Guidelines for Visiting Researchers

The University of Wuppertal has published guidelines on the admission of visiting researchers, which you can find in the downloads section.

Visa

A visa entitles the holder to enter the Federal Republic of Germany and must be applied for in the country of your current residence prior to entry. The relevant diplomatic missions of the Federal Republic of Germany are responsible for processing these applications. You can find a list of diplomatic missions here.

Whether or not you require a visa to enter Germany depends on your nationality. The Visa Navigator quickly and easily determines the correct visa for your entry into and stay in Germany.

 

If you are a national of an EU Member State, you do not require a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany. In this case, you are only required to register with the Residents’ Registration Office if your stay exceeds 3 months.

If you are a national of a non-EU country, you generally require a visa to stay in Germany. There are different types of visa depending on the length and nature of your stay.

Please check the Federal Foreign Office website to see whether you require a visa to enter Germany:

List of countries subject to visa requirements

Visa for research purposes under Section 18d of the Residence Act

The Researcher’s visa is intended for researchers from non-EU countries who plan to stay in Germany for more than three months.

You are considered a researcher if you hold a doctoral degree or an appropriate higher education qualification that grants access to doctoral programmes (Article 3 of Directive (EU) 2016/801)

Doctoral candidates from third countries may also obtain a residence permit for the purpose of research. This is subject to the condition that the doctoral thesis is being written under an employment contract with a research institution in Germany. If the research activity forms part of a full-time doctoral programme, only a student visa can be issued.

The university of Wuppertal is registered with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) as a recognised research institution. We can therefore, under certain conditions, offer entry on a researcher’s visa.

To apply for a researcher’s visa, you will need the following documents:

  • Letter of acceptance (see Download Centre) for carrying out a research project with the university of Wuppertal
  • A statement from the research institution confirming that costs will be covered by public authorities
  • Adequate health insurance cover
  • proof of sufficient means of support

Please check with the relevant authority in your home country in advance to find out exactly what the visa requirements, procedures and necessary documents/forms are, as these may vary depending on your country of origin. In some countries, for example, a visa fee is charged.

Further information on the procedure can be found under ‘Hosting Agreement’ (see below).

Schengen visa

The Schengen visa is for shorter stays of less than 3 months. It may be a viable alternative, as it also allows you to travel to other Schengen states (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic and Hungary).

The Schengen visa is mainly suitable for (tourist) visits and short business trips.

Please note: If you plan to stay in Germany for longer than 3 months, you must not enter the country on a Schengen visa under any circumstances, as it cannot be extended and you will have to leave the country after 3 months!

The admission agreement is a contract under private law and is intended to facilitate the swift acquisition of a visa and, subsequently, a residence permit as a researcher (Section 18d of the Residence Act (AufenthG)). In this procedure, there is no requirement to submit a letter of invitation or an employment contract, nor is the approval of the local immigration authority or a labour market test required.

As a research institution recognised by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), the university of Wuppertal may conclude an admission agreement with researchers from non-EU countries; this is particularly recommended in the case of a planned appointment as a research assistant. Further information is available on the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) website.

In accordance with Section 38a(5) of the Residence Regulation (AufenthV), once an admission agreement has been concluded, the University of Wuppertal is obliged to notify the BAMF without delay of any cessation of research activities or any changes (see information sheet ‘ : Notification and reporting obligations of research institutions’ in the Download Centre).

The admission agreement form can also be found in the Download Centre.

The admission agreement must be completed in German and may also be supplemented in English.

Only the rector is authorised to sign admission agreements on behalf of the University!

The International Centre is responsible for reviewing the documents required for the conclusion of an admission agreement and for submitting them to the rector for signature.

Please note that the process of concluding an admission agreement can take at least 14 days. It is therefore advisable to make arrangements well in advance.

 

Documents to be submitted

You must submit the following documents in advance by email to Ms Isaeva at the International Centre ( isaeva{at}uni-wuppertal.de ) for review:

  • Copy of passport
  • CV
  • Health insurance covering the entire duration of your stay (see below for further information)
  • Proof of sufficient financial means (if you do not have an employment contract or a scholarship).
  • Official scholarship award letter (if applicable; if not in German or English, please have it translated)
  • Letter of invitation from the faculty

Proof of sufficient financial means

The granting of both the visa and the residence permit is subject, in particular, to the researcher’s means of support being secured.

In principle, it is also possible to conclude a hosting agreement even if the researcher is not financing their stay through either an employment contract or a scholarship. In this case, they must provide evidence that they have sufficient personal funds.

Proof of secure means of support is usually provided in this case via a so-called blocked account. A blocked account is comparable to a savings account with sufficient funds and a blocking clause in favour of the Foreigners’ Registration Office.

From 1 January 2023, approximately 11,208.00 € per year/ approx. €5,604.00 per half-year as the standard allowance for students; in this case, no more than approx. €934.00 may be withdrawn from the account each month, and this restriction can only be lifted with the consent of the Immigration Authority. The amount applicable to you depends on the local cost of living and may therefore be higher. This is usually assessed by the Foreigners’ Registration Office.

From September 2024, this amount is expected to increase to €11,904.00 for 12 months, with a maximum withdrawal limit of €992.00 per month.

Further information on the restricted account and a list of banks offering restricted accounts throughout Germany can be found here.

Legal framework governing the entry and residence of international students and researchers.

Overview of possible residence permits for researchers from third countries under the Residence Act.

