Your start in Ilmenau

At the TU Ilmenau, lectures (including internships and exams) are always held face to face in presence.
It is possible that online lectures are offered in your study program. However, we cannot tell you exactly which subjects this applies to. This is because the lecturers are free to decide how they organize and hold their lectures.
Therefore, it is necessary totravel to Ilmenau in order to study. If there are any delays in your home country regarding the visa, you can find all important information here.

The corona situation in Germany is currently very relaxed, therefore there are almost no corona restrictions at the TU Ilmenau. (See Corona info page)
The library, mensa and counseling centers are open for you. The sports program is available without restrictions and cultural and recreational events take place on a large scale.

We are looking forward to welcoming you at the TU Ilmenau!

For international students in Ilmenau there are three different types of admission: direct admission, direct admission with obligations and admission with conditions. You can tell which type of admission you have received by which box is checked in the "Admission" section. Depending on this, it differs how you can start your studies.

If you have direct admission, you can enroll directly in the course of study and begin your studies. You can recognize a direct admission without obligations by the fact that none of the two boxes in the section "Admission" is checked.

In the case of an admission with obligations, you can enroll directly in the course of study. However, you must study other subjects in parallel. This is the only way you can graduate later.

With an admission with conditions you have to fulfil conditions before you can start your studies. A language requirement is considered to be fulfilled by presenting a recognised language certificate (C1 level) at the time of enrolment. You can choose where to take the language course or the exam to obtain the certificate. You do not necessarily have to take a course in Ilmenau. However, enrolment as an APC student (= pre-subject student) is only possible if you complete the language course in Ilmenau.
If you have to fulfill subject-related conditions (master suitability), master APC courses are available for this purpose. They take place on site in Ilmenau and are not offered online.
You can find further information at www.tu-ilmenau.de/apc

Please be aware, that you will need additional time to fulfil the conditions. In total you are allowed to take maximum 4 semesters for academic preparation.

Please note: This information only applies to enrollment for the summer semester 2023. If you want to enroll for the winter semester, please see here.

Enrolment also differs depending on which admission you have received (see above).

For students with direct admission (with and without obligations) to a degree program: Send an e-mail to the ASC at registration@tu-ilmenau.de, stating that you wish to matriculate. They will email you a list of all required documents. (See "Info Documents" for more information.) Once you have collected and completed these documents, return them to the ASC. After the ASC has received all the documents and you have paid the semester fee, you will receive your certificate of enrollment. If you pay promptly, this process will take approximately two weeks.

For students with an admission with conditions to the APC (Academic Preparation Courses): If you have to fulfil conditions before you are allowed to matriculate in your subject studies, you can matriculate online as an APC student in the status of academic preparation. The conditions you have to fulfil can be found on the second page of your admission letter. A distinction is made here between language APC and Master APC.

• In case of a language APC, send an e-mail to info@tu-ilmenau-service.de or inform yourself on the pages of the TU Ilmenau Service GmbH. Here you will get information about the courses and your study plan.
• For a Master APC, please contact the Central Institute for Education (ZIB) at apc@tu-ilmenau.de.

In both cases you have to sign a Learning Agreement. For your language course this is only possible after you have taken the placement test. You need the Learning Agreement to be able to enrol.

For incoming exchange/double students: Please contact our incoming coordination via incoming@tu-ilmenau.de.

Important: Your enrollment can only be completed successfully if you have paid the semester fee.
The amount you have to pay is shown in the applicant portal. Please transfer the amount and adhere exactly to the specified information for the intended purpose. Otherwise it may happen that your payment cannot be matched. It is not possible to pay the semester fee in cash.

You will only have access to the courses once your enrolment has been completed.

