Beyond Admission · Free checklist

Life in Germany starts before your flight

An offer letter answers one question. You still need somewhere to live, a workable budget, a plan for university paperwork and time to build a routine. Use the section that matches your stage.

After admission · Before your flight · First weeks · During your studies · Preparing for graduation

This checklist is from The Leap Europe, founded by Anushka Sharma. It helps you organise tasks; your university, city office and responsible authorities confirm the requirements for your case.

After admission

Get ready for your visa appointment

1. Read your admission letter. Note any conditions, the course start date and enrolment deadlines. Ask the university about anything unclear.
2. Find your official visa checklist. Check the responsible German mission’s instructions for your visa category and place of residence. Our Visa & Arrival guide helps you find the right starting point.
3. Prepare proof of funds. Arrange a blocked account or another accepted form of financial proof, such as a qualifying scholarship or formal declaration of commitment. Check the current amount and evidence required for your own route before transferring money. See the Federal Foreign Office’s blocked-account guidance.
4. Complete the document checklist. Gather the admission letter, passport, application forms, academic records, insurance evidence and any other items required by your mission. Check whether APS, language evidence, translations, originals or copies apply to you.
5. Follow the appointment instructions. Use the official application and appointment process. When you receive a date, check what to bring and review your documents again. An appointment is not a visa approval.

Begin housing research alongside this preparation. Waiting for an appointment date can leave you less time to find a room.

Before your flight

Know where you will stay and how you will get there

1. Read your admission letter. Note conditions, enrolment deadlines, documents and any payments requested by the university. Ask the admissions office about anything you cannot interpret.
2. Find the correct visa checklist. Use the responsible German mission and our Visa & Arrival guide. Keep the checklist, appointment information and your documents together.
3. Start housing research. Check your local Studierendenwerk’s student accommodation, the university’s housing advice and private options. Record application dates and replies. An admission offer is not a room reservation.
4. Plan your arrival money. List rent, deposit, travel, insurance, semester contributions and essential purchases. Separate refundable deposits from recurring bills. Use the cost guide and your own quotes; do not count on a job you have not secured.
5. Confirm accommodation before your flight. Save the booking or contract, full address, move-in date and key-collection instructions. If permanent housing is still pending, arrange suitable temporary accommodation and check whether it can provide the documents needed for city registration. Verify the provider and payment terms before sending money.
6. Plan airport pickup or your onward journey. Confirm who is meeting you, the airport and terminal, arrival time and contact number. If travelling independently, save the train or bus route, ticket information and a backup for delays or a late arrival. Tell your accommodation provider when you expect to reach them.
7. Keep useful documents accessible. Carry required originals safely and keep private copies you can reach if a device is lost. Save your accommodation contact, university contact and travel details offline.

Your next action: create one list with each task, its deadline, the responsible office and the document still missing.

Your first two weeks

Settle in, one step at a time

Use this as a planning guide. University and city deadlines come first; appointment availability may mean some formalities take longer than two weeks.

Days 1–3: move in and check what is urgent

1. Move into your accommodation. Collect the keys, read the contract and record the room’s condition. Ask for the landlord confirmation needed for city registration.
2. Get connected. Make sure your phone works, save emergency and university contacts, and check how to travel to campus.
3. Review your deadlines. Read your university’s arrival instructions and your city’s registration and residence requirements. Book available appointments early.

Week 1: start university and official registrations

4. Complete enrolment. Submit the university’s required evidence and payments, activate your student account and follow module-registration instructions. Attend orientation where available.
5. Check health insurance. Confirm the start of your coverage and any electronic confirmation the university requires. Keep your insurer’s contact details.
6. Complete or arrange city registration. Follow your city’s official checklist and deadline. Bring the required identity and housing documents to your appointment.

Week 2: finish everyday setup and follow up

7. Set up banking and access to funds. Check what your bank and blocked-account provider need to activate the account or release payments. Keep money available for initial expenses while these steps are pending.
8. Organise everyday bills. Check your student transport options, phone plan, rent payments and any household obligations. Record payment and cancellation dates.
9. Plan your residence-permit steps. Check the local foreigners authority’s process, required documents and appointment availability. Start in good time before your current permission expires; keep records of submissions and replies.
10. Review anything still pending. Write down the next action, responsible office and deadline for each unfinished task. Ask the international office or student-services advisers when you need help.

Your next action: put these steps into your calendar using your actual university and city deadlines.

During your studies

Build a routine around studying, language and work

• Protect study time. Read assessment rules and registration dates. Use office hours or academic advice when you are unsure about a module.
• Make German a weekly habit. Follow the German-learning guide. Practise messages, appointments and conversations you actually need, alongside your main course.
• Look for work that develops useful skills. Start with student assistant roles in university departments or research groups, working-student roles in companies, and suitable internships. Compare the actual tasks with your course, interests, German level and study schedule. A job title alone does not tell you what you will learn.
• Prepare a focused application. Use relevant coursework and projects as evidence on your CV. Adapt each application to the role and practise explaining your work. Use your university’s career service, department notices, The Leap Jobs and employers’ own career pages.
• Keep the search realistic. Relevant roles can be competitive. Apply consistently and track replies. If you take another job for income, look for ways to build transferable skills while continuing your search. Do not budget around work you have not secured.
• Check work conditions. Read your residence document and the official study-and-work guidance. Internships, student jobs and self-employment are not interchangeable. Ask the responsible authority about your situation.
• Find people and support. Look for course groups, student societies, international-office events and local student-services counselling. Ask for help early if finances, study or wellbeing are becoming difficult.

Your next action: choose one manageable language task and one career task for this week. A suitable application takes more than forwarding the same CV to every vacancy.

Before graduation

Prepare your next step before the last exam

Decide whether you want employment, further study or another route. Gather evidence of your projects and experience, ask your university’s career service about applications, and check the residence requirements relevant to your next step.

The government’s prospects-after-graduation guide explains possible routes after a German degree. A degree or a job listing does not guarantee employment or permission for a particular route.

Use the right source for the question

• Your university: admission, enrolment, modules and campus support.
• Your city and local authorities: registration and residence requirements.
• Your local Studierendenwerk: student accommodation and student-life support. The German student-services guidance recommends starting your accommodation search early.
• Make it in Germany: study and work and options after graduation. These linked official pages were checked on 12 October 2026.

Want to work through a question with Anushka Sharma? Register interest in 1:1 guidance. Personal arrival support is being developed; this page does not book a service. Parents or family can join a future conversation when you want their involvement.