In the FAQs below, we have listed important questions and corresponding answers relating to different aspects of internationalisation during the corona crisis. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please also consult HERE for Corona-Updates and check the inbox of your university e-mail account regularly.

How can I currently contact the International Office?

Of course, we continue to be available for consultation. Please find our contact details here. In addition, we also offer on-site, telephone and video consultation.

I have received a letter of admission for the summer semester. How can I enrol?

Enrollment information can be found here. 

 I want to travel to Germany soon. What do I need to take into consideration?

More information on this issue and current regulations here:

https://www.uni-due.de/international/faqs-covid-19-info_en.php​

When will the semester start and in what form will classes be held in the summer semester 2021?

Please refer to the coronavirus information page for students:

https://www.uni-due.de/de/covid-19/studierende-eng.php

I am an international student at the University of Duisburg-Essen and need to register with the authorities or my residence permit will soon expire/needs to be extended. How can I contact the foreigners’ registration office?

The foreigners’ registration offices are currently closed to visitors. However, you can contact them by e-mail or telephone. Please follow the links below for contact details and further information from the foreigners’ registration offices.

Foreigners’ registration office in Essen:

https://www.essen.de/leben/migration_und_integration/staatsangehoerigkeits__und_auslaenderangelegenheiten/startseite_auslaenderbehoerde.en.html

Foreigners’ registration office in Duisburg:

Until further notice, registration with the foreigners’ registration office can only be carried out by mail. To do so, please send in the required documents. You will then be registered with the city and the documents you submitted will be returned to you by mail.

Only in cases of particular hardship, you may also explain your situation in an e-mail. Following an assessment, an appointment for a visit may be made in exceptional cases.

https://www.duisburg.de/vv/oe/Dezernat-VII/32/2/102010100000003288.php (German only)

Foreigners’ registration office in Mülheim an der Ruhr:

https://www.muelheim-ruhr.de/cms/allgemeine_informationen_fuer_auslaendische_mitbuerger1.html (German only)

Due to the corona crisis, I may not have sufficient means to pay for my studies.

Many students have lost their jobs as a result of the closure of all catering establishments and many other businesses. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) recommends that students who would like to engage in the fight against the crisis or who are urgently looking for part-time work consult the following services:

• https://www.daslandhilft.de (German only)
• https://helpunity.eu/en/
• https://www.zenjob.de (German only)

The website of Deutsches Studentenwerk is another helpful source of information for students in financial difficulties:
https://www.studentenwerke.de/en/content/corona-and-studying-faqs-students

Regarding financial issues, feel free to come to our consultation hours. Please schedule an appointment here.

I am a third-country national currently staying abroad, and my German residence permit will expire during this stay.

Third-country nationals can request an extension of their residence permit from the responsible foreigners’ registration office in free format if they cannot travel back to Germany in due time as a result of travel restrictions in place. In such cases, a preliminary certificate (‘Fiktionsbescheinigung’) will be issued, which must be presented upon entering the country.

Is admission to study required to obtain a residence permit?

Even with the restrictions in teaching at universities currently in place, an admission to study is still required when you apply for a residence permit.

My residence permit needs to be extended. However, I will have difficulties proving that I am able to earn a living as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At present, proof that you can earn a living is not mandatory when requesting an extension of your residence permit. Moreover, international students are allowed to find further employment (e.g. seasonal work in agriculture) in addition to the 120 full days or 240 half days usually permitted. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) recommends that students who would like to engage in the fight against the crisis or who are urgently looking for part-time work consult the following services:

• https://www.daslandhilft.de (German only)
• https://helpunity.eu/en/
• https://www.zenjob.de/ (German only)

Regarding financial issues, feel free to come to our consultation hours. Please schedule an appointment here.

I am a third-country national currently in Germany as part of a short-term mobility programme. Due to travel restrictions, my stay in Germany will exceed 90 days.

The residence permits of students and researchers from third countries who have entered Germany as part of their studies or short-term mobility programmes can be extended beyond a 90-day period.

I am currently abroad as part of a student exchange programme/for a work placement. What can I do? Whom can I contact?

Please contact us in any case if you have questions or requests regarding your stay abroad. The central e-mail address for Erasmus+ related questions is erasmus@uni-due.de. For questions relating to PROMOS and DUE-Mobil use promos-duemobil@uni-due.de. Students on an Erasmus+ funded work placement can write to erasmuspraktikum@uni-due.de.Please find contact information for International Office staff here.

We cannot give recommendations as to whether you should continue or terminate your stay abroad, but we will do our best to assist and support you. We strongly recommend you get in touch with the International Office and/or your mentors at your host institutions to get information about the local situation. 

Please also take note of the travel and safety guidelines by the Federal Foreign Office (German only) and information provided on the websites of the local German diplomatic missions and their social media channels (both search pages are only available in German).