Here we have compiled some important dates for you that you should not miss:

• Start of the semester: October 1, 2022
• Induction Week (Erstiwoche): October 2, 2022 - October 9, 2022
• Master's introduction days: October 4, 2022 - October 7, 2022
• Start of lectures: October 10, 2022
• Deadline for enrollment: October 30, 2022
• Christmas break: December 19, 2022 - January 1, 2023
• Exam registration: January 11, 2023 - January 18, 2023
• End of lectures: February 3, 2023
• Exams: February 13, 2023 - March 31, 2023

More dates especially from we4you can be found in our event calendar

Here we have compiled some important dates for you that you should not miss:

• Master's introduction days: March 30, 2023 - March 31, 2023
• Start of the semester: April 1, 2023
• Start of lectures: April 3, 2023
• Deadline for enrollment: April 30, 2023
• Exam registration: June 21, 2023 - June 28, 2023
• End of lectures: July 14, 2023
• Exams: July 24, 2023 - August 19, 2023

More dates especially from we4you can be found in our event calendar

If you are looking for short-term accommodation because you arrive before your actual apartment move-in date, you can find more information here.

The sooner you start looking for an apartment, the better. It's best to start as soon as you get your admission, because you don't automatically get a room in a dormitory with your admission!
Basically, you have the option of living on campus or in the city.

Finding accommodation on campus is the easiest option. You have to contact the Studierendenwerk and apply online. Here you can find more information about the application and the available rooms in Ilmenau. (Don't forget to select "Ilmenau"!).
Important: If you have accepted an offer of accomodation from the Studierendenwerk, you have to pay the first rent by bank transfer before your arrival. The deposit (300€), on the other hand, must be paid on site in Ilmenau.

Besides the dormitories of the Studierendenwerk, there are dormitories of theCJD e.V. at the upper end of the campus, which are also furnished and quite cheap. You can get more information on the homepage of the CJD or by mail.
In addition, the CJD also offers a guest house that is particularly suitable for short stays (for example, if your actual apartment is not yet available). Information about this can be found on the CJD guest house website or by mail.

If you prefer to live in the city, there are many different options. Ilmenau has two large housing areas that are run by a municipal company and a cooperative. Apartments here are usually quite cheap but mostly unfurnished. You can find the two landlords here (IWG) and here (WBG). There are also two large real estate agencies (Marek Schramm Immobilien, Wolf + Fabig Immobilien) that rent out private apartments. However, the rents here are significantly higher than those of the Studierendenwerk, as the apartments are not aimed exclusively at students.
You can also search online portals such as WG gesucht,  e-bay Kleinanzeigen, immo-scout24 and Wohnungsbörse for apartments.

Note: For some years now, the city of Ilmenau is also including many smaller towns (Manebach, Langewiesen, ...) in the surrounding area (so called "Ortsteile"). When searching, check carefully whether your new apartment is really close to the campus ("Kernstadt") or in one of the surrounding towns. These are difficult to reach by bus or bicycle, especially in winter, and some of them do not offer good shopping facilities.

In Germany, it is obligatory for all students to have health insurance. Without the appropriate proof, you cannot enrol.

Usually, contributions are due for the health insurance. Which insurances you can or should take depends on your admission and your age. It also depends on whether you arrive at the beginning of your studies or later. From the moment you are matriculated, the insurance obligation comes into force. You are only exempt from compulsory insurance if you do not stay in Ilmenau for the entire duration of your studies. This is the case, for example, if you are studying at a distance.

You can find more information on our health-insurance-leaflet.

The earlier, the better! We recommend coming to Ilmenau at least two weeks before the first courses start. This will allow you to settle in and take care of the necessary formalities. As a participant of the language APC, please note that you have to be in Ilmenau in time for the language courses, as they are only offered in presence!

Before you start your journey, prepare all necessary documents in printed and digital form. The documents must cover all requirements for entry, residence registration in Ilmenau, registration at the university and application for a residence permit. You can download a detailed overview of which documents you need below in the section Information documents.

