Official Dates

• Summer semester: March 1 to August 31
• Winter semester: September 1 to February 28 or 29

Lectures and Exams

• Summer semester: mid-March to mid-July
• Winter semester: late September to late January

As an exchange student, you must stay in Worms for the entire lecture and exam period.

Orientation

You must also attend the orientation for new exchange students. This mandatory event usually takes place two to three weeks before the lectures begin.

You can book accommodation through our housing portal. We offer private rooms in shared apartments or single apartments in student dormitories.

Find more details on our accommodation page [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Unterseite Accommodation hinterlegen].

The closest airport is Frankfurt am Main (FRA), located 65 kilometers from Worms. You can easily reach Worms by train. Alternatively, you can fly to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN), which is 110 kilometers away.

Arriving at Frankfurt am Main Airport (FRA)

Frankfurt Airport has two train stations at Terminal 1:

• Regional train station ("Regionalbahnhof") on Level 0 for S-Bahn and regional trains.
• Long-distance train station ("Fernbahnhof") located opposite Terminal 1.

To travel to Worms, head to the regional train station at Terminal 1:

1. Take an S-Bahn train toward Wiesbaden or a regional express (RE) train toward Koblenz.
2. If you take the S-Bahn, get off at "Mainz Römisches Theater". If you take the RE train, get off at "Mainz Hbf".
3. Change to a train heading toward Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Karlsruhe, or Germersheim.
4. Get off at Worms central station ("Worms Hbf").

Arriving at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN)

1. Take a shuttle bus from Frankfurt-Hahn to Mainz central station ("Mainz Hbf"). Bus schedules align with flight arrivals.
2. At Mainz central station, take a regional train or S-Bahn toward Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, or Karlsruhe.
3. Get off at Worms central station ("Worms Hbf"). Trains run every 30 minutes.

Getting Around in Worms

Once you arrive at Worms central station, you have several options to reach your accommodation:

• Walk: Worms is a compact city, so you can easily reach many places on foot.
• Take a bus: Local buses run every 30 minutes.
• Take a taxi: A taxi ride costs approximately 8 to 15 euros.

Tickets and Navigation

Check train numbers, platforms, and schedules on station display boards or in the DB Navigator app.

You can buy tickets through these options:

• In the DB Navigator app.
• At Deutsche Bahn (DB) ticket machines at train stations.
• At a DB travel center inside larger train stations.

Depending on your citizenship, you may need a visa to study in Germany. Please inform yourself early about the exact requirements at a German embassy or consulate in your home country. The application process often takes a lot of time.

Do you have a valid passport from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, or the USA? You can enter Germany without a visa. You then apply for your residence permit directly at the local foreign registration office in Worms.

Find more details on our visa and residence permit page [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Unterseite Visa and Residence Permit hinterlegen].

Yes, you need valid health insurance to enroll at our university. You can use insurance from your home country, or you can get insured in Germany.

Your insurance must cover the entire duration of your studies.

Find more information on our health insurance page [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Unterseite Health Insurance hinterlegen].

You can find all information on our page for English-taught courses [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Unterseite Course Offer in English hinterlegen].

You can find typical living costs for students on our fees and expenses page [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Unterseite Fees and Expenses hinterlegen].

The International Center organizes an orientation program for all exchange students. This program helps you integrate quickly into campus and social life in Worms.

Your participation is mandatory. It is the first important step of your studies at Hochschule Worms.

Activities and Excursions

During the orientation, you can expect the following activities:

• Welcome sessions and information events
• A campus and city tour
• A visit to the local registration office
• An intensive language course

We also offer a multi-day excursion to Berlin.

We will send you more information a few weeks before your semester starts.

No, you do not pay any tuition fees. You only pay a small semester contribution.

This contribution covers administrative fees and social contributions for student services, student committees, and the semester ticket. It is mandatory for all students, including exchange students. We cannot waive this fee. You must pay it to enroll.

Find more information on our payment page [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Semesterbeitrags-Seite hinterlegen].

Staying for Multiple Semesters

Are you staying in Worms for two or more semesters? Then you must pay the contribution again for each following semester. This re-registration fee is lower than the initial first-semester contribution.

Find more details about re-registration on the student services website [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Rückmelde-Seite der Studierendenbetreuung hinterlegen].

After you submit your application, please complete the following steps before coming to Worms:

• Passport: Check the validity of your passport or identity card. It must cover your entire stay.

   

• Housing: Apply for housing through our portal [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zum Wohnraumportal hinterlegen] if you want support from the International Center. You can also search for housing independently.

