Visa and Status
Generally anyone who wants to gain practical experience in a country outside of the EU - and for foreign students in some cases even in the Schengen area - must apply for a visa.
Visas can only be issued by the consular office of the country in which you plan to carry out your internship. Since the conditions and formalities for these applications can change at any time, please treat only the information that comes from the representative body for your host country as valid. An overview with links to each website is available on the Federal Foreign Office's website.
Tip:
Placement agencies like College Council (see below) can usually help you apply for the visa for particular countries (for a fee). This is especially helpful if there is not much time until the planned start date (from four to eight weeks).
Select Countries
Please note: The International Office cannot offer visa advising. The office is only responsible for sending the CoS application for Erasmus+ internships in the UK to the British Council (through spring 2023). Please refer to the respective consular offices for information about the visa application process.
It is only possible to apply for a visa for an internship in the framework of an exchange program (full list, e.g. Erasmus+). Interns will need to apply for the Temporary Worker-Government Authorised Exchange visa (T5). We suggest that you start the process very early.
There is no minimum required salary in the visa category T5 (GAE). However, students should be able to prove that they can afford the cost of living through scholarships and/or their salary and savings and will not apply for any public funds in the UK.
Possible Internships
Internships in healthcare, tourism or hospitality are not allowed. School teaching internships are only allowed if the intern is being overseen 100% of the time (no independent teaching).
Research internships under six months at a university in the UK may be considered studies, so that EU citizens may not need a visa. The host university can give more information about this possibility.
Step 1: Certificate of Sponsorship
In order to apply for the T5 visa you will need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The Certificate of Sponsorship includes a reference number, which coincides with information about the internship and the participant's personal information, and is valid for three months from issuance.
- Erasmus+ Internships through May 2023
If your host company cannot issue a CoS, the International Office applies for the reference number through the British Council on behalf of Erasmus+ participants. The coordinator for Erasmus+ internships will send you further information after you turn in your Erasmus+ application. This process can take four to eight weeks. - Self-organized Internships
(not supported through Erasmus+ or other exchange programs or starting ca. April 2023)
The CoS application may be possible through BUNAC or another organization (full list). If you cannot find an organization to issue your CoS, you will not be able to apply for a visa. Please note the program fees. This process for the CoS can take three to four weeks. The internship may be eligible for a PROMOS scholarship.
Step 2: Visa Application
The visa application can be filled out online after you receive the reference number from the Certificate of Sponsorship and currently costs 244 British Pounds (citizens of some countries will receive a discount of 55 Pounds). The application process can take a further five weeks.
Health Insurance
Anyone with a visa will generally need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and will gain access to NHS, the public health services (possibly not relevant for internships under six months). The fee for students is 470 British Pounds per year.
In order to apply for an "Academic Training J1" (internship) visa in the USA, you need a visa sponsor. Be prepared for the application process through the sponsor to take at least six to eight weeks. The following organizations are able to be visa sponsors:
- Alliance Abroad Group
- Ayusa-Intrax
- College Council
- Cultural Vistas
- German American Chamber of Commerce, NYC
- International Arts & Artists (only for Architecture)
- Travelworks
Please note that this is not a complete, exhaustive list of organizations, and no one organization is recommended. Compare offers from several sponsors before you decide on one.
Foreign Students
Please note that you will need to inform the Ausländerbehörde of any longer stay outside of Germany. Failure to report a stay abroad could lead to an annullment of your visa for Germany! Additionally it is very important that you remain registered at a residence in Germany.
You may also have to apply for a residency permit for the host country, even in some Schengen states of the EU. Further information is available from the consulate of the respective country.
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Location & approach
The campus of TU Dortmund University is located close to interstate junction Dortmund West, where the Sauerlandlinie A 45 (Frankfurt-Dortmund) crosses the Ruhrschnellweg B 1 / A 40. The best interstate exit to take from A 45 is "Dortmund-Eichlinghofen" (closer to Campus Süd), and from B 1 / A 40 "Dortmund-Dorstfeld" (closer to Campus Nord). Signs for the university are located at both exits. Also, there is a new exit before you pass over the B 1-bridge leading into Dortmund.
To get from Campus Nord to Campus Süd by car, there is the connection via Vogelpothsweg/Baroper Straße. We recommend you leave your car on one of the parking lots at Campus Nord and use the H-Bahn (suspended monorail system), which conveniently connects the two campuses.
TU Dortmund University has its own train station ("Dortmund Universität"). From there, suburban trains (S-Bahn) leave for Dortmund main station ("Dortmund Hauptbahnhof") and Düsseldorf main station via the "Düsseldorf Airport Train Station" (take S-Bahn number 1, which leaves every 20 or 30 minutes). The university is easily reached from Bochum, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Duisburg.
You can also take the bus or subway train from Dortmund city to the university: From Dortmund main station, you can take any train bound for the Station "Stadtgarten", usually lines U41, U45, U 47 and U49. At "Stadtgarten" you switch trains and get on line U42 towards "Hombruch". Look out for the Station "An der Palmweide". From the bus stop just across the road, busses bound for TU Dortmund University leave every ten minutes (445, 447 and 462). Another option is to take the subway routes U41, U45, U47 and U49 from Dortmund main station to the stop "Dortmund Kampstraße". From there, take U43 or U44 to the stop "Dortmund Wittener Straße". Switch to bus line 447 and get off at "Dortmund Universität S".
The H-Bahn is one of the hallmarks of TU Dortmund University. There are two stations on Campus Nord. One ("Dortmund Universität S") is directly located at the suburban train stop, which connects the university directly with the city of Dortmund and the rest of the Ruhr Area. Also from this station, there are connections to the "Technologiepark" and (via Campus Süd) Eichlinghofen. The other station is located at the dining hall at Campus Nord and offers a direct connection to Campus Süd every five minutes.
The AirportExpress is a fast and convenient means of transport from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Dortmund Central Station, taking you there in little more than 20 minutes. From Dortmund Central Station, you can continue to the university campus by interurban railway (S-Bahn). A larger range of international flight connections is offered at Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is about 60 kilometres away and can be directly reached by S-Bahn from the university station.
The facilities of TU Dortmund University are spread over two campuses, the larger Campus North and the smaller Campus South. Additionally, some areas of the university are located in the adjacent "Technologiepark".
Site Map of TU Dortmund University (Second Page in English)
Interactive map
The facilities of TU Dortmund University are spread over two campuses, the larger Campus North and the smaller Campus South. Additionally, some areas of the university are located in the adjacent "Technologiepark".
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