Getting Started at TU Darmstadt
Documents to bring to Darmstadt
- Copy of birth certificate
- Copy of degrees
- Transcripts of grades (University and High School)
- Passport photograph for university employee card
- Possibly a statement of having no criminal record from your home country (needs to be checked!)
- Marriage certificate (if you're married)
Bureaucratic things to take care of
When you come to TU Darmstadt, especially from another country, there are a few things you have to take care of. For international researchers especially, the TU Darmstadt Welcome Center is the first place you should register. They will support you with any required preparation of documents, applications for permits, finding accommodation etc.
The following presents a (probably non-exhaustive list) of organizations and authorities you should visit before or quickly after moving to Darmstadt. The list attempts to present the tasks in chronological order and to identify possible preconditions for every task, but check this in any case!
Once you move to Darmstadt or when you know the date you're moving
- Register with the civic authority at the Einwohnermeldeamt. For this, an appointment needs to be made online up to 10 days in advance. Appointments fill up quickly so you might need to check online early morning to find any free slots. Check with TU Darmstadt Welcome Center if they have any walk-in appointments for university students/employees. Bring your passport and rental agreement for the registration appointment. Make sure you don't go there before you actually move in. If you're married, take your original marriage certificate, and preferably a certified German translation.
- You also need a "Führungszeugnis" (statement of having no criminal record in Germany) which you need to request for at the Einwohnermeldeamt. It's best to do this during your city registration appointment. If asked, you may also need such a statement from your home country in some specific cases. The "Führungszeugnis" is directly sent to the university by the Einwohnermeldeamt. You need to know the postal address of TU Darmstadt which is: Karolinenplatz 5, 64289 Darmstadt. Also tell them the name of your contact person, which is at the moment Ulla Slawik, Dezernat VII B. (The contact person will be the same HR person as in your TU Darmstadt contract)
- Non-EU researchers will need to apply for a German researcher visa (18d) before arriving in Darmstadt. Once here, you need to apply for a residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde. Appointments for this are difficult to get so it is best to go through the Welcome Center.
- If your initial German visa is going to expire before the residence permit gets done you need to apply for a Fiktionsbescheinigung:
https://www.intern.tu-darmstadt.de/verwaltung/dez_viii/referate_internationales/artikel_details_de_en_referate_viii_267840.de.jsp
After you've registered at the civic authorities / Einwohnermeldeamt
- Get a tax number at the Finanzamt. They normally automatically send you the tax number by post after registration at the Einwohnermeldeamt. Report this tax number to HR soon to start getting your salary.
- Opening a bank account. Different banks need different documents/ID proofs for opening an account.
When you know your contract starting date
- Registering for insurance at a Krankenkasse (public insurance, as opposed to private insurance for incomes above 49.950). As far as I know, you could apply to any Krankenkasse but TU Darmstadt co-operates the Techniker Krankenkasse. For some reason, they'll only insure you from the date your contract starts.
Finding accommodation
- The best place to start is http://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/ (WG is short for wohngemeinschaft = a shared place to live). You can find offers for both shared and single-room flats.
- You may find some helpful information about accommodation, insurance, and many other things on the website of the welcome centre https://www.tu-darmstadt.de/forschen/international_forschen/international_wohnen_in_darmstadt/index.en.jsp
- There's also the accommodation service from the Studierendenwerk: http://studierendenwerkdarmstadt.de/en/accomodation-service/. However, the apartments available may be few and far between.
- Popular website for advertising apartments:
- When using a realtor website, be warned that they usually want to meet you in person. Realtors also want a one-time fee (might be as high as two months' rent). September is generally the most competitive time to find an apartment.
- Here are a couple of practical but expensive student apartment buidlings: https://unineststudents.de/en/locations/darmstadt/elementum, https://www.the-fizz.com/en/student-accommodation/darmstadt/
- This is a good temporary accommodation http://www.ach-da.de/ It is very close to the university (5 min by foot) and it is also cheap. They offer rooms with shared or private bathroom.
- Here is a link to the only hostel in Darmstadt: http://www.jugendherberge.de/de-de/jugendherbergen/darmstadt476/preise
- Another good temporary accommodation is the Ibis budget hotel. It has a decent price and it is very close to the city centre.
Get the following:
- TU-ID: http://www.hrz.tu-darmstadt.de/id/tuid/tu_id_mitarbeiter/inh_tuid_mitarbeiter.en.jsp . Use the contact form here to request for one: https://www.hrz.tu-darmstadt.de/support_und_anleitungen/anlaufstellen/kontaktformular_hrz_service/index.en.jsp
- Eduroam account: You seemingly get it with your TU-ID. Use PEAP with
- username: <YOUR-TU-ID>@tu-darmstadt.de
- password: password of YOUR-TU-ID
- A key by asking our secretaries about sending a mail to transponder@informatik.tu-darmstadt.de with the numbers of rooms to which you want to have access.
- An 'Athena Card' (this serves as your ID card, used for buying food at the canteen (mensa), library card etc.)
- If you're an employee of TU Darmstadt, you get the LandesTicket Hessen
Insurance
In Germany, apart from compulsory health insurance, there are several other optional and different insurances. The question is, should you join them and which type of insurance to join? This is a kind of grey zone but you should be aware of the "Private Haftpflichtversicherung" and the "Hausratsversicherung" to start with.
You can read more here:
https://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/topic/97713-haftpflichtversicherung-liability-insurance/
You can check and compare insurances (or anything else really) at check24: https://www.check24.de/privathaftpflicht/
Other Questions:
- Parking: Getting a parking spot
- Check the reading list in the Start Up Package
- Get an overview over the campus with the small Campus Guide
- Get to know Darmstadt with the Darmstadt Guide printable Darmstadt Guide
Start at IAS
Get started at IAS.