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Foto: Damir Ahmetovic Imprint Publisher: President of TH Köln, Note: Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 54, The subsequent information has been compiled 50968 Cologne as carefully as possible. Changes may be made at Editors: Department of International short notice as a result of legislation and the corre- Affairs. Carola Janda, Martina Brü sponding regulations. That is why we ask for your derle, Lis Ohlsen, Elin Petersson understanding of the fact that no guarantee can be Print: www.wir-machen-druck.de made regarding the accuracy and completeness of Layout: Sten Rüdrich the contents. Circulation: 1,000 copies, November 2016 Welcome to TH Köln We are glad that you have decided to join our We would like to wish you the best of luck for university. At the beginning of your stay, you will your time at TH Köln, we hope that you will get certainly have a number of questions on studying in touch with a lot of other students and make a and living in Cologne. The International Office is number of memorable experiences in our city. on hand to assist and accompany you during your exciting start to a new life in a new city. Best regards We have compiled all vital information for you Your International Office over the following pages. Should any questions still remain unanswered, we will be happy to answer them in person at the International Office on your campus – we invite you to pay us a visit anytime! 3 International Office Table of contents Contact Südstadt Campus Deutz Campus 3 Welcome Visitor address Betzdorfer Straße 2 International Office Claudiusstraße 1 50679 Cologne 4 Contact 50678 Cologne ZN 2, Room 4 Room A1.56 About TH Köln Opening hours 6 Campus locations Opening hours Mon – Fri 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Mo – Fr 9:00 – 12:00 Uhr Mon, Tue, Thu 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Before your arrival Mo,Di, Do 13:00– 15:00 Uhr 9 Accommodation T: +49 (0) 221 / 8275-2149 11 Visa Postal address F: +49 (0) 221 / 8275-2836 12 Health insurance Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 54 50968 Cologne After your arrival 15 At TH Köln T: +49 (0) 221 / 8275-3772 18 In your city F: +49 (0) 221 / 8275-3369 During your studies 23 TH Köln activities & services Gummersbach Campus Visit us on the Internet 29 Living in Cologne Steinmüllerallee 1 www.th-koeln.de/internationales 51643 Gummersbach Room 1.104 [email protected] Opening hours International Office TH-Köln Mon, Tue, Thu 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. T: +49 (0) 2261 / 8196-6519 F: +49 (0) 2261 / 8275-6666 4 About TH Köln Counting 24,000 students, TH Köln is the largest Our university embraces the growing diversity university of applied sciences in Germany. On our of its student body and welcomes its enriching two campuses in Cologne, one campus in impact. Leverkusen and one in Gummersbach, TH Köln The international focus of TH Köln is not only offers diverse high-quality education with more reflected in its international range of programs than 90 Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. and its broad network of co-operations overseas TH Köln excels in its strong focus on practice- but also in its roughly 3,500 international students based research and its excellent culture of from 123 different nations. teaching and learning. 1 2 3 4 Südstadt Campus Deutz Campus Leverkusen Campus Gummersbach Campus Humanities Center (GWZ) Engineering Center (IWZ) (LEV) (GM) Tram stop on Line 15 or 16: Tram stop on Line 1or 9: Stop on S-Bahn Line S6: Stop for train RB 25: Ubierring Deutz Technische Hochschule Leverkusen Chempark Gummersbach (Hbf) · Faculty for Applied Social Sciences · Faculty of Architecture · Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences · Faculty of Computer Science · Faculty for Cultural Sciences · Faculty of Civil Engineering and Engineering Science · Faculty for Information Science and and Environmental Technology Communication Studies · Faculty of Information, Media · Faculty for Business, Economics and Law and Electrical Engineering · Faculty of Automotive Systems and Production · Faculty of Process Engineering, Energy and Mechanical Systems · Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics 6 7 Before your arrival Accommodation Dormitories Cologne’s most convenient and economical Please apply for a place in a dormitory as soon housing option is oftentimes one of the 89 as possible with Kölner Studierendenwerk. There student dormitories operated by Kölner Studie- are roughly 80,000 students in Cologne but only rendenwerk (KStW). Most of the dorms offer you about 4,800 dorm rooms, resulting in extremely a room in a shared apartment – abbreviated WG high demand for dorm rooms. After applying in German – in which you will have your own for a room online on the KStW website, please room but share the kitchen with your flatmates. make sure to confirm