Residence Registration

When you arrive in Berlin after you moved into an apartment or hall of residence, please register with the local registration office (Bürgeramt). As a rule, you have two weeks to do this. If you move within Germany at a later point in time, you will need to inform the local registration office of your new address. Full information can be found on the official Berlin website

Visa and Residence Permit

• If you come from an EU Member State country or Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway and wish to study at HTW Berlin, you do not require a visa or a residence permit.
• If you come from another country and wish to study at HTW Berlin, you require a visa and a residence permit.
• Your study visa must be converted into a study residence permit at Berlin Foreigners' Registration Office.

Please, check visa application requirements for your student visa with your local consulate in due time. Application processes may vary from country to country and can take a few weeks up to several months. Please, check the following website.

Students from outside the EU are granted a three‐month/six-month study visa which must be converted into a study residence permit at Berlin Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) shortly after entering Germany. As soon as possible – before or after matriculation – make an appointment with the Ausländerbehörde online.

If it is not possible for you to find online a free time slot for appointment before your visa expires, you will have to email Ausländerbehörde & request for a manual appointment.