To support you directly after your arrival in Ilmenau (and during the Corona-pandemic also online), we offer the we4you Buddy-program. Buddies are usually students who have been studying here for some time and have volunteered to help you get started. We will do our best to get a buddy for everyone who applies. The sooner you sign up, the better chance you have of making it work for you. The Buddy Program is of course free of charge.

Here you can find all information about the buddy program.

You can register online using the registration form.

You always want to be informed about all important things on campus? Which events are coming up? Which dates should I not miss for my studies? When is the next holiday?

You can find out all this by subscribing tothe we4you info mailing list. In addition to our weekly we4you newsletter, you will also receive announcements of the most important events, dates and changes.
You can freely decide to which e-mail address the news should be sent.
Just visit this website and fill in the two fields at the bottom. You will then receive a mail with a confirmation link. Click on it and complete the registration.

You will always be well informed!

There are various ways to get to Ilmenau. You can find an overview here.

Most likely you will take the train to Ilmenau. This train is waiting at Erfurt main station on platform 7. Make sure that you are in a car with "Ilmenau" on the line display. After that you can sit relaxed for a while. Caution: There are several stops with "Ilmenau" in the name. Stay calm and don't get off the train too early, you will recognize the right stop by the additional English announcement.

You can buy tickets for the train either online or on the platform.

For many things you need internet, which may not work with your mobile phone SIM-Card in Germany or may be very expensive. Access to open and free WiFi is possible in many public places in Germany, e.g. at airports, train stations and tourist places and even in some trains. Many supermarkets now also offer free WiFi in their stores.

Some WiFi hotspots in Germany are operated by Telekom and you have to pay for them. However, you can usually surf for free for a short time. You can do this at Erfurt train station, for example.

In Ilmenau, you will find free WiFI at these places in addition to the WiFi at the university:

• Ice rink: directly opposite the Ilmenau train station (Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 34).
• City center: around the city hall (Am Markt)
• Kaufland (supermarket): in the supermarket opposite Ilmenau train station and the ice rink

Without an address in Germany you won't really get ahead. Therefore, you should sign your lease as soon as possible. If you live on campus, you can do this at the Studierendenwerk in Haus B, Max-Planck-Ring 9, 98693 Ilmenau. Please contact the dormitory administration beforehand (Ute Ludwig, +493677-691917).

If you do not live in an apartment of the Studierendenwerk, contact your landlord and make an appointment to sign the contract.

In both cases, make sure that you get the original contract and the so-called "Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung".

With this certificate you can officially register at the city of Ilmenau as a resident. To do this, you have to go to the Residents' registration office in the town hall. You can find out which other documents you need to bring with you in our overview (see "Information documents").

As soon as you are registered, you can leave your new address wherever it is needed (health insurance, matriculation, ...).

All students (except for short stays) from non-EU countries have to open a bank account at a European (EU) bank for payments, direct debits or salary transfers.

You can do this in Ilmenau at one of these bank branches, for example:

• Commerzbank (Schwanitzstraße 1)
• Postbank (Lindenstraße 2)
• Sparkasse Arnstadt-Ilmenau (Homburger Platz/An der Sparkasse 1-3)
• VR-Bank Südthüringen (Street of Peace 19)

If you should be rejected at a bank, we would like to apologize for it vicariously. Please try another bank branch.

Besides branch banks, online banks can also be a good option to open an account quickly. In case of problems, however, you have no personal contact on site. To open an account at an online bank you have to prove your identity, usually at a post office or by video call, for example via Postident online. Unfortunately, not all countries' passports are accepted here.

You can find out which documents you need to open an account in our overview (see Information documents).

Your visa is only valid for a limited period of time. It is therefore essential that you apply for a residence permit before your visa expires. Apply in time, about 8 weeks before your visa expires.

Follow the steps below:

• Ask for an appointment at the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde) of the county by emailing them at abh@ilm-kreis.de.
• You will receive an email from the foreigners' authority with links and a list of all the necessary documents for the extension and an appointment. You can also find an overview of the required documents in the info sheet on important documents (see "Information documents").
• You can get the application form for a residence permit online via the link in the e-mail from the foreigners' authority. Fill out the form and bring all necessary documents to the appointment. Changes in the procedure by Corona are possible, but will be communicated by the foreigners' authority.

