Preparations for an exchange semester go beyond the administrative processes. Here are some important points you should keep in mind in preparation for your exchange:

Transcript of Records:

If you need an english Transcrip of Records for your application at the partner institution, you can find further information here on how to apply for one:

Where do I get an englisch Transcript of Records?

Language:

 PROMOS-language courses

Language Courses at the Sprachenzentrum of the FU

Intercultural and Practical Information:

Publication of the German Student Union with case studies and intercultural assessment.

Practical information on planning a stay abroad by the DAAD: (LINK)

International Club / Local Erasmus Initiative: Get to know international students before your exchange begins.

Housing:

Illustrated dorm dictionaries

The Center for Intercultural Competency of the German Student Union and the Studierendenwerk Bielefeld have published several illustrated dorm dictionaries in eight languages. Chapters are devoted towards topics such as roommates, legal rights, damage reports, etc. The brochures are available as PDF versions here:

Illustrated dorm dictionaries: German-French-Spanish

Illustrated dorm dictionary: German-English-Chinese

Illustrated dorm dictionary: German-Polish-Russian

Insurance:

Information about Insurance can be found here.

Re-Registration at the FU:

Despite completing an exchange abroad, you must be enrolled as a FU student and therefore must pay the re-enrollment fees every semester.

Leave of Absence and Semester Fees:

Erasmus students are not required to apply for a Leave of Absence (Urlaubssemester), although many students still choose to do so. You can apply for a Leave of Absece at the student administration.

 More information about the Leave of Absence can be found here.

Semester Ticket Refund

If you study abroad for more than four months or apply for a leave of absence, you can request a refund request from the AStA Semester Ticket Bureau. More information can be found here.

Important notice for regular, degree-seeking students from abroad who do not have German citizenship and hold a visa/residency permit for a limited, fixed period of time to study at Freie Universität:

If you are planning to undertake a stay outside of Germany related to your studies and wish to leave the country for over six months, you are obliged to immediately get in contact with the Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung – LEA) before commencing your stay abroad.

You will need to request written confirmation from us regarding your planned stay abroad and submit this statement to the LEA with your approval request.

Please attend to this matter without delay, as otherwise you may lose your visa and/or residency status when you return to Germany after your stay abroad.