What enrolment (Immatrikulation) is — and why it matters
Admission is not the same as enrolment. After a university offers you a place, you must enrol (Immatrikulation) to become a registered student. Enrolment produces your matriculation certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung) — the document you need for your student residence permit, to extend your stay, and often to open accounts or get a student transport pass. No enrolment, no student status.
Documents you need to enrol
Universities differ, but you will almost always need:
- your passport (with visa or entry stamp) and passport photos,
- your letter of admission (Zulassungsbescheid),
- your academic certificates (degree, transcripts) and any language proof,
- proof of health insurance (see below),
- payment of the semester contribution.
Check your university's enrolment page for its exact list and deadline — these are set per university, not nationally.
You can't enrol without health insurance
German universities cannot enrol you without either an insurance certificate (Versicherungsbescheinigung) or an exemption certificate (Befreiungsbescheinigung). In practice you register with a statutory (public) insurer — TK, AOK, Barmer and others — quoting the university's sender number (Absendernummer); the insurer sends the university an electronic confirmation (the M10). If you use private or expat cover you need a formal exemption instead. See GKV vs PKV for students and expats.
Paying the semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag)
Most universities charge a semester contribution of roughly €150–400 per semester (2026), due about four to six weeks before the semester starts. It is not tuition — it funds student services (the Studierendenwerk, canteens, counselling) and usually includes a Semesterticket for local public transport. You only receive your matriculation certificate after the payment clears.
Your matriculation certificate — and what it unlocks
Once your documents are verified and the contribution is paid, the university issues your Immatrikulationsbescheinigung and student ID. That certificate is a dependency for the next steps in your move — the residence permit above all. Build your student plan to see enrolment sequenced with your visa, insurance, Anmeldung and residence permit.