Every person living in Germany has to pay the so-called Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting fee). This is a contribution to finance the public television and radio stations and their online offerings.
You must therefore register your apartment on the website www.rundfunkbeitrag.de.
If you don't do this, you will receive letters after some time asking you to make a back-payment. Do not ignore these letters, otherwise you will have to face penalties and legal consequences!

Tip: In a shared flat (WG) you can share the contribution with your flatmates by registering with the contribution number of the WG (more precisely: the main payer).
To do this, you first register personally with the contribution service using this form. Then you wait for a letter in which you will receive your contribution number and a request for payment. Now go to the online deregistration form, enter your contribution number and choose as reason for deregistration that you move to another contribution payer. You then give your share of the broadcasting fee to the person who is already paying.

You can find more information about when and how much you have to pay here.

We have summarized all important information about the boradcasting fee on this poster.

Every student of the TU Ilmenau receives a personal email account together with the university account.

As a rule, the e-mail address is composed of the following pattern:
surname.lastname@tu-ilmenau.de
If there are several first or last names, they are appended to each other with a hyphen.

You can access your mailbox via the portal webmail.tu-ilmenau.de. This is the so-called "Webmailer".
For most students this possibility to read and write e-mails should be sufficient.
Of course, you can also integrate your university e-mail address into an external mail program (also on your smartphone). You can find more detailed information here.

Important: Always use your university e-mail address for all university matters. Also, check your mailbox regularly (preferably daily), as this is where you will receive official and important information from the university, examination offices and lecturers!

Here we have summarized some tips for you on how to formulate emails.

1. information for normally enrolled students (both face-to-face and online courses)

The directory of all lectures, seminars, courses, etc. (Vorlesungsverzeichnis) is called "Opentimetable" in Ilmenau. All students enrolled in a normal course of study at the TU Ilmenau (i.e. not APC or exchange students) have to retrieve their timetable themselves.

1. To create your timetable, open Opentimetable and you will see a menu bar on the left and a calendar on the right. On your smartphone, you will only see the menu.
2. Click on the globe icon in the upper right corner and select English as language.
3. Select "Student Set" in the drop-down menu "Select a timetable type". Another drop-down menu"Select a department" appears. Select the faculty where your course of studies is located (see abbreviations for opentimetable).
4. Now select your degree programme from the list using the checkbox. Then click on the green text/button at the bottom.
5. On your smartphone you will see another page with display options. You do not have to make any settings here. Click on "Done".
6. You will now see a calendar view and the respective events of your study program. With the view options you can change further details in the display or switch to a list view.

Note 1:
By default, the display is always for exactly one week. If you don't see any events, make sure that you are in a lecture week.
With the grey arrow buttons in the upper right corner you can jump between the weeks.

Note 2:
You will see all courses that are available for your study program, even from elective modules all options are shown. Of course you only have to participate in the courses you have actually chosen. Therefore, not all dates displayed are relevant for you. We therefore recommend that you compile your own timetable based on the opentimetable, for example using Excel or by hand.

2. information for APC students (Academic Preparation Courses).

Language APC: You can get information about your courses and your study plan from TU Ilmenau Service GmbH (info@tu-ilmenau-service.de).

Master APC: Information about your courses and study plan can be obtained from the Central Institute for Education (ZIB) (apc@tu-ilmenau.de).

Further information can be found at: www.tu-ilmenau.de/apc.

3. information for exchange/double degree students

Please contact our incoming coordinator, Mr. Ludwig Merker via email at incoming@tu-ilmenau.de for information about your courses.

What is Moodle?

