Student Life at the
Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management
Visa and Residence Permit
Pre-Arrival: Visa regulations for international students taking up studies in Germany vary from country to country. International students should determine as early as possible at a German diplomatic representation in their home country (that is, embassy or consulate) if a visa for studies in Germany is required. (This will need to be done at least two months in advance of a departure for Germany.) If a visa is required, an international student must not enter Germany on a tourist status.
Upon Arrival – Residence Registration: After having arrived in Frankfurt, all students (including those who do not require a visa) must - within a week of their arrival - register with the city's "Einwohnermeldeamt" (Office for Registration of Residence). The registration confirmation serves as proof of address and you will need it, for example, when you open a bank account or want to register with a city library.
Address of the "Einwohnermeldeamt" (Office for Registration of Residence) for students living in Frankfurt: Bürgeramt (Zentrale), Zeil 3, 60313 Frankfurt am Main. The documents needed for residence registration include:
- Passport
- Rental contract (original)
- Admissions letter
- If available: Financial statement (bank statement/scholarship letter/guarantee by parents or other supporters) and proof of health insurance
Students living outside of Frankfurt should go to the local town hall ("Rathaus") to register their residence.
Upon Arrival – Visa Registration: Holders of an entry visa after completing the residence registration will need to convert their entry visa into a student visa at the "Ausländerbehörde" (Office for International Affairs). Students will need to provide evidence of being capable of supporting themselves financially (at a rate of approximately 600 Euro per month).
Address of the "Ausländerbehörde" (Office for International Affairs) for students living in Frankfurt: Ausländerbehörde Ordnungsamt, Mainzer Landstraße 323-329, 60326 Frankfurt am Main. The documents needed for visa registration include:
- Passport
- Photos (2, passport size)
- Rental contract (original)
- Residence registration
- Proof of health insurance
- Letter of admission from the Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management
- Proof of finanial status
Students living outside of Frankfurt should go to the local town hall ("Rathaus") to register their visa.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Please see the webpages of the individual GSEFM degree programs for further information concerning the tuition and financial aid policies pertaining to the individual degree programs.
Accommodation
GSEFM students are eligible to apply for a room in one of Goethe University’s dormitories. Students admitted to a GSEFM Program will find further information about this in their letter of admission. Those applying for a room in the dormitories should be aware, though, that demand for rooms typically far exceeds supply.
Although accommodations in general can be time-consuming to find in Frankfurt, there are several institutions whom you may wish to contact (unfortunately, some of these instiutions provide information in German language only). Please note that we cannot vouch for the quality or conditions of the accommodations listed.
Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau
(i) Martin-Luther-King-Haus
Henriette-Fürth Straße 2
60529 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 356909
(ii) Susanna von Klettenberg-Haus (Campus Westend)
Sioli Straße 7
60325 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 356909
Wohnheim GmbH
Waldschulstraße 20
65933 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 390060
GWH Gemeinnützige Wohnungsgesellschaft Hessen
Westerbachstraße 33
60489 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 975510
Bock Hausverwaltung
Im Vogelsgesang 28
60488 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 760027
Bauverein Katholische Studentenwohnheime
(i) Alfred Delp-Haus (Campus Westend)
Sioli Straße 7
60323 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 789882940
(ii) Friedrich-Dessauer-Haus
Friedrich-Wilhelm-von-Steuben-Straße 90
60488 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 78988290
(iii) Dernbach-Haus (reserved for doctoral students)
Westendplatz 30
60325 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 789 88290
In addition, offers from landlords owning individual rooms/apartments can be found on a board in front of Room 320 on the third floor of the "Sozial-Zentrum" at Goethe University Frankfurt. Goethe University furthermore runs a service center for students that can also be of help. The service center is located at Bockenheimer Landstraße 133, 60325 Frankfurt am Main. There are also various websites that list individual apartments/rooms for rent, and are particularly geared towards students. Among these are "Studenten WG" and "WG Gesucht".
The following institutions primarily offer (intermediation of) short-term accommodations:
City-Mitwohnzentrale
Hansaallee 2
60322 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 299050
HomeCompany Mitwohnzentrale
Berger Straße 27
60316 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 19445
Allgemeine Mitwohnzentrale
Oederweg 7
60388 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 95520892
Zimmer Schnelldienst Maier
Kaiserstraße 39
60329 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 233777
Finally, for the first few days in Frankfurt the local youth hostel (located in a nice area of Frankfurt along the Main river) is a good and cost-effective alternative:
Haus der Jugend
Deutschherrnufer 12
60594 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 69 6100150
jugendherberge_frankfurt@t-online.de
Health Insurance
All students must have valid health insurance coverage covering medical treatment in case of illness. German health insurance companies offer special student coverage, which at present runs approximately 65 Euro per month (for students under 30 years of age). Students from EU countries may keep their home country health insurance. Students from non-EU countries who do not possess health insurance coverage from their home country that is valid for Germany must acquire health insurance for Germany. The documents needed for registration with a health insurance company include:
- Passport
- Bank account
- Letter of admission from the Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management
We are not in a position to recommend any particular health insurance provider and urge you to shop around on your own. Please find below the addresses of some health insurance providers offering student health insurance:
AOK - Studenten-Service Frankfurt
Wildunger Straße 1
60487 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 7144968
AOK - Gesundheitskasse in Hessen
Battonnstraße 40
60258 Frankfurt
Phone: + 49 69 13633552
benjamincarlos.harris@he.aok.de
Barmer Ersatzkasse
Leipziger Straße 5
60487 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 21671470
IKK
Mendelssohnstraße. 43
60325 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 69 7560890
Techniker Krankenkrasse
Kölner Straße 73
60327 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: + 49 2251 941555
Cost of Living
Monthly living expenses for a student in Frankfurt typically run from 600 Euro to 700 Euro. Students living in a private, off-campus accommodation may see their expenses exceeding this amount by 100 Euro.
Enrolment Fees
Registration with the student services of Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, or TU Darmstadt (at present approximately 250 Euro per semester) entitles students inter alia to unlimited use of public transportation in the Frankfurt-Mainz-Darmstadt area.
Learning German
The curriculum of the Ph.D. Program in Economics does not require any German language skills. For international students interested in learning German, many private and state institutions and schools offer German courses, both in Germany and abroad. You may obtain a very good overview about learning German from the internet pages of the DAAD. There are plenty of language schools in Frankfurt, amongst them the Goethe Institut (which is not affiliated with Goethe University Frankfurt, though). Goethe University Frankfurt offers a pre-semester, one-month language and orientation course every year in March and in September for students having basic German language skills. For further information contact: International Office, Goethe University Frankfurt, Sozial-Zentrum, Room 527, Bockenheimer Landstraße 133, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Phone: +49 69 79825080; E-Mail: sommerfeld @em.uni-frankfurt.de (Edda von Sommerfeld). In addition, there are several German language courses organized and offered by the Center for International Studies of Goethe University Frankfurt, addressing students with different levels of knowledge of German. Their contact adress is: Internationales Studienzentrum, Goethe University Frankfurt, Sozial-Zentrum, Room 105, Bockenheimer Landstraße 133, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Phone: +49 69 798 25255; E-Mail: H.Dormann@em.uni-frankfurt.de (Helga Dormann).