COVID-19 and German Universities: Webinar for International Students

To understand how the German Higher Education System reacted to the spread of the coronavirus, there are some organizational things you should know about. Germany has got a federalist political system: There are 16 states, or Bundesland, that are in charge of passing regulations regarding the universities in each state. Therefore, regulations may differ slightly from place to place. On top of that, each university has the freedom to individually define policies that allow them to react appropriately to the current circumstances. Therefore it is absolutely essential that you check directly on the university’s website which rules and regulations are in place and how they affect you.

Even though universities and federal states have some freedom to decide on which regulations they decide to pass, there are some nation-wide rules in place that each university has to adhere by, as well. The mandatory social-distancing regulations that were put in place Germany-wide have heavily affected university life this year.

Studies in the last years have been a mix of virtual/remote and in-person studies, depending on the respective Covid-19 case numbers and state social distancing policies. The policies have varied across German universities. Our best advice: Confirm directly on the university website how your university will organize upcoming semesters.

Students can travel to Germany, but only when certain conditions are met. Only students who are from non-variant countries (which are defined here) can currently enter. Additionally, the following conditions must be met:

• In possession of a student visa or permission to enter Germany
• Entering from an area not considered varian-country by the Robert Koch Institute (current list here)
• Must have Covid-19 test result not later than 48/72 hours after entry and present this to authorities upon request if not already vaccinated or with a proof of recovery 
• Not have any Covid-19 sytmpoms upon entering
• Fill in the electronic form upon entry

For the lastest details, visit the German Federal Ministry of the Interior's Covid-19 Information Page.

*Students who are from countries with coronavirus variants as defined by the RKI are unable to enter Germany at this time.

First and foremost, if you will have to go in quarantine after arriving in Germany or not depends on whether you entered Germany from a so-called risk area, variant area or not. Risk areas are defined by the RKI and depend on the proliferation of covid-19 cases in an area. Therefore, EU countries may be considered risk areas, as well. To find an up-to-date overview of the risk areas, check out this link.

Anyone entering the country from a high risk area must be tested 48 hours prior to entry. All incoming travelers must undergo a ten-day quarantine, which can be terminated from the fifth day onwards by a negative test. Specific quarantine restrictions may vary among German states.

There are two ways to come by this test result:

Another thing that you have to do after arriving in Germany, even if you got a covid-19 test, is to contact the Gesundheitsamt of your city to inform them that you started your quarantine. They are also a good point of contact to ask for further instructions, for example in case you arrive in Germany and do not have the opportunity to take a covid-19 test at the airport or train station, or on whether you will be able to leave quarantine early if you obtain a negative test result.

One more thing that you have to check before traveling to Germany is what exactly the quarantine rules look like in the federal state of Germany that you are going to move to. That is because each state can have its own quarantine rules or slightly different versions of the rules we described above. Most significantly, not all states of Germany allow you to leave the two-week quarantine if you have a negative test result. Some states require you to take a second test after a while in order to be sure that you actually did not contract the virus. This website is helpful in finding out different quarantine regulations.

Unlike the hybrid summer semester, the winter semester 2021/22 is more like university education as we know it, as majority of classes were held in person with 3G regulations. 

International students living and studying in Germany have to get insurance with a German insurance provider and are thus covered in the German system. You have the same entitlements that everybody else does. If you get the virus, your treatment will be covered. The rules pretty much remain the same as in any other situation: If you have a health issue, contact your doctor. If you have questions about your insurance, contact your insurance provider.

This is the best advice we can leave you with. Stay informed, check for updates, and stay in touch with the German universities you are interested in. The web-links we have compiled for you above are a great place to start.