At the TU Ilmenau Moodle is used in many courses to support face-to-face and online teaching. Moodle is a learning management system and provides digital course rooms. In these course rooms you can find working materials such as lecture slides and/or scripts, but also forums for exchanging learning content and interactive quizzes and tests can be taken. Very often lecturers require homework, assignments and similar results to be submittedvia Moodle for assessment.

Find Moodle and log in

You can access the learning platform at www.moodle2.tu-ilmenau.de. To log in , use the credentials of your university account. After successful login you will see your personal dashboard.

How do I find a Moodle course and enrol?

Normally your lecturer will tell you when he/she is using Moodle. They will usually show you the name of the course. To find this course on Moodle, first log in.

On your dashboard you now click on the button "Zu allen Kursen". On the next page you can either enter the name of the course in the search field or search for it in the list. The list is sorted by faculties and institutes. (Abbreviations of the faculties).

When you have found  your course, click on it. Now proceed as follows:

• Course without enrollment key You don't need a password to join the course. Click on the button "Enrol".
• Course with enrolment key Your lecturer will give you a password which you need to enrol in the course. Enter this password in the field provided and click on the button "Enrol". Note: If you have forgotten your password, ask your fellow students first if possible before you contact your lecturer.

You will now see the course room and can familiarize yourself with it. Furthermore the course now appears in the overview on your dashboard.

How do I structure my dashboard?

Your personal overview page can quickly become very confusing. That's why there are a few ways you can clean it up .

For example, you can use a dropdown menu to select which courses are displayed on the dashboard (favorites, only current courses, etc.). You can also change the sorting of the courses.

You can also choose the way the courses are displayed. For a better overview you can use the list view .

Where can I find further information?

On this page in the intranet you can find instructions and videos on various topics.

If you have questions about the content of a Moodle course, please contact your lecturer.

Cisco Webex is the video conferencing software used at TU Ilmenau for lectures, courses and much more. Every student can use this software to participate in virtual meetings or to organize meetings themselves.

Webex works either in your browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari) or if you have downloaded the software to your PC, Mac or smartphone. We recommend downloading it as you will be able to use more features.

After the installation you have to login at Webex. Enter your university email address (surname.lastname@tu-ilmenau.de) in the text field. You will be redirected to another login page. Here you have to enter your university user ID ( e.g. abxy1020) and the password of your university account. The window will close and you are automatically logged in to Webex.

In Webex there are two different ways to organize or participate in meetings.

1. Your personal meeting room
   Every student has his or her own personal meeting room.
   You can open this meeting room in the software by clicking on "Start meeting".
   You can join another personal meeting room by entering "firstname.lastname" of the respective person in the search field of Webex. This option is good for spontaneous meetings.
2. An Organized Meeting Appointment
   In addition to the meeting room, you can also create  meeting appointments.
   To do this, you need to go to the TU Webex website and log in.
   The rest of the process and what options are available here are described on the Webex Meeetings help page.
   To join  an organized meeting appointment, simply click on the respective meeting link from the invitation.

In both cases, before joining a meeting, a preview window will appear where you can set your camera image and sound.
If everything is alright, click on the "Join Meeting" button and you're ready to go!

For detailed instructions, visit the official Webex Meeetings help page.

All students enrolled at the TU Ilmenau receive the so-called Thoska (abbreviation for Thüringer Hochschul- und Studierendenwerkskarte). It is either sent to you by letter or you can pick it up in person at the ASC during the  Opening hours. The Thoska is not only your student ID, but also a chip card with many different functions:

• Student ID
• ticket for the semester ticket
• Payment card
• Library card
• Key card

Thoska as students' ID card

By showing your Thoska you can prove that you are a student at the TU Ilmenau both at the university and outside (swimming pool, museum, etc.). Therefore you have to validate your Thoska before each new semester. During validation, the date imprinted on the front of the card is renewed and the validity of the Thoska is extended. This is done at a specially designed terminal. You can find such terminals in the Humboldt Building, UniRZ, ASC and the university library. You can see how the validation works in this video. The validation only works if you have successfully re-registered for the new semester, i.e. if you have paid the semester fee.