If you leave Germany to study abroad or continue your stay abroad, we strongly recommend that you register on the ELEFAND list of the Federal Foreign Office. If you are currently in another country, wish to terminate your stay and return flight connections are no longer available, please also register for the Federal Foreign Office’s COVID-19 repatriation database: http://rueckholprogramm.de/. (Please register after requested only).

If you have any questions, please contact the local embassy or the Federal Foreign Office (crisis staff of the Federal Foreign Office, available at 030 5000 3000 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays).

Please remember to withdraw your details from the relevant lists once you have returned home.

We would also like to ask you to check your university e-mail account regulary and to consult this page as well as the UDE corona information page regularly for new information.

Are any special regulations in place regarding the funding of study abroad periods/work placements via Erasmus+ grants due to the coronavirus crisis?

In view of the the coronavirus pandemic, starting immediately, the EU also offers ‘blended mobility’ options.

Blended mobility consists of two phases: Phase 1 is a study/work-from-home period in Germany while, in Phase 2, studying/the work placement is continued in the host country.

However, Phase 1 and Phase 2 combined should amount to a total of at least 90 days (study abroad)/60 days (work placement). Phase 1 and Phase 2 may be separated by a (short) break.

Funding will be provided for Phase 2.

Are any special regulations in place regarding the funding of stays abroad via PROMOS/DUE-Mobil grants due to the coronavirus crisis?

PROMOS/DUE-Mobil grants can be used for online language or subject-related courses (e.g. summer schools) at foreign universities or established language schools. These grants take the form of one-off lump sums provided to pay for course fees in the amount of €500. The same selection regulations as for courses attended abroad apply to online language and subject-related courses.

Can online work placements be funded via PROMOS/DUE-Mobil grants?

No, only semesters abroad or on-site work placements can be funded via these grant programmes. Double funding is not possible.

Can I interrupt my stay as an Erasmus+ student temporarily?

If the situation in your host country improves, allowing you to continue your studies later, you may temporarily interrupt your stay. However, travel costs for your return and other costs incurred in this context cannot be covered by Erasmus+ funding.

Can I postpone my work placement if it is necessary due to the pandemic?

In consultation with the company you do your placement with, the start of a work placement funded by Erasmus+ can be postponed at any time. You simply need to inform us of the postponement via e-mail. Please also consult with your faculty in the case of compulsory work placements.
The start of a work placement funded via PROMOS/DUE-Mobil can currently be postponed up until the end of 2020. If there are any new developments regarding this, we will inform you accordingly as soon as possible.

Do I have to pay my grant back if I terminate my stay early?

UDE exchange students/students on a work placement abroad who receive funding from Erasmus+, PROMOS or DUE-Mobil programmes and terminate their stay abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic do not have to pay back the full amount they have been granted. The exact procedure depends on the exchange programme and the time spent abroad. The International Office will be happy to provide information about how your grant will be balanced.

Where can I find further information about my scholarship and coronavirus?

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides information regarding stays abroad during the coronavirus pandemic for individuals who have been awarded DAAD or Erasmus+ scholarships on this webpage: https://www.daad.de/en/coronavirus/. Our DUE-Mobil programme follows the regulations of the DAAD’s PROMOS programme.

Will I continue to receive my BAföG grant for a stay abroad?

For current information, please refer to the websites of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research or the Training Assistance Office responsible for your case (search page only available in German). In addition, Udo Gödersmann at AStA can give advice on BAföG for stays abroad.

Will I be able to go on my stay abroad planned for the upcoming  semester?

We recommend that students who are planning to go abroad as part of the Erasmus+ programme or bilateral cooperation schemes continue planning as usual. Hopefully, the situation will have evolved in such a way that a smooth start into a semester abroad will be possible by the start of your stay. However, if you are unable to go on a stay abroad in the next semester, we will try to arrange a postponement of your stay in consultation with the partner university. Work placements abroad can generally also be postponed. When preparing your stay abroad, please make sure that high cancellation fees, e.g. for flights, are not incurred if you have to cancel after all.

Can I currently apply for Erasmus+, PROMOS or DUE-Mobil grants to fund my stay abroad?

Yes, you can apply for funding for your stay abroad from Erasmus+, PROMOS and DUE-Mobil as usual.

I have questions regarding my stay abroad. Whom can I contact?

Of course, we continue to be available for consultation. Please find our contact details here. In addition, we also offer on-site, telephone and video consultation.

Whom should I contact for questions about my exchange at the UDE?

Unfortunately we can’t meet you in the office due to the current circumstances but we are still here for you and will provide as much support as we can. Send us your questions by email: exchange.incoming@uni-due.de

If needed, we could also organise a video call. Just ask us for further details.

Can I follow the Summer Semester of the UDE online and/or come to Germany later in the semester?

Can I postpone my Semester at the UDE?

Please keep the International Office informed of all developments: exchange.incoming@uni-due.de

Will there be accomodation for the Summer Semester?

I have completed my exchange. What do I need to do to de-register from the university and the town?

The FAQs for guest researchers can be found on the Welcome Service website.