Residency and Social Security Law for International Students

Information on residency and social security law is an essential element in successfully retaining international students in Germany. International students frequently ask student advisers, student service organisations and higher education institutions about precisely the issues discussed in this guide.

We are very grateful to Prof. Dr. jur. Dorothee Frings for writing this compendium for advisers in student service organisations and higher education institutions in Germany. It provides advisers and international students alike with a systematic introduction to the relevant residency and social security law and also deals in depth with current issues.

The compendium provides understandable explanations and illustrative examples of how residence, employment and social welfare benefit law applies to the legal status of different groups of international students. The contents reflect the state of play in the autumn of 2020 and includes information on the impact of Brexit.

The publication "Aufenthalts- und Sozialrecht für internationale Studierende - Handreichung für Beratende 2020" can be ordered free of charge from the Deutsches Studentenwerk. The online version can be found here. The English translation entitled "Residency and Social Security Law for International Students - Guidance for Student Advisers" is available online and can also be ordered free of charge.

An accompanying glossary translates key terms from the publication and from residency and social security law into English and explains them in English.

Illustrated hall-of-residence dictionary

What is a “gelber Sack” in English and what is the correct way to separate rubbish? The hall-of-residence dictionary answers these and other questions for international students and provides information on the ins and outs of living in German halls of residence in order to avoid misunderstandings in everyday life in this type of student accommodation.

Illustrations and translations in eight languages help understand many different topics. Eleven illustrated chapters provide the necessary vocabulary for topics such as arriving, furnishings, rights and duties as flatmates, kitchen equipment, saving energy and living together.

The useful dictionary was first published in Bielefeld in August 2010. Residents and hall-of-residence managers and caretakers have contributed to the project. In response to the high demand for the dictionary, Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW) published a nationwide edition in 2011.

The dictionaries are available in four different editions. They can be ordered from the DSW on account.

FIRST AID - An Illustrated Health Dictionary: Information for Foreign Students in Germany

The illustrated health dictionary provides general information in German and English for foreign students. Among other things, it deals with health insurance, doctor's visits and medical certificates. Dialogues, short texts and scenes on campus explain facts and vocabulary such as package insert, pharmacy, helath insurance card etc. The health dictionary was designed by graphic artist Florian Geppert.

Illustrated Mensa Dictionary

More than yummy! The „Illustrated Mensa Dictionary“ joins three students on an every-day tour of dining services. In Germany, the word “Mensa” (from Latin: table) refers to the large student restaurants that are operated by the Studentenwerke (STW), Germany’s public student services providers. The brochure presents typical food and drinks, the e-payment system “MensaCard”, as well as recipes, ingredients and regional differences on offer in the Mensa – and all this in a graphically illustrated, trilingual version (German, English, and Chinese). The dictionary aims to help international students find their way through the Mensa, and promotes the diversity and quality of dining services in Germany.