Notification of residence

All persons residing in Germany are obliged to register their place of residence with the Foreigners' Registration Office as soon as possible after their arrival (but within two weeks at the latest) in Germany. This means that you must inform the authority where exactly you live.

To facilitate the registration process, i.e. the registration of your place of residence, you can book an appointment online. This allows you to avoid long waiting times. The documents required for registration after your arrival can be found on the website of the Public Order Office of the City of Dortmund.

After your arrival in Germany, you must register with the residents' registration office in your new place of residence within 14 days. EU citizens and EEA citizens do not need to complete any special formalities when moving to Germany. Like all Germans, they register with the registration office at their new place of residence when they move into a new home. They do not receive a residence permit or special ID cards. Employers are not required to obtain a work permit. An identity card or passport is sufficient to prove that you are allowed to work in Germany.

At some point of time during your studies, the Foreigner’s Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) is going to contact you and inquire about your current study progress for the extension of your student residence permit.

What do you need to do?

Please contact the Examinations Office of your department so that they can prepare a statement with an overview of your study progress.

What is going to be listed in the statement?

• Your current number of subject semesters,

• the standard program duration,

• the average duration of studies in your subject,

• an estimated indication of whether your studies are progressing properly or not and,

• if applicable, details on already earned credit points (CP).

The statement shows in detail whether your studies are progressing successfully or not. A successful study progress means that you have completed your expected academic achievements and achieved the desired credit points.

In case your studies are not properly progressing, it is highly recommend that you get in touch with your international student advisor in your department to draft a study plan that you can also present to the Foreigner’s Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde). Your individual situation will be taken into account. This statement from your student advisor is very important for the extension of your residence permit, so please do take advantage of this opportunity.

We would also recommend getting in touch with our social counseling team. During our office hours, you have the opportunity to explain the reasons for any delays in your studies. These reasons may include physical or mental health issues. For this, we require all relevant medical certificates and treatment documents. Additionally, as far as our resources allow, we are happy to offer you the support you need to improve your currently challenging situation through our counseling expertise.

• Information for international students on studying in Germany
• Information on working alongside your studies
• Information on changing subjects