FAQs
Applications open mid October and end on
15 January
or when the maximum number of participants has been reached.
Attendance is not mandatory. However, if you do not attend
at least 80%
of the language courses, you will not be able to receive the certificate at the end of the course and you will get no credits. A scholarship might have to be reimbursed.
Weekend trips and city tours are
not compulsory.
Cancellation of participation in the International Spring Course is possible free of charge within 14 days after sending the registration.
From the 15th day after registration until four weeks before the start of the course, a cancellation is possible with the payment of an administrative fee of 100 € .
From four weeks to 7 days before the start of the course , a cancellation is only possible with the payment of an administrative fee of 50 % of the course fee .
In the event of cancellation at a later date or non-attendance of the course, the entire course fee is due for payment, unless the cancellation is due to reasons for which the applicant is not responsible. The reasons must be made credible to the International Office.
In the event of illness, a medical certificate is required in order to obtain a refund. If you are unable to enter Germany in time because you have not received a visa, the official rejection letter (incl. signature, stamp) from the embassy or documentation of the timely visa application must be submitted by e-mail for the refund of the course fee paid. Participants will receive any refunds after deduction of bank charges, if applicable.The International Office strongly recommends that participants apply for the visa as soon as possible. Please note that visa application processes can take up to three months, in certain cases also longer.
These regulations also apply to scholarship holders.
Arriving on our official day of arrival offers you some advantages: On this day you will meet our student mentors at the train station, you will be provided with information and taken to your dormitory if you have booked a room.
However, if you would like to arrive earlier, you will need to contact the Studierendenwerk in order to get the keys for your dormitory room because you can only move into your room from the official day of arrival.
Since the placement test for the German courses will take place on the first day of the course, we strongly recommend not to arrive earlier. Please also note that you must be present at least 80% of the lessons to receive 3 ECTS points for the International Spring Course.
You will get your room keys as well as further important information such as the working programme, bus tickets, and details for our field trips on the official day of arrival at the train station from our student mentors. It is therefore of utmost importance that those students who are already in Giessen on the official day of arrival also come to the train station in order to get their information package.
- If you arrive earlier, please discuss the further procedure with the Studierendenwerk .
- If you have to arrive late, please contact us beforehand!
Unfortunately, it is not possible to move earlier into the rooms. Therefore, we strongly recommend to arrive on the official day of arrival. However, if you would like to arrive earlier, you must book a hotel room for the period up to the start of the course.
If you would like to stay longer in your room, please inform Studierendenwerk
No. Weekend trips and city tours are not compulsory . The trips can be booked during the course. Each trip costs up to 15 €.
You will get your login details for your internet access via Justus Liebig University Giessen on the day after your arrival. During the International Spring Course you will have free internet access in all buildings of Justus Liebig University Giessen and in your hall of residence. Computer rooms are located in different parts of the university, e.g. on the campus of the faculties of law and economics, the university library, the computing centre, etc. WIFI is also widely available, you can therefore also use your login data for your mobile devices. You can easily access the internet in your rooms, since all student dormitories are equipped with WIFI.
You will have a single room equipped with bed, table, chair, closet, cupboards, and sink. Showers, toilets, and kitchen are shared with other students. Bed linen is provided, you should bring your own towels and dishes. Washing machines and public telephones are available in the halls of residence.
Health-, liability- and accident insurance
are
not included in the course fees.
If you are from an
EU country
, please bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), as this is valid for the duration of the International Spring Course and for your study stay in Germany.
If you come from a
non-EU country
and would like to study in Giessen, you need a
German statutory health insurance
company. This can be done in Giessen before the enrolment. The fee is about
100 €/month.
Please note:
If you take out local health insurance, the insurance cover will only take effect on April 1!
We therefore strongly recommend all applicants from non-EU countries to register
before leaving their home country
for an
international health insurance
for the duration of the course. This should also guarantee insurance cover on the days of arrival and departure.
Whether you need a (short-term) study/tourist visa to enter the Schengen Area of the European Union depends on your personal circumstances.
Please see the web pages of the German Foreign Office .
For a visa application you need to submit the following documents to your nearest German consulate 2 to 3 months at the latest before you commence your studies :
a Notification of Admission (when applying for a visa for the purpose of study, or Student Visa) or Acknowledgement of Application (for example, for the JLU Courses in German as a Foreign Language for Student Applicants, when applying for a Student Applicant's Visa)
and documentary proof of your possession of sufficient funds to complete your course of study
Financial proof can take the form of the promise of a grant by a public institution, a blocked account ( € 992 per month ) . If you possess private funds, you must present a legally certified financial declaration. Forms for this latter purpose can be obtained from the Giessen International Registration Authority.
Do NOT try to enter Germany on a tourist visa if you intend to study here. It is not possible to convert a tourist visa into a student visa – you would have to travel back home again and apply for the correct type of visa at your German embassy or consulate. All that, of course, would cost you a lot of time and money, and you might very well arrive back too late to start your course of study properly.
Exceptions: citizens of the EU, the USA, South Korea, Brazil and a few other countries are exempted from the obligation to possess an entry visa. Further information can be found here. Information on your particular status is available from the German embassy and consulates in your home country, and at Giessen's International Registration Authority.
Please note:
Most visa applications will take between six weeks and three months. For the visa process, you will probably need proof of sufficient health insurance plus a true copy (no email/fax) of an invitation letter from the Justus Liebig University Giessen. Please plan the start of your visa application process accordingly.
Make sure that your arrival and departure times correspond to the validity of your visa and the reservation of your accommodation.