   

• Health insurance: Request your health insurance confirmation ("Meldung 10").

   

• Semester contribution: Pay your semester contribution.

   

• Visa: Apply for a visa if you are a non-EU citizen. Do this as soon as you receive your letter of acceptance.

   

• Travel: Book your flight, train, or bus to arrive in Worms before orientation week starts.

   

• Key handover: Contact your landlord to coordinate your arrival and pick up your keys.

After you arrive in Worms, you must complete several important steps. We will guide you through this process during orientation week.

• Confirmation of accommodation: Ask your landlord for this document. You need it to register with the city.
• City registration: Register as a resident in Worms. We organize appointments for all exchange students during orientation week. Our Welcome Team will accompany you.
• Bank account: Open a German bank account if necessary. You need your tax ID for this step. The local tax office sends your tax ID a few weeks after you register with the city.
• Confirmation of Arrival: Ask the International Center to sign your confirmation document. This usually applies only to Erasmus+ students.
• Timetable and courses: Create your timetable using the course book and our LSF system. Complete your Learning Agreement to finalize your course registration.
• Campus and city: Explore the university campus. Discover places like the cafeteria, the computer rooms, and the library. Get to know Worms.
• German course: We highly recommend taking a free German language course. We offer courses for all skill levels. Learning the language helps you integrate and improves your semester experience.

Before your exchange ends and you leave Worms, you must complete a few final steps:

• Accommodation: Inform your landlord early about your move-out date. Discuss the details of your move-out process, such as the final cleaning of your room and the refund of your deposit.
• City de-registration: De-register at the local registration office via email. You can do this at the earliest one week before your departure. State your move-out date, your registered address in Worms, and your future address. You must also attach a scan of your passport. We will send you an email template before the lecture period ends.
• Broadcasting fee: De-register from the German broadcasting fee ("Rundfunkbeitrag"/GEZ).
• Bank account: Close your German bank account if you opened one and no longer need it.
• Contracts and memberships: Cancel any local contracts or memberships, such as your gym membership.
• Health insurance: Inform your health insurance company that your exchange at Hochschule Worms is ending and cancel your contract if necessary.
• Confirmation of Departure: Ask the International Center to sign your Confirmation of Departure. This step usually applies only to Erasmus+ students.

The "Rundfunkbeitrag" is a mandatory fee for all registered residents in Germany. It funds public broadcasting services, including radio and television.

How It Works

After you register as a resident in Worms, you will automatically receive a letter from the broadcasting services (ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio). We will explain the necessary next steps in detail during orientation week.

Costs and Rules

Please note that this contribution is mandatory for everyone, including exchange students. We cannot waive this fee. It currently costs about 18 euros per month per household.

Find more information on the official broadcasting fee website [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link für https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/welcome/englisch/index_ger.html hinterlegen].

Local Transport in Worms

The local bus network in Worms is operated by the VRN. Depending on the route and time of day, buses usually run every 30 minutes.

The Deutschlandticket

Please note that Hochschule Worms no longer offers a traditional VRN semester ticket. It was replaced by the "Deutschlandticket" after the summer semester 2024.

• Cost and Coverage: For 58 euros per month (as of August 2025), you can use almost all regional trains, buses, and trams nationwide.
• Exceptions: The ticket is not valid on long-distance trains (like ICE or IC). Always check if the Deutschlandticket is valid for your specific connection before traveling.

Find more information on the Deutsche Bahn (DB) website [bitte prüfen: aussagekräftigen Link zur Website der Deutschen Bahn hinterlegen].

Train Travel with Deutsche Bahn (DB)

Deutsche Bahn connects major cities and small towns locally, regionally, and over long distances. They offer several ways to save money:

• BahnCard: You can purchase a BahnCard to save 25% or 50% on standard ticket prices for an entire year.
• Wochenend-Ticket (Weekend Ticket): This ticket allows you to use all local and regional trains within Germany from midnight until 3:00 am the following day. You can take up to four other people with you on a single ticket.

Alternative Travel Options

• Long-Distance Buses: Traveling by long-distance bus is often cheaper than taking the train. Most major bus services depart from nearby cities like Mainz, Mannheim, and Heidelberg.
• Carpooling ("Mitfahrgelegenheit"): Drivers offer shared rides online or through dedicated apps, sorted by destination and date. You pay a fixed sum based on the distance directly to the driver. This is a popular and cheap alternative for long journeys.
• Taxis: Taxis in Germany are relatively expensive. Prices are strictly regulated and consist of a fixed base fare plus a charge per kilometer.