Proof of sufficient financial resources

In order to obtain a researcher’s visa or a corresponding residence permit, visiting researchers must prove that they have sufficient means to support themselves for the duration of their stay.

Please note that the minimum amount required to cover living costs may vary depending on your country of origin. We therefore recommend that you check the exact requirements in good time with the relevant German diplomatic mission abroad.

The following options are available:

Many visiting scholarships are funded by grants (e.g. from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the DAAD or international funding bodies). You must submit the official grant award letter. It is important that this states the exact monthly amount of the grant and the precise duration of the funding.

Here you will find various funding programmes available to visiting researchers.

Funding opportunities for PhD students at BUW can be found here.

An employment contract with the university of Wuppertal also counts as proof of sufficient financial means, provided that the salary is sufficient to cover living expenses. To apply for the admission agreement and for a visa, a concrete draft contract or a letter of offer of employment is sufficient for the time being.

If you are funding your stay entirely yourself (e.g. during an unpaid research semester or sabbatical) or need to top up a scholarship that is insufficient, a blocked account may be an option.

You pay a fixed total amount into a special bank account. Only a maximum amount set by the state (known as the ‘standard allowance’) can be withdrawn from this account each month. The bank’s confirmation that this account has been set up serves as a guarantee for the authorities.

The required amount for a blocked account in Germany for the year 2026 is €11,904. This deposit ensures that international students can withdraw €992 per month over a period of 12 months to cover their living costs, which is a prerequisite for being granted a German visa.

You can find more information about the blocked account here.

There are also other forms of evidence which – provided they meet the requirements – may also be accepted. These include, for example, an employment contract with your home university which continues during your stay in Germany. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us; we will check your evidence.

Insurance

All persons visiting Germany are legally required to take out health insurance, including visiting academics and researchers.

Visiting academics with an employment contract

Statutory health insurance applies from the start of employment in Germany and from the commencement of the employment contract. If you arrive earlier, you must take out private health insurance until the start of your employment, until you can switch to statutory health insurance.

 

Visiting academics without an employment contract

Researchers can only be covered by statutory health insurance in certain cases. An application for statutory health insurance can be made up to three months after arrival if the person previously held only travel health insurance. The start date of membership depends on the start of the research assignment and is only possible as voluntary insurance.

You can find out how the contributions for voluntary statutory health insurance are calculated here: I am not in employment and am voluntarily insured. How much is my contribution? – Die Techniker

Under certain conditions, family members may be covered under contribution-free family insurance. Which family members can I include in my cover free of charge? | Die Techniker (tk.de)

In addition, there are many other scenarios in which researchers can access statutory health insurance or remain insured in their home country.
For example, family cover, previous periods of insurance under a statutory health insurance scheme within Europe, or being a national of a country with a reciprocal agreement:

Our employee comes from a country covered by a bilateral agreement. What do we need to bear in mind as an employer? | Die Techniker – Corporate Clients (tk.de)

IMPORTANT note regarding the group of researchers without an employment contract:
Membership of a statutory health insurance scheme as an employee is not possible! Please seek advice from the statutory health insurance provider of your choice and do not take out membership as an employee.

Accidental registration as an employee is often not noticed until many weeks later. Therefore, if you are on a scholarship, you should not apply for membership with the TK as an employee; instead, you should apply for membership under the ‘Other’ category.

 

Further information for English-speaking employees and researchers, along with an invitation to our monthly webinar ‘Social Insurance in Germany – Good things to know’, can be found here:

Good things to know about health insurance (tk.de)

 

If you have any further questions, please contact the office on the Grifflenberg campus: TK Wuppertal Campus | Die Techniker

Third-partyliability insurance (€2 .00 to €6.00per month )

Under German law, private individuals are liable to an unlimited extent with their personal assets for damage they unintentionally cause to third parties. Personal liability insurance is therefore recommended to protect against financial risks that could threaten one’s livelihood in the event of personal injury or property damage. International visiting researchers are also advised to ensure that specific risks – such as the loss of service keys for the research institution – are included in the policy.

 

Accident insurance (€4 .00 to €15.00per month )

Accident insurance provides financial protection in the event that an accident leads to a permanent impairment of health (disability). During working hours and whilst travelling directly to and from work, employed researchers are generally covered by the institution’s statutory accident insurance scheme; however, this does not usually apply to scholarship holders. As statutory cover does not apply to private life, supplementary private insurance closes this gap in cover for leisure time.

Accommodation

Arrival in Wuppertal

Contact

university of Wuppertal

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE
International Office
Gaußstr. 20
D-42119 Wuppertal

For general enquiries:
icenter[at]uni-wuppertal.de

Daria Isaeva

Tel +49 (0)202 439 2406
Email: isaeva@uni-wuppertal.de

Download Centre

Admission Agreement

BUW Guidelines for Visiting Researchers

Important documents for visiting researchers (including contracts)

Information sheet on reporting and notification obligations for research institutions

(As at April 2024)

Techniker Health Insurance Fund

On-site advice

Kristina Langer
University Adviser
Building ME3 (canteen level)

TK | Health insurance for staff or researchers
TK Wuppertal Campus | Opening hours
Tel. +49 (0)40 - 46 06 51 09 21 4
Mobile +49 (0)151 - 14 53 49 89
Email: kristina.langer[at]tk.de

Studying in Germany (tk.de)

 

 

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