Once you have found a place to live in Berlin, you need to register in Berlin at your local Registration Office (Bürgeramt). You will need this registration (known as your Anmeldung)  - it is very important for everyday life in Berlin and at BI!

Please read the full information on Anmeldung and how to do it in the Accommodation page.

Registration at the university takes place on campus. The main purpose is to show your original application documents and for us to ensure that we have all information needed to fully enroll you. 

The documents required are:

-      Your passport

-      All original hard copy education certificates that you have applied with

-      Certified translations of your education certificates, if they are issued in languages other than English or German

-      Proof of health insurance, please see Health Insurance for more information

-      Completed New Student Questionnaire

Important note! 

Only the original hard copies are accepted, digital images or photocopies are not be accepted. Any digitally issued documents are accepted if they can verified, i.e. due to an official e-signature or verifiation portal. If you do not have your original documents anymore, a certified copy needs to be handed in instead.

You will also need to bring €10 in cash as the deposit for your key card.

During registration, your documents will be checked and returned to you. You will also receive your key card and your student ID card. You’ll need your student ID for opening a bank account, using libraries, getting student discounts at museums etc. and for travelling in Berlin – so keep it with you at all times, especially on campus! 

If you miss our welcome week registrations, you can come to register at the Admissions Office, located in room 129. Office hours are from Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.

It is advisable to open a current account at a bank in Germany because only bank account holders can make transfers to other accounts with no additional charge. If the amount to be transferred is paid in cash, an extra charge might be due. Additionally, although IBAN numbers are usually accepted, many German companies do not accept international IBAN numbers. Most banks offer a student account which usually means there are no monthly account fees. To apply for a German bank account, you will need the following:

-      Passport

-      Registration in Berlin document (Anmeldung / Meldebestätigung)

-      University acceptance letter or Student Certificate (Studienbescheinigung / Immatrikulationsbescheinigung)

Many banks require a residence registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), but there are some that do not. There are also banks that are fully online, so do look for the requirements of registering and the type of bank and services available directly on the banks website. There are a number of bank branches near the university and you can find branches of different banks all over berlin here: https://www.berlin.de/special/finanzen-und-recht/adressen/bank/

For exchanging currencies in Berlin, you can find a list of exchange offices here: https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/adressen/wechselstube/

You may need to apply for a Residence Permit during your studies at the university, and you may have to extend your visa or residence permit too. This is usually done at the Foreigner’s Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung – previously known as Ausländerbehörde). You should check the documents required and the process to get an appointment on their website directly. There is a lot of useful information available on the All About Berlin website here: https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/berlin-auslanderbehorde-appointment

Please contact Student Affairs long enough in advance (at least 3-5 working days) for any documents you might need from the university to confirm your studies in your application.