that you are still looking for Apart from shared apartments, you may choose a room by clicking on the email link sent to you between single apartments, family apartments for once a month. students with children as well as rooms for handi- capped students. In order to be allocated a room, please apply on the Kölner Studierendenwerk website: www.kstw.de >> Wohnen (change language to English)>> Online application Private housing market One alternative to living in a dormitory is the and has to be transferred from your bank account. private housing market. Due to high rents in Co- Many landlords also charge a deposit, which is Before your arrival logne, most students prefer sharing an apartment refunded once the contract expires after you have with others. Apartments in Germany tend to be moved out and have left the apartment undama- rented out unfurnished while shared apartments ged. This deposit can amount to as much as three often come with the most essential furniture. months’ rent. Rent is paid to the landlord on a monthly basis The International Office recommends all students to visit apartments in person, to sign a contract or sub- contact and to never transfer money from overseas before the contract has been signed. 9 Before your arrival You can find a wide range of offers for apartments and shared apartments on the following websites: · www.wg-gesucht.de · www.immobilienscout24.de Broadcasting subscription – GEZ fees · www.wohngemeinschaft.de · www.kalaydo.de/immobilien/ · www.studenten-wg.de Mietwohnungen Please take into account that in addition to regular services. Generally speaking, every household in costs of living, students are required to pay a pub- Germany is required to pay the fee of currently You can find more information such as profiles of different city districts, a list of private student lic broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) for the use €17.50 per month, international students included. accommodation or details about the ‚Wohnen für Hilfe‘ project on the International Office website: of the German public television, radio and online www.th-koeln.de >> International Office >> Living in Cologne >> Accommodation Living in shared apartments – WG Kölner Studierendenwerk also maintains a database with private offers for rooms: www.kstw.de >> Habitation >> Private rooms In Germany, students often prefer to live together Many students in Cologne prefer to live in a WG in shared apartments or ‚WGs‘. Several students based on the relatively high rent and strong com- live together in one flat and thus split the ren- petition for housing in the city. A room in a WG tal costs. Each flatmate has his/her own room. also provides the added advantage of giving you You can turn to the following services if you have already arrived in Cologne: Shared rooms such as the bathroom, kitchen, or a fully furnished apartment as well as the oppor- Offers in local newspapers: ‚Kölner Stadtanzeiger‘, ‚Kölnische Rundschau‘, Kölner Wochenspiegel‘ even a living room are used on a communal basis. tunity to make your first contacts in Cologne. (Wednesdays and Saturdays), notice boards in the student cafeteria or at the general students‘ commit- tee (AStA) of TH Köln or of other universities around Cologne. Visa Whether or not you require a visa for your arrival You can apply for your study visa as soon as you in Germany as a prospective international student have received a letter of admission for TH Köln. and which version you need to apply for depends You can apply for a visa through the German on your citizenship, the length of your stay and Embassy or the German Consulate in your home the reason you are coming to Germany. country. You can find the contact details of the relevant embassies and consulates on the website of the German Foreign Office. This website also provides all information regarding visa application and required documents: www.auswaertiges-amt.de >> Entry & Residence Important - Look for accommodation early! Important - Apply for your visa early! Please start looking for accommodation as early as possible. Reasonably priced housing in Cologne The process of applying for a visa can take weeks or even months. That is why we advise you to begin as soon is at a premium. TH Köln does not offer an accommodation service. as possible. Unfortunately, TH Köln does not have the authority to influence or speed up the visa preparation process at the embassy, consulate or relevant immigration office. 10 11 Before your arrival Health insurance Every student at TH Köln is required to provide If you have arranged a private health insurance Statutory health insurance companies that will provide you with confirmation of exemption from proof of health insurance cover that is valid for policy, you must apply to be exempt from statu- a German statutory health insurance or offer you a student health insurance policy include: Germany when they register at the university.