FAQ – Study in Hamburg

At SRH Campus Hamburg we offer Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in logistics, management, and computer science. As an example, by participating in our Master’s degree programme Supply Chain Management, you can take advantage of Hamburg's excellent economic environment - the city boasts the third largest port in Europe - and become an expert in modern logistics. Please find an overview of our degree programmes here:

• Bachelor's
• Master's

If you're not sure which study programme is right for you or which specialisation best suits your future plans, we're happy to help. Ask our Student Advisory Service. Together with SRH Campus Hamburg's dedicated team you can work out your personal goals and find the right programme and courses.

Our university is part of the SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, which has several other locations in Berlin and Dresden. Our university is state-approved and our study programmes are accredited, which means there are no disadvantages for your career. Quite the contrary: you can benefit from the many services a private university offers whilst receiving a state-approved and internationally recognised degree.

If you're employed or have a family to care for, you can still complete your degree at SRH. The Mobile University, our SRH sister university, offers both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in a distance-learning and part-time format. Of course you can also attend voluntary courses and write your exams at the premises of SRH Campus Hamburg – all at your own pace.

Once you have decided on a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme at SRH Campus Hamburg, you can go ahead and submit your application. Please provide all required documents. In order to get to know you better and talk about your future plans, we will invite you to an interview at our university. Some study programmes have admission restrictions. For further information please read the pages of the respective degree programmes.

Most of our degree programmes start in April and October each year. There are no application deadlines for our programmes. This means you can apply right up to the start of the semester. However, please consider that the visa application process can take up to three months, especially if you're applying from outside the EU. The earlier you apply, the more time you have to organise your studies, to search for an accommodation and to manage finances and funding.

Some of our degree programmes may have specific admission requirements. Please see the degree programme pages for more information or call our Student Advisory Service.

• Higher education entrance qualification for Bachelor's programmes: (in German: Hochschulzugangsberechtigung – HZB): Studying at a German university usually requires a valid higher education entrance qualification, either a general HZB (Abitur) or a subject-restricted HZB (Fachhochschulreife). Individuals who can't provide either of the aforementioned documents but can produce proof of professional qualification may be admitted to a degree programme nonetheless. If you have a foreign degree, we will check whether it matches our admission criteria.
• University degree for Master's programmes
• Numerus Clausus (NC): There are no restricted admissions (numerus clausus) for degree programmes at SRH Campus Hamburg. However, upon successful application, we will conduct a personal interview with you and check whether the course content matches your interests. For some degree programmes in the creative fields, you may need to take an additional entrance examination.

Language requirements for English language degree programmes: In order to be admitted to the relevant programme, please submit a language certificate with your online application. We accept:

• TOEFL 87 ibt (direct entry)
• TOEFL 79 - 86 ibt (with additional agreement)
• TOEIC 785 (Listening/Reading 785, Speaking 160, Writing 150)
• IELTS/IELTS Online (academic) 6.5 average - please see Language Centre guidelines if results differ
• CAE (grade A, B, or C)
• CPE (grade A, B or C)
• FCE (grade A, B or C)
• Pearson English Test Academic (PTE-A) 59 points
• Linguaskill: 176 - 184 (CES) - all four skills required

We are currently also accepting the following tests in times of Covid-19:

• Duolingo Certificate: 95 Points
• TOEFL Special Home Edition: 87 ibt
• IELTS Indicator: 6.5 overall

Language requirements for GERMAN language degree programmes: If you are from a non-German speaking country or German is not your native language, we ask you to submit one of the following language proficiency tests with your online application:

• DSH-Prüfung (level 2)
• TestDaF (TDN 4 in all partial exams. If you get a 3 in one subtest, you can compensate it with a 5 in another subtest. You also need a total of at least 16 points)
• Goethe-Zertifikat C1 or C2 or Telc C1 or C2 (minimum grade good/2)
• Sprachdiplom (Stufe II) by the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), aka DSD II
• Assessment test of a Studienkolleg, examination part Deutsch
• telc C1 Hochschule

The admission procedure can take up to two weeks after the selection interview. We take the time to carefully review your documents and evaluate our conversation.

If you're not a citizen of the European Union or of an EEA state (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and you're planning to study in Germany, you must apply for a visa at the German Embassy in your home country BEFORE you come to Germany. Without proof of a valid student visa, German universities are not allowed to enrol you.

Citizens who need not apply for a visa before their arrival:
Citizens of certain countries such as Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the USA can enter Germany without a visa. The same applies to citizens from Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino as long as they do not seek employment in Germany. Swiss citizens do not need to apply for an entry visa either. After entering Germany, citizens of these countries need to apply for a residence permit (for further information see section "Residence Permit").

Citizens who require a visa for studying in Germany have to submit proof of their visa (or of a valid German residence permit if they already live in Germany) to SRH at the beginning of their studies in order to be fully enrolled and to receive further documents, services and lectures. This regulation does not apply to citizens who do not need to apply for a student visa before their arrival. Please note that citizens of countries that need a visa to enter Germany also need to apply for a residence permit (for further information see section "Residence Permit").

Please contact the German Embassy in your home country to find out whether you need a visa to enter Germany.

Please apply for a long-term national (D) visa for study purposes if you are a degree-seeking or exchange/study abroad student who is planning to study at SRH Berlin for at least one semester (6 months). Please check the validity of your national visa (90 days or 180 days) as soon as your have entered Germany since you need to convert your national visa into a residence permit before it expires (check date of entry stamp in passport).

Some of you (exchange students in particular) might receive a national (D) visa that is valid for up to 12 months instead of a 90-day national (D) entry visa. Non-EU citizens who will stay in Germany for less than one year may obtain such a visa. Since it should cover the entire period of your stay, you won't need to apply for a residence permit after your arrival in Germany, which will save you time and effort.

