sufficient financial resources to live in the Rhine-Main region.
The monthly rent for a room near the university in Mainz is about €320 to €480. Since the rent for rooms and apartments in the student residences is subsidized by the German state, they are often more affordable than the rent for a privately owned room.

If you have to take out health insurance in Germany, you may be facing further costs.

There are no tuition fees for first-time students at JGU, but there is an obligatory fee all students have to pay.

In total, you should be prepared for expenses of €1000 to €1200 per month.

You can find more information on our webpage dedicated to financial matters.

You will get the key to your room directly at your student residence from the caretaker responsible for your building on the day you arrive.

Therefore, you can only move in during the caretaker’s office hours. Please inform the caretaker service of the exact date and time of your arrival as soon as you can. You can find their office hours and contact information listed on the Studierendenwerk’s website. The Studierendenwerk also offers arrival assistance.

Shortly before you arrive at JGU, you will receive an email with all further details related to your move-in day from the Studierendenwerk.

You are required to register with the residents’ registration office in Mainz within 14 days of your arrival in Mainz.

Required documents:

ID/ passport

“Wohnungsgeberbestätigung”
(You receive this document from the Studierendenwerk (if you sign the rental contract there) or from your private landlord)

If you will be living in a different city, you must register there. If no appointment is available in the near future, choose the next free appointment. The residents’ registration office for Mainz has a website you can use to make an appointment online.

Students who require a visa must first register their arrival with the city and then make a second appointment with the Abteilung Ausländerangelegenheiten (foreigners’ registration office) of the city of Mainz to obtain a residence permit

Appointments are made online.

In most cases, you will not be required to open a bank account in Germany. However, it may be advantageous for you if your home country uses a currency other than the euro (EUR).

To open a bank account, you need a tax identification number (Steuer-ID). This is automatically sent to you once you have registered with the residents’ registration office. If you do not receive one, you can ask the responsible tax office for your number.

Everyone who lives in Germany is required to pay the license fee for public broadcasting.

When you register with the residents’ registration office, the public broadcasting license fee service (Rundfunkbeitragsservice) will be informed and you will be obliged to pay the license fee. Register to do so using the Rundfunkbeitragsservice website.

You will receive a confirmation once you successfully register online. When the payment is due, you will be sent a letter from the Rundfunksbeitragsservice in the mail. It will contain information on how to pay the fee.

Want to get to know the campus, the city, and other (international) students and get the most important information about studying at JGU as an exchange student? Come to our welcome events during the Welcome Week for international students!

Can’t take part in the Welcome Week? No problem! You can still study at JGU. You can find all the important information right here on the website.

The confirmation of arrival form for Erasmus+ students will be signed by the International Student Support team during the Welcome Week. Please print out your home institution’s form ahead of time and take it with you. If you arrive after the Welcome Week is over, please bring the form to our consultation hours.

In addition to the courses offered by the subjects and faculties, you can also take advantage of the courses offered by the Gutenberg International School (GIS). These courses are specially designed for exchange students. They are offered either in English or intermediate-level German. The course catalog includes courses for learning German as well as courses in the areas of social sciences, history, and society. The GIS webpage comprises a list of all the non-German courses available to exchange students.

At JGU, exchange students can take language courses in addition to their regular courses.

The ISSK (International Preparatory and Language Center) offers German language courses at the A1 to C1 levels which take up 2 to 4 semester hours per week and take place on one or two days a week. You will receive ECTS credits for every completed German language course (after passing the final examination). You can find the overview of courses in JOGU-StINe.

Registration takes place in early October/April. You will need to upload proof of language proficiency after registration.

There is no general rule for registering for exams as an exchange student. You will need to ask the lecturer of every course you are taking to find out which rules apply for your registration.

There are generally four types of examinations:

• Written classroom examinations, which usually take place at the end of the semester in one of the last class periods or after the end of the lecture period.
• Oral examinations, which take the form of a conversation between you and your examiner on a certain topic.
• Term papers, which focus on a topic of your choice after consulting with your lecturer.
• Presentations, which are generally given during the semester in one of the class periods. Your lecturer will assign a topic related to the course which you will present on either individually or as part of a group.

You will receive grades on a scale of 1.0 to 5.0. A 4.0 or better (the best possible grade is 1.0) is a passing grade. The Law program is an exception. Grades are awarded on a scale of 1 to 18 points; 4 points and up is a passing grade.

The libraries for nearly all faculties are located on campus. Use the online library catalogue to find out where the book you need is located.

Most locations have computer workstations where you can scan and print passages of books. Some books can only be used on-site (workplaces are available) or need to be ordered from the closed stacks first.

You need a library card to check out books. You can apply for a library card online and then use it via the JGU app.

Use the scanning station at the library entrance to check out books. Scan your library card first, then scan the book you want to borrow. Then enter the PIN for your library card (the Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung (ZDV) sent it to you). Please note: Most libraries only allow short borrowing periods. The Central Library is an exception; it allows you to check out books for several weeks.

An email will be sent to your student email address before the end of the borrowing period to remind you to return the books on time. Late returns are subject to a fee. You can extend your borrowing period a maximum of three times if you are not ready to return your books.

The university library offers a changing selection of courses and guided tours on different (academic) topics which can help you get to know the library and figure out how to use it effectively.

Your transcript of records gives an overview of the coursework you completed and the credits you earned at JGU. You will need to submit an application for the transcript of records to your departmental coordinator.

There is no specific deadline for submitting your application at JGU, but you should keep deadlines your home institution may have for submitting the transcript of records in mind.

All Erasmus+ students require a confirmation of departure.
Most higher education institutions and universities have their own forms, which we fill out for you. Your departmental coordinator can also sign this document for you. Visit the International Student Support consultation hour so we can fill out your confirmation of departure.

You will be exmatriculated automatically by not paying the semester fee. You can find your confirmation of exmatriculation on JOGU-StINe under “Documents.”

Your JOGU-StINe account will be deleted at the end of the following semester, whereupon you will no longer be able to access your account and documents. Make sure you download the confirmation of exmatriculation in time. You will need it if you want to study at a different higher education institution in Germany in the future.

You must de-register your residence in Mainz at the residents’ registration office. To do so, send an email to buergerservice@stadt.mainz.de about one week before your departure.

Include the following information and documents:

• Scan of your identity card/passport
• Move-out date
• Your address abroad (only city/state and country)

Check if you still have any borrowed books or other media and return them if you do.

If you’re not sure if you have borrowed items, you can check your library account on the university library webpage.

Go through the contracts you may have signed upon arrival and terminate any which are still active.

You will receive an email from the Studierendenwerk in due time with all the important information to help you organize your move-out and departure smoothly.

The security deposit is usually refunded approximately 6–8 weeks after the end of your rental contract to the bank account you provided. If any issues are identified during the move-out inspection, the processing will be delayed.