Thoska as semester ticket

The Thoska also serves as a ticket for the semester ticket. With the ticket, which you paid together with the semester fee for the university, you can use the whole regional traffic of Thuringia, which is served by the German railway and the Südthüringenbahn/Erfurter Bahn. Instead of buying a ticket, you only have to show your Thoska at the ticket control. On the website of the student council you can find all important information about the semester ticket.
Important: The Thoska is not a ticket for the bus lines in Ilmenau!

Thoska as a payment card

On campus you can use the Thoska to pay at many places. For example, in the refectory and the library, but also at printers or the washing machines in the dormitories. For this you have to load money on your Thoska before the first payment. There are so-called "Aufwerter" in the Humboldt Building, the Röntgen Building, the University Library and the Mensa. You can use your bank card to transfer money to your Thoska. If you want to transfer cash to the Thoska, you can only do this in the Mensa (please note the opening hours!). As soon as you have transferred money to the Thoska, it is stored as a credit and you can use it to pay.

Thoska as library card

On the back of the Thoska there is a barcode and a number. This allows the university library and you to use the Thoska as a library card. The prerequisite is that you have registered at the university library. Online access to papers, journals and other library services is also possible without Thoska card. You can find all information about this on the website of the university library.

Thoska as key card

The Thoska can also be used as an electronic key for some rooms at the university, but also for barriers and access to the student houses of the Studierendenwerk. As a normal student, however, you will rarely use this function. And when you do, you will be made familiar with it.

Currently, entry restrictions apply only to persons who have stayed in China.

Otherwise, there are no restrictions.

Wearing masks is compulsory on public transport, i.e. trains and buses. Since the regulations vary throughout Germany, we recommend a mask with the KN95/N95 or FFP2 standards (see here). This way you are on the safe side, both legally and from a health point of view.

You must wear the mask correctly over your mouth and nose for the entire journey.

Try to keep a sufficient distance to other passengers in the means of transport and do not stand in passageways, for example.

Currently there are no more legal restrictions when shopping.
However, we still recommend wearing a surgical mask, FFP2 or (K)N95 mask for your own protection.

There are now many different types of protective masks. The names sometimes differ from country to country.

A detailed overview of the most common mask types including pictures can be found on our Corona info page.

Do you have questions about getting here or starting your studies that we haven't answered on this website?

No problem, twice a week we have our online Q&A-sessions where you can digitally join and get your questions out.

• Monday, 10:00 a.m.
  Meeting Link
• Thursday, 3:00 p.m.
  Meeting Link

Timezone: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rom, Stockholm, Wien (CET/CEST)

In the meeting room, personal contact persons from we4you are waiting for you and your questions :)

After your arrival in Ilmenau you are not alone. The we4you student service is there for you to answer all your questions about your stay. In addition, there is a large we4you community of advisors, tutors and buddies. You can find an overview of the we4you services here and on our team page.

Subscribe to the we4you info mailing list to regularly receive up-to-date and important information for international students.

You can also find and follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram.

It's perfectly normal to have some questions at the beginning. Depending on their nature, you will need to contact different people.

• Questions about enrolment:
  Please contact registration@tu-ilmenau.de
  Or look here Quicklinks Enrolment
• Questions about preparation courses (APC):
  Please direct your questions to apc@tu-ilmenau.de.
  More information: www.tu-ilmenau.de/apc
• Questions about arrival, stay, etc.:
  Please contact the student service we4you.
  You can find all contact persons here.
• Questions about the organization of your studies:
  Stephan Fischer is available for you.
  He is a member of the international student advisory service .

Do not hesitate to ask us your questions. This is the only way we can help you!

Here you can find an overview of important documents which you can print out and which should make your start in Ilmenau easier:

Checklist for your start in Ilmenau (15.09.2022)

Overview "which documents for what?" (24.08.2022)

Overview emergency numbers (16.08.2022)