How to become an exchange student at the WiSo Faculty

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Exchange students from universities that have a partnership with the WiSo Faculty can be nominated for their study abroad programme directly by their home university's exchange coordinators.

The WiSo Faculty does not accept freemovers, i.e. students from universities without an existing partnership with the WiSo Faculty. Students who are interested in completing their entire programme in Cologne are requested to get in touch with the WiSo Student Service.

Admission and enrolment

In order to be admitted to the WiSo Faculty, every student needs to be enrolled at the University of Cologne by registering individually through our WiSo Exchange Platform (WEX) and KLIPS 2.0 database (the teaching and exam service of the University of Cologne).

After successful nomination by your home university's coordinator on WEX and after the official nomination deadline has passed, students and their coordinators will receive a welcome email from ZIB WiSo. Students will also receive a separate email with their personal log-in data for WEX.
You will then be asked to confirm your acceptance via WEX by completing your personal information, exchange information, data security preferences and German language course preferences.
To complete your enrolment, you will also need to complete an application for admission form in the KLIPS 2.0 database and upload it to WEX. ZIB WiSo will inform you as soon as the database is activated for your exchange term.

To proceed with your enrolment, you will need to upload a single document to WEX. No other certificates, forms or transcripts are necessary. The submission deadline will be posted in WEX as well as under "application deadline" in the semester schedule.

Enrolment document
- Signed application for admission (generated on the University of Cologne’s KLIPS 2.0 database once it opens – students will be informed accordingly)
You can track your enrolment status throughout your stay via your individual WEX profile.

Letter of acceptance/visa

After confirmation of your personal details and the details of your exchange, you will receive an official letter of acceptance (LoA) from ZIB WiSo, which can then be downloaded from your WiSo Exchange Platform (WEX) profile. This document is proof of acceptance to the exchange programme and your formal invitation to Germany. Non-EU students in particular will need it for visa/residence permit purposes.

Please note that students are responsible for organising their own visa in a timely fashion (some procedures take months to complete).

Social contribution

After you have enrolled at the University of Cologne, you will receive a student ID (UCCard) along with a remittance slip. To complete your admission, you need to pay the social contribution of around € 315.

The social contribution is not a tuition fee but a solidarity contribution that enables all students to use student services such as the university restaurants/cafés and the sports facilities at reduced prices. The contribution also includes the cost of the NRW travel ticket, which provides you with free public transportation in and around Cologne. Please note, that it does not include health insurance. For questions regarding the payment of your social contribution, please refer to the KLIPS support team.

Compulsory health insurance

All incoming guest students are required to have valid health insurance. Proof, either in the form of a German health insurance policy or an exemption certificate, must be delivered to the University's International Office after your arrival when you pick up your UCCard.

If you live in an EU country or the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland or Norway, you probably have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC or GHIC) or your insurer at home will provide you with a health insurance document for abroad. Please bring it with you to Cologne in order to obtain an exemption certificate at one of the local health insurance companies.

If you do not come from an EU/EEA state, please request the relevant information from your health insurer. You may have to take out supplementary insurance for abroad. Further information can be found on WEX.

Activation of student IT account

After your social contribution fee has been paid, you will receive an email asking you to activate your Cologne student account. The ZIB WiSo Incomings Team will send you detailed information about this.

Once you have activated your student account, your status on KLIPS 2.0 will change from applicant to student . At this point, you will be able to register for your courses and exams during the respective registration periods.

Note, there are two separate registration periods – one for courses and one for exams.

Please log into KLIPS with your individualised student account from this point on.