Preparing your stay at htw saar: Getting ready for Saarbrücken

Pre-requisite for the online enrolment is to have sufficient health insurance cover. For the online enrolment procedure (see information below) all accepted exchange students need to contact one of the German statutory health insurance funds, inform them about their upcoming enrolment and their health insurance status will be assessed wether being sufficient or not. If the assessment is positive, the health insurance fund will transmit a digital notification to the university which will be matched to their enrolment application form. 
Sufficient health insurance is a pre-requisite for the online-enrolment procedure (see below). Find more details about health insurance here.

Please wait for our email in which we will inform you how to register and log in to the online platform SIM. Our English user guide and video will assist you step by step. Students who come for the summer semester, will be contacted in February. Students who study at htw saar during the winter semester, will receive it in August.

After you have submitted your online enrolment application form, you need to transfer the semester fee (winter semester 2026/27: 363,30 EUR). Please wait for our email regarding the online enrolment (see above). In our enrolment guide you will find the payment details (IBAN, reference, etc.)
Kindly note: 
The semester fee is not a tuition fee, but a mandatory social fee charged to all students. It covers: 

• Free public transport in whole Germany: you will receive the so-called 'Deutschlandsemesterticket' for regional trains, busses and trams in Germany
• Access to the sports and cultural facilities
• Access to the food services and other student services. 

Students from countries participating in the European IBAN bank transfer systems will be required to transfer the money in advance. We strongly recommend that students from other countries that do not participate in the IBAN system, open a bank account with an online bank! If this is not possible, we may arrange that the amount can be paid in cash at the htw saar’s cashiers office after their arrival (let us know beforehand if you need to proceed this way). 

You can let us know if you would like one of our Student Buddies to pick you up from the arrival destinations in Saarbrücken (bus or train station). Please wait for our email when to submit the form in our online portal MoveOn.

• Personal identification card or passport
• Student identity card from your home institution
• Only for students from EU and EFTA member states: European Health Insurance Card (EHIC or similar documents, see also Information Sheet Health Insurance on www.htwsaar.de/incoming ->Additional sources of information)
• Only for students from non-EU/non-EFTA countries with a health insurance coverage that has been assessed as sufficient for enrolment at the German university (= proof of exemption): health insurance card or documents from health insurance provider (more information, see health insurance)
• Electronic file of small ('passport sized') picture: required for the online enrolment (jpg or jpeg format)
• Sufficient Euros for the first few days (in some places, students may pay the deposit or first rent cash, not all shops, e.g. bakeries accept digital payment for goods under 10€)
• Visa/REST (only for exchange students with citizenship from outside EU)

By law, you must register your address within two weeks at the "Einwohnermeldeamt" or "Bürgeramt." You need to register in person with a prior appointment. If your new address is in Saarbrücken, go to the Bürgeramt (Bürgeramt City, Gerberstraße 4). If you live outside Saarbrücken, check which office is responsible for your area.

Typically, German is the main language in these offices and on the websites. If you are fluent in German, book an appointment at the Bürgeramt in Saarbrücken on https://terminvergabe.saarbruecken.de/. Select "Meldeangelegenheiten" and then "Wohnsitz-Anmeldung Zuzug aus dem Ausland" if this is your first flat after arriving from your home country. Every morning, new slots will be made available. Take the following documents to the appointment:
- ID or passport
- Visa (if applicable)
- Rental contract and the "Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung" signed by your landlord
- Marriage certificate or birth certificates of children if relevant. Ensure these certificates are displayed in at least one main European language (German, French, English, Spanish).

Walk-in without prior appointment is possible on Wednesdays between 7:30 and 11.30h. For students who are not profiecent in German, our student tutors will offer appointments and assist them in filling the forms beforehand. You will receive more details in the informational session/Welcome during the first week of the intensive German course.

Please note: registering your address is a prerequisite of opening a bank account and getting the residence permit (students with visa issues).



What is the Tax ID Number and what is it for?
After your first registration at the Residents’ Registration Office, a notification is sent to the Federal Central Tax Office. Your German Tax ID Number is then issued and sent via standard post to your registered address within approximately two weeks. The Tax ID Number is essential when opening a German bank account or working alongside your studies. Also, provide this number to your German health insurance.

Note: The Tax ID Number is different from the Tax Number ("Steuernummer"). When you submit a tax return in Germany, you will be issued a Tax Number by the local tax office ("Finanzamt") in your area.

If you don't have an IBAN bank account, we recoomend to open a bank account with an online bank as opening an account with a German bank currently takes quite long (3 to 4 weeks!). Compare banks for better service and lower fees. Selected banks in Saarbrücken include Sparkasse Saarbrücken, Commerzbank, Targobank, Deutsche Bank, and Bank 1 Saar.

Documents needed:
- Personal identification card or passport
- Proof of address registration from the "Bürgeramt" (Anmeldebescheinigung)
- Tax ID Number ("Persönliche Steuer-Identifikationsnummer")
- If it is a special offer for students, also your htw saar enrolment certificate ("Immatrikulationsbescheinigung")

What is the Sozialversicherungsnummer and what is it for?
The "Sozialversicherungsnummer" is required for employers to deduct pension contributions from your paycheck. If you have a student job, send this number to your employer. Apply for the number through Deutsche Rentenversicherung or a German "Krankenkasse" if you have an EHIC card or private health insurance.

You will receive the "Sozialversicherungsnummer" on a document called "Sozialversicherungsausweis" by post to your German address, typically within two weeks.

Register at the central Saarland Immigration Authority by appointment only. Contact Ausländerbehörde Lebach for an appointment and bring the required documents.

Address:
Ausländerbehörde Lebach
Dillinger Str. 67/2
66822 Lebach
Phone: (+49) (0)681- 50100
zab@lava.saarland.de
www.saarland.de/lava/DE/home/Abteilungen/Abteilung2.html

Required documents:
- Passport (with visa)
- Certificate of matriculation at htw saar (Immatrikulations-Bescheinigung)
- Health insurance certification
- Rental agreement
- Proof of registration from the "Bürgeramt" (Anmeldebescheinigung)
- Proof of scholarships (if applicable)
- Proof of financial means for covering your daily life 
- Money to pay application fees for a temporary residence permit (around 130€)

Additional documents may be required; inquire about specifics when making the appointment. Expect the actual appointment to be 10 to 12 weeks later after contacting them.
More information, see visa and entry information.

Being able to spend time abroad is an incredible opportunity. Taste the local dishes, explore the culture, take lots of photos, make new friends, visit a cat café, you get the point…

Check out what there is to do in and around Saarbrücken, ask your Student Buddies for some advice or join the events and excursions during our Welcome Weeks and during the semester (see: semester program).