Back to the overview of "Fachrichtung 4.6"You should apply right away for an E 109/E 111.
Both E 109 and E 111 are accepted by the German health insurance (AOK = Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse) as proof of insurance in GB and they will give you a Versicherungsbefreiung which you will need in order to enrol at the university.
The E 111 (which is sufficient for you and much easier to get) provides cover for a temporary stay abroad (which applies to you) but will only cover treatment of acute disease, i.e. if you fall ill while abroad. If you need treatment for a chronic disease you must get E 109. E 111 also covers dental treatment in acute cases.
The E 109 provides cover for residents abroad; it covers continuation of treatment started in GB and will even pay for a new pair of glasses.
Application forms for E 111 can be picked up in any post office; if you want the E 109, send a letter to the DSS in Newcastle explaining that you are a student who will be resident in Germany for six months (or for however long you intend to stay).
Department of Social Security
Overseas Branch (Germany)
Newcastle NE98 1YX
Telephone: 091-225 3628
Money/Banking
The most convenient way of making initial payments is by Eurocheque. Ask your British bank to issue these to you. You should do this right away, as you may have to wait some time for your Eurocheque card. Eurocheques can be made out in any European currency and are accepted everywhere in Germany. Credit Cards are not as generally accepted as in Britain.
Although you can operate with Eurocheques during the whole of your stay, it is more convenient to have a current account in Germany.
If you want to have money transferred into your account, a telex transfer is the quickest but also most expensive way, bank drafts sent by post are cheaper but slower. Your British bank will need to know the full name and address of your German bank, your account number and the bank sorting code (Bankleitzahl = BLZ).
Make sure you have enough money available to tide you over the first few weeks.
Original Documents
Do not forget to bring your original 'O' and'A'Level certificates.
Admission to University/Acceptance of Accomodation
You will receive the paper certifying your admission to the university (=Zulassungsbescheid), enrolment papers and maybe even an offer for a room in August/September. You should make sure that you or somebody else will open and answer to the letters as soon as they arrive.
Together with your Zulassungsbescheid you will receive a payment form (=Zahlkarte) . Keep this in a safe place. You will need it in Saarbrücken to pay the Sozialbeitrag (about DM 155,- equivalent to Student Union contribution). This payment includes a bus ticket for one semester.
There is a great shortage of student accomodation in Saarbrücken and if you are lucky enough to be offered a room but you do not accept it by the given date, it will be let to somebody else.
If you have got hall accomodation, arrange a convenient time of arrival with the accommodation office (see: Important addresses, Wohnheime (= student halls)). There should be information on this in the letter you will receive; if not, ring up Frau Friedrich of the Abteilung für studentische Angelegenheiten, telephone: 0681 / 302-2569.
Normally the student halls do not provide linen, and you also have to bring or buy your own cutlery and crockery.
The contracts for accommodation in student halls always run for 6 or 12 month periods, i.e. October to March and April to September. You will be asked to sign a contract and pay the rent for the whole of this period (often plus a month's rent as security). There may however be a possibility of letting the room to somebody else when you leave - ask the Studentenwerk (see: Important addresses). But remember: you cannot just leave if you find somewhere else to live. You will have signed a legally binding document.
The rent is generally between DM 250.- and 350.- per month if you have hall accommodation and up to DM 450.- if you rent a room privately.
The Studentenwerk or Herr Lenz of the Akademisches Auslandsamt may help you to find accommodation. Other institutions that may be able to provide accommodation are the Protestant Student Hall near the university, the Catholic Student Hall 'Cusanushaus' in town, the Wohnungskartei of the ASTA, the Mietwohnzentrale (for all these see: Important addresses) or have a look at the various information boards at the university (i.e. at the institutes, the students' refectory, etc.) when you get to Saarbrücken.
If you come here without having a room, the Youth Hostel (see also: Important addresses) is always a good place to stay until you can find a permanent room.
Arrival
You will have received a letter with the paper certifying your admission to the university. It should tell you when you will have to be in Saarbrücken. It is best to arrive a week or two before the beginning of the semester in order to sort out all the administrative matters.
Travel: You can either fly to Frankfurt and then take the train to Saarbrücken or go by train all the way. If you come from a European country other than Britain, you may also come by coach. Either way, you will end up at Saarbrücken's Hauptbahnhof(train station). Try to arrive in the morning, but certainly not later than 2 pm - there are going to be a few things you need to sort out before you can move into your room (if you already have one).
The university is a campus university some 5 km from the centre of Saarbrücken. There are good bus connections between the centre and the university but if you have a lot of luggage you may want to take a taxi. This will cost you around DM 20.-.
It may be a good idea to leave your luggage in a locker at the station and to collect it later. There will be some walking around to do and it may be easier if you take this first hurdle unburdened.
If you want to go by bus to the university, you can take bus no 11,12, 13, 19, 49, 61 or 69.
What to do once you get there
Contact:
Dr. G. Thome
Department 4.6, Bldg.4, room 302
Telephone: 0681 / 302-2524 (during the day)
at home: Telephone: 06881 / 6633
Contact Dr. Thome as soon as possible. She will be able to help and advise you, and she will also provide you with a list of the classes (and teachers) you can attend in the semester. (However, there will also be introductory meetings during the first week of the semester.)
We suggest you should do the following things first: Accomodation
If you already have accommodation, you should go to the Studentenwerk or to whoever offered you the room and make a contract.
Bank
Open a bank account. There is a bank on the campus, the Vereinsbank, and they are used to dealing with foreign students. For this, take your passport, Zulassungsbescheid and proof of your Saarbrücken address - if you already have one.
There, you can also pay the Sozialbeitrag/ASTA-Beitrag with the Zahlkarte sent to you together with the Zulassungsbescheid. The bank will give you a receipt which you have to hand in when you enrol at the university.
Health Insurance
Take your E 109/E 111 to the
Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK)
Halbergstr.1 (corner of Egon-Rainert Str.)
Telephone: 0681 / 6001 334
together with your Zulassungsbescheid and your passport.
They will give you a Versicherungsbescheinigung/Versicherungsbefreiung (document stating that you need not take out health insurance in Germany as there is a GB/FRG agreement) which you will also need for enrolment.
Enrolement
Enrol at the university at
Abteilung für studentische Angelegenheiten
Bldg. 28 / students' refectory, room 99
Telephone: 302-2612
Office hours:
Monday to Thursday: 10 - 11.30 am
Thursday: 1.30 - 3 pm
In order to enrol at the university you will need:
In return you will receive:
Registration with the police/Residence Permit
You will have to go to the Einwohnermeldeamt to register with the police:
Wohnsitzanmeldung (for Saarbrücken only)
Bleichstr. 4
66111 Sarbrücken
If you live in Dudweiler, St. Ingbert or Ensheim you have to register at the local Rathaus.
You will need:
You will also have to go to the Ausländeramt (same address) to apply for a residence permit (Aufenthaltsgenehmigung):
For this application you will need:
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