Life in Germany

Like German citizens, Wildau Foundation Year participants must register their place of residence at the Einwohnermeldeamt/Bürgeramt.

The registration confirmation serves as proof of address and you need it, for example, when you open an account.

For the registration you need:

• Passport or ID card
• Rental agreement
• Registration form
• Enrolment certificate

Our team will help you with the procedure. The registration will happen weeks after your arrival by the team.

Public tv and radio is available for everyone in Germany, and the German public service broadcasters are financed by the licence fee. This fee amounts to €18.36 per month and is levied for each residence – regardless of how many people live there or how many devices they use. Students also have to pay the fee.

More information can be found here.

Payment methods

In Germany, payments are still made in cash very frequently. This is especially true for smaller amounts. Although credit cards are relatively common, they are not very common for everyday purchases. However, payment by debit card is widespread.

Bank account

Open a bank account as soon as possible after your arrival. This makes it much easier to arrange monthly payments such as rent and insurance!

To open a bank account in Germany you need the following documents:

• Passport or identity card
• Registration certificate from the residents' registration office (see above)
• in some cases a residence permit
• Appointment at the bank (recommended)

Ask your bank or savings bank for free current accounts for students.

We at TH Wildau are proud of our diverse university. We are currently accommodating 16% of international students are we are working to increase these numbers.
The university is hosting the international afternoon to give the international community visibility and a platform and to give the local students and employees the chance to learn the diverse cultures. Furthermore, the university is organizing a buddy programme for international students and language tandems. These projects should help international students integrate themself at the TH Wildau and in Germany. As living in Germany is more than the only studying the university is also organizing trips to other cities and or cultural activities in Berlin.

As a participant at the Wildau Foundation Year, you can take part in different sport courses taking place on the campus. More information can be found here.

The TH Wildau has a canteen which is organized and run by the Studentenwerk Potsdam. This canteen offers a great variety of food, including vegan and vegetarian options, for an affordable price (€1.90-€3.50).

For further details, please visit the side of the canteen here.

The University Library at the TH Widlau offers all the necessary resources for your studies. Furthermore, the library offers access to a variety of online resources which are accessible via VPN from all over the world. The latest development is the introduction of 24/7 access. This access makes learning flexible and more individualized for all students.

For further details, please visit the side of the university library here.

The ViNN:Lab (Venture Innovation Lab) at TH Wildau is a makerspace with a wide range of uses providing easy access to innovative Rapid Prototyping technology. The lab provides software for design and development work as well as space for innovation. An interactive smart board, 3D projector, graphic boards and materials for implementing creative methods support the development and presentation of ideas, strategies and innovation processes.

For further details, please visit the side of the ViNN:Lab here.

TH Wildau is one of the top research universities in Germany. The key research areas are defined as follows:

• Applied life sciences
• Informatics/telematics
• Optical technologies/photonics
• Production and Materials 
• Transport and Logistics 
• Management and Law 

TH Wildau has also recognised digitalisation as a driver for development in its research and teaching activities. As a result, "digital integration" has been defined as an interdisciplinary topic for the coming years.

The university is furthermore accommodating two research institutes:

• Institute of Life Sciences and Biomedical Technologies 
• Institute for Materials, Development and Production 

For further details, please visit the side of the Research and Transfer Department here.

All students at TH Wildau pay a contribution to public transport in Berlin and Brandenburg. Students obtaining a degree from TH Wildau and participants of the Wildau Foundation Year must also pay some administrative charges towards Studentenwerk Potsdam and the Wildau Student Council. Their total contribution amounts to approximately €300 per semester.
These fees are covered by your programme fee and do not need to be paid separately during the Wildau Foundation Year.

By law, german universities need to have student representative structures. At the TH Wildau, these structures are the Student Parliament as the decision-making and governing body and the student council as the elected committee and executive body. The student council is acting as the active representation and the face of the students.

You can find further information here (german website).

The cost of living is comparable with other Western European countries.

Your cost of living depends on your lifestyle.
The clalculation could look something like this:

• Food: ~ € 160
• Lunch in the Canteen: € 1.90 - 3.50
• Dinner out: € 10 - 20
• Coffee: € 2 - 4
• Loaf of bread: ~ € 1 - 2
• Bottle of mineral water: (1,5l) ~ € 0.50 - € 1.50
• Milk (1l) ~ € 0.50 - € 1.50
• Coca Cola (1l) ~ € 1
• Telephone, TV licence fee, Internet: € 30
• Leisure, culture, sports: € 100
• Cinema ticket (student rate): ~ € 8 - € 15

With your semester ticket you can use public transport throughout Berlin and Brandenburg. For further information, please check out the following webpages:

• Timetable information of BVG
• Timetable information of Deutsche Bahn

With S-Bahn line S 46 from Berlin (Westend/Südkreuz) in the direction of Königs Wusterhausen you can travel directly to the Wildau station, which is located directly in front of the university. Also with S-Bahn line S 8 from Berlin (Birkenwerder/Pankow) you can travel directly to the Wildau station.

In Germany, shops are usually open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. On Saturday from 9 a.m to 4 p.m.

Supermarkets usually open from Monday to Saturday at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. or 12 a.m. at the latest.

Petrol stations are usually open seven days a week and often close only at night.