A visa is a stamp in a passport that allows foreign nationals to enter Germany and entitles them to stay for a period of up to three months or longer.

Foreign nationals from member states of the EU and from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland do not need a visa for doing their degree or an exchange semester at HOST.

Foreign nationals from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea or the United States can enter Germany without a visa. If they stay in Germany for longer than three months, they can apply for the required residence permit in Germany.

Foreign nationals from all other countries must obtain a Visum zu Studienzwecken(study visa) from the respective German consular office abroad prior to entry to Germany. If you stay in Germany for longer than the length of the obtained visa, you can apply for the residence permit, which will then be needed, in Germany.

Important Information:

A Tourist or Schengen Visa cannot be changed to a study visa at a later date. With this kind of visa, you will not be able to study at HOST or apply for a residence permit.

Residence permits from other EU member states are not sufficient. You will need a study visa for Germany.

If you are without a valid visa or residence permit, you will not be allowed to study at HOST!

Please contact the German embassy in your country if you are not sure what you need!

The Letter of Acceptance is sufficient for your application for a study visa to enter Germany.

Further information on applying for visas can be found on the webpages of the DAAD, the Federal Foreign Office and the German embassy in your home country.

• DAAD – Information about visas
• Federal Foreign Office - Visa regulations

If your length of stay succeeds the validity date of your visa, you will need a residence permit.

A residence permit is a permit that allows you to stay in the Federal Republic of Germany. Generally, it is issued for foreign students and interns as a residence title for a certain cause: e.g. for studying or doing an internship. A residence title is issued by the respective Ausländerbehörde (Immigration Office) in the town of residence for a maximum of two years.

Here you will find the forms for applying for or extending the residence permit and an information sheet. From now on, you can also find the applications online and, if desired, in English. The International Office is also happy to provide you with help for filling out the forms.

Please apply for or extend your residence permit six weeks prior to the expiry of the visa or residence permit.

Note: During the re-registration period at the latest, a valid residence permit (or a so-called Fiktionsbescheinigung) for the upcoming semester must be available. Otherwise, you will not be re-registered. The residence permit or the Fiktionsbescheinigung has to be submitted in time and on your own responsibility to the responsible study office.

All foreign nationals from non-EU member states have to register at the Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde).

If your visa is valid for your entire period of study in Stralsund (e.g. exchange semester), you still need to register at the Immigration Office.

Please take the following documents with you to the Immigration Office:

• Passport
• Visa
• (preliminary) Certificate of Enrollment
• Proof of German health insurance or exemption from compulsory health insurance 
• Registration Certificate from the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt)

If you are applying for or extending a residence permit, please forward the following documents together with the application form to the Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde):

• Completed application form (first application or extension) ⇒ this way to the digital application form (available also in English)
• Proof of financial funds (blocked account, proof of income e.g. scholarships or employment contracts)
• Passport and visa (copy and original)
• Passport photo
• Current Certificate of Enrollment from HOST
  ⇒ if you have not yet been enrolled: preliminary confirmation of enrolment or the Letter of Acceptance 
• Proof that you have German health insurance (not the health insurance card) or proof of your exemption from compulsory health insurance
• Current registration certificate from the Residents' Registration Office (may not be older than three months)
• Rental contract or proof that you have somewhere to live (copy and original)

The processing of the application can take several weeks. If your visa or residence permit is to expire soon, ask for a so-called Fiktionsbescheinigung (fictional certificate). 

With this certificate you will be able, for example, to enroll to the university or re-register and you will not have to wait for your residence permit to do so.

Note: During the re-registration period at the latest, a valid residence permit (or a so-called Fiktionsbescheinigung) for the upcoming semester must be available. Otherwise, you will not be re-registered. The residence permit or the Fiktionsbescheinigung has to be submitted in time and on your own responsibility to the responsible study office.

If you plan to complete an internship or semester abroad as part of your studies within the EU via an exchange program of Hochschule Stralsund (e.g. ERASMUS+), please make sure that the validity of your German residence permit lasts for the entire stay abroad or that you extend it in time.

For stays outside the EU or without a corresponding exchange program, i.e. if you are staying abroad for one or more semesters as a so-called freemover, you must apply for a visa for the host country. Please inform yourself beforehand at the respective foreign representation of your destination country here in Germany about the conditions for entry and stay.

Ausländerbehörde (Immigration Office)
Marienstraße 1
18439 Stralsund

Office Hours:
Tuesdays 9.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m. and 1.30 - 6.00 p.m.
Thursdays 9.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m. and 1.30 - 4.00 p.m.