Attention: the short-term (C) Schengen visa is only valid for up to 90 days (for touristic purposes or short courses only) and is not valid for your studies in Germany and cannot be changed to a residence permit.

If you are a citizen that does not need an entry visa for Germany, you need to apply for a German residence permit within the first 90 days after your arrival in Germany (please check the stamp in your passport).

When you receive your visa, you will notice that it is only valid for 90/180 days. This is not a mistake and there is no reason to worry. This visa is an entry visa and must be converted into a German residence permit at the Foreigners' Registration Office after your arrival (for further information see section "Residence Permit").

Please do not underestimate the process and keep in mind that you will not be able to study in Germany without a valid visa.

Visa processing times can take several months so you should apply as early as possible. Please consider that there might be a significant waiting period for an appointment (4 to 6 weeks) and a processing period of an additional 4 to 8 weeks. We recommend that you contact the German Embassy in your home country at least 3 months before the start of the semester.

In order to be able to apply for a student visa, you need an acceptance letter from a German university. The other documents that are required to obtain a student visa include a valid passport, a current photo, proof of financial support as well as some additional application documents.

Almost all students who are applying for a visa must provide proof of their financial means in order to apply for a national visa. They must prove that they are able to cover their financial expenses during their studies in Germany. There are various ways to prove that you can finance your studies.

The following means of proof are possible:

• Your parents can submit documents certifying their income and financial assets.
• Someone with permanent residence in Germany can guarantee to the Foreigners' Registration Office that they will cover your expenses.
• A security payment can be deposited into a blocked account.
• You can present a bank guarantee.
• You can present a scholarship award notification from a recognised scholarship provider.

Bear in mind that visa rules and regulations can differ considerably from country to country. It is known that in some countries, a blocked bank account is the only financial proof that is accepted. Therefore, it is crucial that you contact the German Embassy in your home country as early as possible.

A blocked account is an account that is subject to foreign exchange controls in a country that restricts the amount of its currency that can be transferred to other countries or exchanged into other currencies. In short, it is an account which is not freely accessible to the account holder and serves to prove adequate financial means.

There are several banks that provide this service. Some are directly recommended by the embassies or third-party agents who act as liaison between the applicant and the embassy.

Residence permit application for Hamburg

• Please be aware that the residence permit application process may take several weeks to complete so book your personal appointment early.
• Please fill out the application form and bring all necessary documents and evidence.

Where will the appointment take place?
Either at the Foreigners Registration Department office responsible for your residential district or at the

• Hamburg Welcome Center
• Adolphsplatz 1
• 20457 Hamburg

With a valid German residence permit for study purposes you...

• Have employment rights: you are allowed to work up to 120 full days (full day = 8 hours per day) or 240 half days (half day = 4 hours) during the calendar year. Freelance work is not permitted.
• Can move freely within the states of the Schengen area, within the residence permit’s term of validity, for a total stay of up to 90 days within a period of 180 days. This regulation applies only to visits for touristic purposes. Attention: in order to study or intern in another country of the European Union, you may have to apply for a separate study or internship visa. Please check with the respective embassy for the requirements.
• Can apply for other visas at embassies in Germany: this might be relevant if you want to do an exchange semester or if you want to do an internship abroad.
• Need to check the validity of your passport: your residence permit is only valid in combination with your passport. If your passport expires before the residence permit, your residence permit will no be longer valid. If you leave Germany for more than 6 months, your residence permit automatically expires.
• Are responsible for your own legal status in Germany and you need to check the expiration date of your passport and residence permit/visa.

Our campus is centrally located within walking distance of the spacious parks of Planten un Blomen  and the scenic Binnenalster Lake with its various stores and malls. Our university is housed in the Kontorhaus, a listed building on the Esplanade. The historic street Colonnaden, the Kunsthalle with its important art collections and exhibitions, the Dammtor and Hauptbahnhof (both main train stations) as well as numerous subway, city train and bus stops are nearby.

SRH Campus Hamburg offers a cafeteria where you can get snacks and drinks. The campus is also within walking distance of numerous restaurants and snack bars that cater for every taste.

SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences is a member of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Hochschulsportverband (adh; German University Sports Federation). Thus, students (in times of COVID-19) at all locations of the university in Berlin, Dresden and Hamburg benefit, among other things, from the use of the free online offers of the adh and the member universities. This includes, for example, podcasts, STAY@HOME-CHALLENGES and workouts. Please find more information here.

In addition, there are certain educational and competitive opportunities offered by the adh that students can take advantage of throughout Germany. The adh's current educational and competitive schedule can be found here. For more information on adh competition events, please visit the adh website.

There are a variety of options available for living in Hamburg. In any case, you should allow enough time for your search. Since our campus is easy to reach by public transport, there is no pressure to find accommodation in the immediate vicinity. You can choose from shared apartments, student halls of residence or your own apartment, whatever suits you and your budget best. We have reserved several rooms in the residence hall "The Fizz". Find out how to apply and what else we can do for you here:

We are a private university and therefore charge tuition and registration fees:

• You can find the monthly or semester tuition fees for students with and without EU/EEA citizenship on the respective study programme pages. Once you have signed your study contract, the tuition fee (per month/per semester) remains the same for the entire duration of your studies.
• At the beginning of your studies, a one-time registration fee of EUR 750 (EU/EEA) / EUR 1000 (non-EU/EEA) will be charged. This must be paid after contract conclusion.

In order to finance your studies, there are numerous options available to you such as education funds, student loans, BaföG or scholarships. Here you can choose which financing suits you best. Our Student Advisory Service will be happy to assist you. Find an overview of your financing options here: