Preparations for your stay at TUM

Generally, you do not need a visa to enter and work in Germany. Please ensure that your passport or national ID card is valid for the entire duration of your stay.

If you are not a citizen of an EU or EFTA country, you must apply for a visa at a diplomatic mission of the Federal Republic of Germany abroad. Please also check whether your spouse and/or children require a visa to enter and stay in Germany. Such a visa must be applied for in good time, as processing times vary and can take several months.

Depending on your country of origin or current place of residence, the German authority responsible for issuing your visa may have its own specific application process.

The following online resources can help guide you through the various application procedures:

• Do you need a visa? Overview of visa requirements or exemptions for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany
• Learn more about the visa for research: What are the requirements, and what opportunities does it offer?
• Take a look at the infographic: At a glance: Visa for Research (PDF, 1 MB)
• Use the official Visa Navigator to find out which visa is suitable for you and your family members. You will be directed to the website of the German mission abroad in your home country or current place of residence, and from there to the visa application.
• Stays longer than 90 days for researchers: The brochure Overview of German residence titles for researchers (PDF, 700 KB) provides relevant information on long-term visa options for researchers.
• If you need a visa, schedule an appointment to submit your application at the nearest German mission abroad in your home country or the country where you currently reside.

Nationals of these countries can enter Germany without a visa, even if they intend to take up employment. However, for a longer stay (more than 90 days) and before beginning any employment, they must apply for a residence permit in Munich. Since the processing times for residence permits in Munich can be quite lengthy, we recommend applying for a long-term visa in your home country so you can sign your employment contract immediately upon arrival.

If you intend to work in Germany, you will need either a visa or a residence permit. If you wish to begin working right after your arrival, you should apply for a visa before coming to Germany, as the processing time for a residence permit at the Munich Foreigners Office can take 3 to 5 months—with no option to expedite the process.

Researchers do not need to apply for a work visa. Instead, they have the option to apply for a National D visa (long-term visa for stays over 90 days) for researchers under Section 18 of the German Residence Act (AufenthG). This type of visa is not only processed faster but also involves a less complex application procedure.

A visa and a residence permit are different documents. A visa only permits entry into the country. If you wish to stay for a longer period (more than 90 days), you must apply for a residence permit after your arrival, unless you have received a long-term visa for your entire stay in Germany.

• Statement of Comparability (anabin recognition): The Statement of Comparability for foreign higher education qualifications issued by the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen certifies that your foreign university degree is comparable to a German degree. You will need this for any scientific activity in Germany. If not already required for your visa, you must submit it at the latest when applying for a residence permit in Germany and/or to sign an employment contract with TUM. The anabin database contains a large number of foreign degrees from universities all over the world. On the anabin website, you can search for the university where you obtained your degree (click on the "Search" tab). Your university must be rated H+ to be recognized in Germany. An anabin excerpt for your Master's degree is sufficient. If you cannot find your Master's degree, search for your Doctorate instead. If your degree is not found in the anabin database, you must apply for a Statement of Comparability. The fee is approximately 208 EUR, and the processing time can take several weeks or even months.
• Hosting Agreement  / Aufnahmevereinbarung (PDF, 226 KB): According to § 18d of the German Residence Act , a hosting agreement might be required in order to apply for a visa. You can fill out parts of the form yourself. For missing information, please ask your hosting chair. In addition to your signature, the hosting agreement must also be signed by the "authorized signatory on behalf of the research institution" and must be stamped by the institution. This is the responsibility of your supervisor at the TUM chair or another authorized person within your department. Your hosting chair and contact person at TUM will know who is authorized to sign. Hosting agreements without a stamp may not be accepted, which could lead to delays.
• Many documents require the inclusion of your full name (first name/last name). If first and last names are not common in your home country, decide in advance which part of your name will be used as the last name, and be consistent throughout the application.

• Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (EzB; in English: Declaration of employment): Researchers who are going to work at TUM with an employment contract will need a form called Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (PDF, 314 KB) to apply for a visa or residence permit at the local immigration office. Your hosting TUM chair is responsible for issuing this form; it must be filled out carefully, properly signed, and stamped; otherwise, it will not be accepted. Faculty members have access to the relevant completion guide in the service compass (Dienstleistungskompass).
• Letter of Intent (DOCX, 41 KB): This document is usually required for the visa and residence permit application. Your TUM chair is also responsible for issuing this letter. Together with the Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis, the Letter of Intent substitutes the employment contract, which cannot be issued by predominantly publicly funded research institutions without a valid visa or residence permit.

The statutory health insurance is available to all employees. Researchers without an employment contract who have a research visa or residence permit under  §18d of the German Residence Act can apply for statutory health insurance within three months of their arrival in Germany. This insurance offers benefits for family members, people with pre-existing conditions, and older individuals. The application must be submitted within this period, and the contributions are due retroactively from the start of the stay.

You can apply in advance to provide proof of insurance for the visa application. Please note that the statutory insurance begins upon entry into Germany, so a separate travel health insurance should also be taken out for the journey.

In rare cases, international researchers with a residence permit under other paragraphs of the Residence Act may also have the option to voluntarily join the statutory health insurance under § 9 SGB V. If in doubt, please inquire in advance with the health insurance provider where you intend to take out insurance.

For more information, please visit the website of the GKV-Spitzenverband.

Non-EU nationals who are not eligible for statutory health insurance or those who choose not to use it must take out private health insurance for their stay in Germany. With private policies, you pay for medical services upfront and receive reimbursement later. The premiums must be paid individually for each family member and are required even during periods without income (e.g., during parental leave).

Private health insurance does not follow the solidarity principle, but instead calculates premiums based on factors such as age and pre-existing conditions. For young, healthy individuals, it can be cheaper than statutory health insurance. Private insurers offer different plans, but it is important to carefully review the terms, as coverage for pre-existing conditions, special medical needs, or pregnancy may be restricted or subject to waiting periods.

There are two main types of private insurance:

• Entry-level plans, which may only offer minimal coverage
• Substitute health insurance, which is similar to statutory insurance but may limit certain services

If you choose private health insurance at the beginning of your research stay, you are generally excluded from later applying for statutory health insurance under § 18d of the German Residence Act. With few exceptions, returning to statutory health insurance later is usually not possible.

Travel health insurance, which only covers entry into Germany, typically does not lead to exclusion from statutory health insurance.

There are more than 40 private health insurance companies in Germany. You can compare them online and read more details. For further information, please visit the website of the Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV).

If you are voluntarily or compulsorily insured in your home country, you can access healthcare services in other EU countries as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, and have the costs reimbursed by your health insurance provider. Please check with your insurance company and find out more on the Euraxess Germany website.

Additionally, you can find further information about the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for EU citizens on the European Commission's website.

The Max Planck Foundation offers apartments for stays between one and six months. They are located at Marsstraße 6, 80335 Munich, within walking distance of the main train station and the main campus of TUM:

• Rental period: Min. 1 month - Max. 6 months
• Size of apartments: 20 - 42 m²
• Rent: 1,150 - 1,750 € / month, depending on the size of the apartment
• All apartments are fully furnished, with a bathroom and kitchenette.

Apartments at Marsstrasse (PDF, 1 MB)
 

The booking of the apartments is handled through an external service provider.

Booking request: Please fill out the Minerva Home Munich Rental Formular (PDF, 189 KB) and send it to cnb-muenchen(at)hildebrandtimmobilien.com.

• Make sure not to omit the second page of the form.
• Be sure to provide your exact workplace at TUM as well as your TUM contact person.
• If you require a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord confirmation), please mention this via email.

Derag Living Hotels may be an option for short-term stays of up to several months. As a TUM member, you can benefit from special TUM rates for apartments in some Derag Living Hotels. If you would like to book an apartment in one of these hotels, please contact reservierung.muenchen(at)derag.de directly and mention the TUM collaboration. If you can provide proof of your TUM membership, such as through your invitation letter to TUM, you should be able to book with the promotional code. The Derag Living Hotels can also issue a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord confirmation) if you are staying in Munich for more than 90 days and need to register your address.

Living Hotels - TUM promotion code(PDF, 582 KB)

Through the housing portal TUM Living, the TUM Accommodation Service offers real estate listings for TUM members. Generally, you will find long-term offers, but occasionally short-term options for a few weeks are also available. If you log in with your TUM account, you can see the contact details of the landlords. If you do not yet have a TUM account and find an interesting offer, please ask your contact person or the secretary of your department. They can retrieve the contact details for you using their TUM ID.