COVID-19 and German Universities: Webinar for International Students

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.

• As of December 2020, travel restrictions as as follows: Non-EU and non-Schengen area nationals are permitted to enter Germany to begin quality vocational training only if they meet the following criteria:
  • The person has a visa for purposes of training or education (after completing a language course, if applicable).
  • The person presents documentation from the training institution confirming that the person’s presence is necessary (in person and not only online) despite the current coronavirus situation.
  • Entry for the purpose of attending a language course to prepare for subsequent training is permitted if the person demonstrates upon entry that the training will begin directly after the completion of the language course (without any intervening travel home, which would require re-entry to start the actual training)

• Again: Such a confirmation of mandatory presence issued by the German university also needs to be shown to the border control personnel upon entering Germany. What remains unclear is which portion of your course would have to be taught offline for your university to be able to issue you such a confirmation. Please contact your university directly

The main take-away from this is that the visa process is more difficult right now, but that we see a light at the end of the tunnel and expect the embassy’s services to be available soon again. Most importantly, we want to encourage you to confirm with the embassy or consulate general responsible for your visa application to find out what applies to your situation. Even if they do not offer visa appointments yet, you will be able to reach the embassy employees via phone or e-mail and it is essential that you contact them, inform them about your situation, your plan, and potential difficulties. This is the best way for you to get the most up-to-date and the most official information on whether you can obtain a student visa and travel to Germany.

Starting December 16th, a new lockdown was put into place by the German government in order to curb the increase of cases. On January 5th, the German parliament tightened restrictions further due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases. Restrictions now include the following:

• Private meetings beyond one's household are only allowed with one person from another household.
• Cafes, restaurants, and bars remain closed but can offer delivery or takeaway (to-go) services.
• Schools and dayscares remain closed
• Only supermarkets and stores for basic needs remain open
• In states with more than 200 infections per 100,000 inhabitants reported within seven days, people should not be allowed to travel more than 15 kilometers from their place of residence without valid reason i.e. recreational travel is forbidden in those states.

*Additional regulations can vary among states and cities (German Federal foreign Office)

Some programs ask international students to apply via uni-assist e.V. which is a platform that handles and checks international students’ applications to German universities. Uni-assist continues to process applications as usual. This is good news and means that the application processes seem to remain in place. Under the current circumstances, uni-assist may take a bit longer to process your application, which is why it is recommendable to apply a bit on the early side. You can see updates and their current processing times here.

However, application processes will be more stressful, especially for international students. You may experience difficulties in compiling all the required documents. It is for example harder to obtain notarized translations or certified copies at the moment. Another problem is that depending on where you are, international postal services may be restricted or delayed. If the program you would like to apply to requires paper-based applications or certifications you cannot provide at the moment, contact the program coordinators or the International Office of the university. If you have to apply via uni-assist (which does require online and paper-based applications) ask them for possibilities to deal with the situation. We expect that rules will differ from university to university, and you should absolutely confirm what applies to your case. The good news is that we have heard of individuals who were allowed to send in their applications online only.

The start of the winter semester was postponed to November 1st. On November 2nd, the Corona-related regulations will be made stricter again, which is currently said to last throughout the whole months. Authorities refer to this as “lockdown-light” and the regulations will include closure of restaurants and gastronomies, limiting all private gatherings to a minimum and never meeting with people from more than two households. Supermarkets and elementary or high schools, however, do remain opened. This new “lockdown-light” likely has implications for university life, too. It is, as of now, unclear whether the restrictions of the summer semester listed above will all be put back into place or not.

Before the announcement of the new restriction, the general trend was that people are advocating to move university education back to classrooms wherever possible. This opinion was for example voiced in an open letter by German academics that was backed by the German student union.

Factors that will influence the execution of courses are whether a university has the infrastructure to teach on campus while still maintaining necessary hygienic restrictions. Overall, it is important to note that this will differ from university to university and even from course to course. Therefore, you should consult directly with the program coordinator of the courses that interest you.

In terms of quality, you will likely still be taught by the same professors on the same topics, even if it is in online-learning formats. The online formats might even improve, given that they were in place for a semester already. Remember, everyone is in the same boat and trying to find the best solution in face of a challenging situation.

The German federal government offers loans and aid schemes for national and international students:

• An interest free-loan that international students can apply for to cover their expenses is avilable for students financially affected.
• For the months of June, July, August, and September enrolled students who are affected financially by the pandemic can apply for the so-called interim financial aid, which grants eligible students up to 500 € per month and does not have to be paid back. This has been re-introduce for the month of November due to the "lockdown-light" restrictions implemented (see above). We recommend you file for this aid since it is pretty much gifted to eligible applicants. An important commentary on the implications of these programs for international students in Germany is provided by the association of international students ‘bas’. Also, contact your university if you are in dire straits due to the crisis and stuck in Germany - some institutions managed to pull together emergency funds and the DAAD also announced that they are working on supportive solutions.

If you are in Germany on a scholarship, we advise you to contact your scholarship provider on how you will be affected. You can expect to receive funding for the agreed-upon period of time. International students on DAAD scholarships who just finished their studies and were scheduled to leave Germany already but couldn’t because of travel restrictions have their funding extended.

If you are looking to apply for a scholarship, we recommend you closely follow the websites of the scholarship providers for important updates, possible changes in application procedures, and latest developments concerning scholarships for the following semesters. According to our research, it seems likely that international students can apply for scholarships. Read our scholarship article for a list of different funding institutions.

We understand that this is a stressful situation and it is important that you get clear information on what applies to your situation. Good news is that, should you stay in Germany past the validity of your residence permit due to the crisis, you will not be considered illegal. You should contact these information services for help:

• your countries’ embassy or diplomatic representation to Germany

• your universities’ Studierendenwerk for information on emergency help

• your cities Immigration Office

The honest answer to this question is: We don’t know. We do not know how long the pandemic will continue to have strong effects on our daily life, how it will develop in Germany, or in your home country and what the long-term consequences will be. To stay up-to date and read expert opinions the websites of the RKI, a website published by the German Federal Ministry for Health, the World Health Organization, or the John Hopkins University are some good sources.