Covid-19 and German Universities: Weekly 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. On March 23rd a mandatory social-distancing regulation was put in place for everyone in Germany. The goal is to slow-down the spread of the virus. Under these regulations people can only meet in groups of two, unless they live in the same household. Everyone has to keep at least 1.5m of distance to each other, and public places as well as non-essential private establishments are largely closed to the public. If you are in Germany right now, you should also stick to these rules and you may be sanctioned if you don’t. In a government announcement on April 15th, these rules were extended, however some businesses are allowed to re-open to the public if they meet hygienic standards. The rules are in place until May 3rd for now, but might be extended. The silver lining: You can still go for a jog outside or enjoy a walk and find all the products you need in the supermarkets!

Of course, this also affects university life. All federal states have postponed the start of the summer semester 2020, depending on the state until April 20th or early May and are then said to be conducted with online and distance-learning format. Cafeterias are closed. On April 15th it was announced that libraries may be opened if necessary hygienic standards can be met, traffic of people is controlled and queues can be avoided. The same applies for seminars that require physical presence, such as lab rotations. Confirm directly on the university website how your university handles these things and for updates.

The best answer we can give to this question is: It depends. The biggest decisive factor is whether you already live in Germany or not, meaning that things are tough for people looking to enter Germany as students for the first time.

As a measure to stop the spread of the virus, Germany has put entry restrictions into place starting on March 17th.  These ‘temporary travel restrictions’ were said to be in place for 30 days but extended until May 15th for now. You can find the most up-to-date information on the webpages of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior as well as on the website of the federal police, who executes the border controls.

Now the question is what travel is deemed unnecessary? We have listed four scenarios you might be in as an international student looking to study or already studying in Germany to help you gain the best overview. Note that we repeatedly came across the information that, ultimately, assessment whether your reason to enter Germany is valid or not is in the eye of the border patrol officer. Note that, for example, if you show symptoms of the virus, you may not be allowed to enter.

If you are a student in Germany already and have your permanent home there as well as a valid residence permit you are likely to be allowed to re-enter Germany. The regulations state that everyone who is on a long-term visa, such as students, and needs to get back to their permanent place of residence, i.e. your apartment in Germany, should be allowed to enter.

This is good news for international students who traveled outside Germany for the semester break and now want to return to Germany for the summer semester. We advise you to make sure that your residence permit is not expired. If it is, you might experience difficulties re-entering the country. If you have questions, you can contact the Ausländerbehörde who issued your residence permit, the German mission abroad nearest to you or your university.

After inquiring with the German Federal Ministry of the Interior we learned that you will most likely not  be able to enter Germany to start your studies, even if you have your visa already or are an EU citizen. Given that your purpose of entry, i.e. studying, may not be fulfilled with the recent changes or may as well be fulfilled abroad with distance learning concepts, it is not deemed relevant enough to waive the entry restrictions. We know that this is a bummer. The best thing for you to do now is to wait it out, contact your university and explain your situation to them and stay in touch with the German mission abroad near you for further information.

For international students who require a student-visa to enter Germany and already have finished the visa application process, including the interview, and are waiting to hear back from the German embassy also experience difficulties.

Through the grapevine we heard that pending processes were put on hold for now, meaning that the giving out of the visa was postponed to a later point in time, but we cannot find official confirmation on that. In all likelihood, the German embassy handling your application will inform you on your visa status as soon as they can. You should contact them with further question, as well as if you receive information from them that is not all clear to you.

It is pretty clear at this point that the summer semester, which usually lasts from early April to end of July and then has a lecture-free period until September, is going to be affected by the pandemic.

This means that in terms of the quality of your education and student experience, many restrictions will be a bummer: No classroom interactions, less convenient access library resources, no personal interaction with your professor, no lunch breaks at the cafeteria and so on.

However, universities are working hard to make it possible to allow their students to proceed with their studies at a normal pace and to cut them some slack where this might not be possible. In terms of quality, you will likely still be taught by the same professors on the same topics, just with online-learning formats. Remember, everyone is in the same boat and trying to find the best solution in face of a challenging situation. We do not know yet how well the transition to online-courses will go, or when things will change back to normal.

For international students looking to start their degree program in Germany in the summer semester 2020, that means this April, another important question is whether they will be able to enroll themselves as students. Enrollment is the last step all students have to go through after being admitted to a program: It signals to the university which admitted you that you accept their offer and wish to pursue your education with them. You will only get your student card and your online ID’s after enrollment.

• How you will have to enroll exactly depends on the university and it is usually indicated to you in the letter of admission. Most universities will ask you to enroll in person, or to pick up the student ID in person. Right now, this is not possible, which is why universities have switched to remote enrollment systems. We also see that enrollment deadlines were extended at some universities. Therefore, from what we can see, new students who already have arrived in Germany will likely be able to enroll and fully take part in the online courses.
   
• Some difficulties may arise for international students, who have had difficulties traveling to Germany right now and are therefore not here yet but still would like to start their semester. On one hand, you may think that it should be especially easy right now: If enrollment systems are switched online and courses are offered in distance-learning formats, it seems as though you should be able to fully partake in the semester - no matter where you are on the globe.

The problem is that certain documents, which are usually required for enrollment, are hard to come by if you are not in Germany, for example a proof of health insurance from one of the German providers. It is important that you stay in contact with the university you would like to enroll at if you are in this situation. In your letter of admission, you should have received some contact details. Alternatively, your program coordinator or your university’s Studierendensekretariat and International Office will be good places to ask what to do in your situation.

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.

Secondly, with our weekly webinars we want to provide for you an additional platform to ask your questions and get answers live. Follow us on social media to get updates on when the webinars are held and how you can sign up for it.