Upon your arrival in Stuttgart

Both EU and Non-EU citizens are required to register at one of the residents’ registration offices (Bürgerbüro, Rathaus) of the town they have taken up residence. This must be done within the first fourteen days after having moved into an apartment or house if the stay in Germany is intended to last longer than 90 days. If you have not found a permanent place yet, you may also register with the address or your temporary accommodation at the residents’ registration offices of the town of Stuttgart.

For residents’ registration the following documents must be provided:

• Your passport or ID card (EU citizens only)
• Filled in and signed form for residents' registration (Anmeldung), filled in and signed by you (download of the form in Stuttgart, instructions on how to fill in the form are also available
• Form confirming that you have moved into an apartment/house (form Wohnraumnachweis (in German)).

To participate in the cash-free transfer of money, to pay for rent, health insurance and similar transactions, we recommend you open a personal checking account (Girokonto) in Germany. If you have a checking account in one of the countries of the SEPA region, you may also use this account.

Health Insurance

A valid health insurance is compulsory in Germany from the very first day of your arrival until the day of your departure. Different conditions apply depending on your status and country of origin, length of your stay, etc.

If you will be employed by the University of Stuttgart, you will be insured through German statutory health insurance. Only if you earn more than about EUR 64.500 gross salary/year, you may opt out and become a voluntary member of statutory health insurance or take out a private insurance (see below). If you are the only earner in your family, your spouse and children usually can be covered without increase in costs. There are several German statury health insurance providers where you can take out statutory health insurance. Costs and benefits the providers charge/offer are roughly the same, only minor differences exist.

If you will join the university as a visiting scholar, one has to distinguish between EU citizens and Non-EU citizens:

• EU citizens: If you are entitled to a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by the public health insurance system of your home country, please make sure that you bring it with you to Germany. With this card you can access the public German health system. If you are not entitled to an EHIC, you will have to take out private health insurance (like NON-EU citzens).
• Non-EU citizens: If your research stay is funded privately or through a scholarship, you usually must take out private health insurance which offers more or less the same benefits as German statutory health insurance. The monthly fees are dependent on age, type of job, desired benefits and sometimes on your state of health, too. Visits to doctors, hospital stays and medicine must be paid by yourself first and are re-imbursed by your private health insurance provider after submission of the invoices. Each familiy member needs his/her own insurance policy. Please check the website of EURAXESS in order to find a suitable private health insurance for you and your family members.
  
  

Detailed information on the German health insurance system can be found on the webpage on Informed Health and on the pages of the Welcome Center Stuttgart.

Personal Liability Insurance

Unlike health insurance, personal liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) is not compulsory in Germany. However, we strongly recommend to purchase such an insurance since it covers damage caused by you or your family members to persons or objects (e.g. a rented apartment). Some policies even include the loss of keys. Check whether you already have a personal liability insurance which covers incidents in Germany. If not, you are welcome to contact the Welcome Center for International Scholars, we can help you find a suitable personal liability insurance.

If you are a Non-EU citizen you must apply for a residence permit at the Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) of the town you taken up residence if the visa issued by the German embassy/consulate office does not cover the time you wish to spend in Germany or - having entered the country without visa - if you wish to spend more than 90 days here. In both cases you have to get this done before your visa expires or before the time span of 90 days is over.  You usually need to arrange an appointment at the local Foreigners' Registration Office by phone or e-mail, e.g. at the Foreigners' Registration Office Stuttgart if you live in  Stuttgart, before you go there. In other towns it might be possible to go there without prior arrangement. Please note that you can only apply for a residence permit after you have completed residents' registration (see above).

As a rule the following documents must be provided:

• Application for a residence permit (form for Stuttgart as download)
• Passport
• One biometrical photo (information about biometric photos)
• Copy of the residents' registration form (see above)
• Health insurance certificate
• Form "Wohnraumnachweis", to be filled in and signed by your landlord (download of the form for Stuttgart (in German))
• Rental contract
• Proof of sufficient funds (confirmation of your institute which will employ you, scholarship letter, etc.)
• EUR 100 (handling charge)
• Hosting Agreement signed by yourself and the university
• Other documents depending on your personal circumstances, e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificates, etc.