After Arrival
Once you arrive in Dortmund, there is much to discover. We hope you enjoy it! Here you will find information about the first steps after the arrival, life and studying in Dortmund. Of course, incidents can also occur during your stay, so you should definitely know the emergency numbers in Germany. We hope you won't need them.
Welcome | German Intensive Course
If you take part in the German Intensive Course in March or September before the beginning of the lecture period, we are pleased to officially welcome you on the first day of the Intensive Language Course at 9:00 a.m. in the International Meeting Centre (IBZ) of TU Dortmund University (Campus North | Emil-Figge-Straße 59 | see campus map). Afterwards you will have the opportunity to get to know the North Campus during a guided tour.
Course Selection
Erasmus students are assigned a Departmental Coordinator who assists with all academic questions. After your arrival in Dortmund, please also contact your Departmental Coordinator and arrange a personal meeting to discuss your final course choice and enrollment in the courses.
You will find the contact details of your Departmental Coordinator in the general information e-mail as well as in your welcome e-mail, which you received from the International Office of TU Dortmund University.
Administrative Formalities
At the official welcome at the latest, you will receive a TU Dortmund University welcome bag, in which you will find important information for all the necessary administrative procedures. The team of the International Office will support you during your first weeks in Dortmund in taking the following necessary steps:
- Enrollment at TU Dortmund University
- Registration with the city of Dortmund (registration form)
- Non-EU citizens: Applying for a residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde Dortmund (registration form)
- Opening a bank account (optional for EU citizens; recommended for non-EU citizens)
Public Broadcasting Service Fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)
In Germany, all households are charged a broadcasting fee of currently 18,36 EUR to finance public broadcasting service. Students are generally also obligated to pay this fee. By the obligatory registration with the city of Dortmund you will be registered for this fee and requested for payment by the “Beitragsservice”. You can find further information on the fee also for tenants in student dormitories on the websites of the Beitragsservice and the Studierendenwerk Dortmund.
Social Contribution
All students must pay the social contribution fee for each semester in order to get fully enrolled. This social contribution is not a tuition fee and generally payable by all students, regardless of when they enroll.
Upon receipt of your provisional certificate of enrollment, you will receive a request for payment of the social contribution. Please do not transfer the social contribution until you have received your preliminary certificate of enrollment.
Activation of Your UniAccount
Erasmus+ students are provided with a UniAccount upon enrollment. With this account you will not only receive your personal UniMail e-mail address, but also have access to important online functions that TU Dortmund University provides to its students. You will receive your personal access data with your preliminary certificate of enrollment. You can activate your UniAccount here.
Germany student semester ticket
Erasmus+ students receive the Germany student semester ticket for public transport from the university, arranged in cooperation with the AStA and the respective transport associations. After successful enrollment you have access to the semester ticket in the TU App.
UniCard & Student ID Card
Erasmus+ students can access their student ID in the TU App.
WLAN on the Campus
Erasmus+ students have the possibility to use the WLAN network of the university with their UniAccount.
TU Dortmund App
The TU Dortmund App can be a very practical companion for your studies. The app provides information such as menu plans, semester ticket, student ID Card, LSF, university sports program, person search, campus navigation, departure monitor, AStA service, current news, events and much more.
Campus Life
On the websites of TU Dortmund University you will find a lot of interesting information about the numerous offers of entertainment, culture, sports and catering TU Dortmund University has to offer.
Orientation on Campus
Where is the SRG I building, how do I get from the north campus to the south campus and where is the nearest cafeteria? The interactive map and a site plan of TU Dortmund University help with these questions.
Places to Study
TU Dortmund University offers various rooms with workstations and Internet access, which can be used optimally for studying. Further information can be found here.
Library
The University Library offers a variety of rooms for studying as well as a large selection of literature.
Moodle | e-Learning
In the learning platform Moodle, course materials are made available online in almost all courses at TU Dortmund University. The registration is done with the UniAccount.
Dortmund - A Versatile Metropolis in the Ruhr Region
The city of Dortmund offers a variety of attractions and a distinct cultural scene.
Free Concerts and Theatre Performances for TU students
Erasmus students have access to a very special offer: upon presentation of their student ID, they can obtain free tickets to almost the entire range of performances at the Theater Dortmund.
As an EU citizen you may work as many hours as you want during your studies without needing a special permit (but you should avoid working more than 20 hours per week since you will then have to pay national insurance contributions). As a non-EU citizen you are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per calendar year during your studies.
Although it is quite difficult to get a job as a student assistant or working student for only one or two semesters, it is not impossible. You can obtain information about student jobs from the following offices:
- Career pages of the International Office
- Blackboards distributed around campus
- Job Portal of TU Dortmund University
- AStA
We are very pleased that you like it at TU Dortmund University and that you would like to study with us for another semester!
To extend your Erasmus exchange by one semester, both your home university and your Departmental Coordinator at TU Dortmund University have to agree to the extension. Therefore you first have to ask both parties to confirm the extension in an e-mail to erasmustu-dortmundde. Please also contact your contact person in the International Office at TU Dortmund University as early as possible and let him/her know your wish for an extension, so that they can prepare all necessary administrative steps in time.
For logistical reasons, an extension within an academic year is advisable, i.e. from the winter semester to the summer semester. An extension by one semester after the summer semester is not recommended.
Please also remember to clarify the possibility of extending your rental contract. If you have rented a room in the Studierendenwerk Dortmund student dormitory, please send us an updated accommodation request so that we can ask the Studierendenwerk Dortmund to extend your rental contract. However, depending on the capacity of the student dormitories, it is also possible that you will have to look for accommodation outside the student dormitories of the Studierendenwerk Dortmund on your own for the second semester.
If you have to stop your stay prematurely for health, personal or any other reasons, please contact the International Office (erasmustu-dortmundde) as soon as possible! You will then receive all important information about necessary steps by e-mail. If possible, please also contact your Departmental Coordinator.