Students are responsible for keeping up to date as this information changes constantly.

Regardless of where you arrive, you will have to fill out a digital registration on entry (Digitale Einreiseanmeldung) before you start your trip.

In Germany, regulations are split into four levels – national, state (Bundesland), municipality (local/city) and university. Go down the list below and find out what regulations pertain to you at each level. Below are recommendations for sources pertaining to North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

National

• Federal Foreign Office (national travel & entry restrictions)
• Robert Koch Institute (list of risk areas)
• Federal Ministry of Health (explanation of national travel regulations, including quarantine)
• Digital registration on entry (required for entry into Germany)

State level (North Rhine-Westphalia, NRW)

• NRW – Overview of policy after arrival (in German)

Other helpful websites

• Federal Ministry of Health (COVID-19 in Germany)
• Reopen EU (travel in EU)
• World Health Organization

In Germany, the corona infection rate is calculated as a percentage per 100,000 people. This is called the incidence rate or Inzidenzzahl. Changes in COVID-19 policy rely on other parameters as well, including but not limited to, the number of hospitalisations, the number of intensive care cases as well as the percentage of vaccinated individuals.

State level (North Rhine-Westphalia, NRW)

• NRW – Overview of policy after arrival (in German)

Local level (Cologne)

• General overview (in English)
• Detailed COVID-19 regulations (in German)
• Information for fully vaccinated/fully recovered individuals (in German)

University policy

• University policy (in English)
  Please check this before setting foot on campus.
• Library policy (in English)
• Student cafeteria/café (Mensa) policy (in German)

• Types of test centres (many airports also have their own test centres)
• Specific test centres with links
• Full list of test centres

• Paul Ehrlich Institute (list of EU-recognised vaccines)
• How to get a vaccine (including boosters)
• Cologne-specific information
• How do I make an appointment at a doctor's practice? See the multilingual doctor infosheet in your WEX downloads.

For an overview of current regulations, please visit the Ministry of Health website. 

• 3G (one of the following)
  • Vaccinated (Geimpft)*
  • Recovered (Genesen)
  • Tested (Getestet) (antigen/quick test or PCR test)
• 3G plus (one of the following)
  • Vaccinated*
  • Recovered  
  • Tested (PCR test)
• 2G (one of the following)
  • Vaccinated*
  • Recovered
• 2G plus (one of the following)
  • Vaccinated* + boostered
  • Recovered + boostered
  • Vaccinated* + tested (antigen/quick test or PCR test)
  • Recovered + tested (antigen/quick test or PCR test)

*As defined by the Paul Ehrlich Institute.
** 2G & Johson & Johnson: a single shot of J&J does not qualify as 2G, please refer to the Paul Ehrlich Institute's website for further details.

We are currently planning on a traditional, in-person term. This also includes our Welcome Week, Orientation and Buddy Programme. Should this change, we will let students and coordinators know as quickly as possible.

In the past, we have been able to change to a hybrid and/or digital-only semester and we are prepared to do so if the situation requires. While students need to keep their home university schedules in mind, they are able to cancel their exchange with no penalty from our side until 31 March 2022. After submitting an application, they will be refunded the entire semester contribution (approx. € 290). Note that a transfer fee (approx. € 50) for non-EU students will apply. After 31 March, partial refunds are available on a sliding scale. Details will be provided after nominations are accepted in mid-November.

This means you have the flexibility to wait to make a decision until the semester start (1 April) gets closer.

Students are responsible for organising the logistical aspect of their stay. As optimistic as we may be, we still need to keep reality in mind. Since regulations change constantly, we strongly advise that you do not make any binding reservations for accommodation or travel until absolutely necessary.

Deciding to take part in a study abroad at any time is a personal decision and we will respect any decision you may make.

Please refer to the fact sheet 2021/22 and academic calender available here.

As you may have noticed, our academic calendar is slightly different from that of most universities. Our term starts later than most and therefore the processes that go into preparing the term take place later than you may be used to. This is normal and we make sure that you will have plenty of time to prepare for your exchange, including time for visa applications and accommodation search.

Don’t worry, once your nomination has been accepted, our team will guide you through this formality.

Please note that students are responsible for organising their own visa in a timely fashion. If this option applies to you, we recommend you apply for your visa after arriving in Germany. Check with your home university or local German consulate/embassy to see if this applies to you.

For mainland Chinese students: Please refer to our latest email correspondence.

For non EU-based students: Please check the following link for important updates: DAAD > Information for international scholarship holders and applicants

This is dependent on the current Corona Protection Ordinance NRW or when required for health and safety reasons.

• Cologne Tourism – General overview (in English)
• City of Cologne – Detailed COVID-19 regulations (in German)
• University policy (in English)

Please note that University regulations tend to be stricter than local or national ones. Please check this before setting foot on campus.

Details will be provided in your WEX downloads section closer to the start of the term. This includes but is not limited to lists of doctors, emergency contacts and general information.

Details are provided in your WEX downloads section.

Students are responsible for organising the logistical aspect of their stay. As optimistic as we may be, we still need to keep reality in mind. Since regulations may change constantly, we strongly advise that you do not make any binding reservations for accommodation or travel until absolutely necessary.

Our team is happy to help with documentation and general questions. However, we are not qualified to answer detailed questions about travel regulations. If you have any doubts about your ability to travel, please see 'Visas' above. 

Travel within Germany and Europe during an exchange is done at the student's own risk.

For general information, please see here.