Arriving After the Start of the Semester – A Practical Guide

No. Your admission cannot be deferred. If you decide not to enroll for the semester for which you were admitted, the admission will expire and you will need to apply again for the next available intake. Not enrolling after being admitted does not negatively affect your future applications; however, a new admission in the next admission cycle cannot be guaranteed.

Please check the websites of the German embassy in your country for current visa waiting times. Based on this information, you will need to decide whether you wish to enroll for the semester to which you were admitted. As the university has no influence over visa decisions or embassy procedures, we are unable to advise you on this matter.

Some master’s admissions are valid for two semesters: if you are admitted to a non-restricted Master’s program in the first semester of study for a winter semester, and enrollment in the first semester is also possible in the following summer semester, your admission will be valid for both the winter semester and the subsequent summer semester. In this case, you may use your admission letter either to enroll in the winter semester (the semester for which you applied) or in the following summer semester. Please check your admission letter carefully to see whether this applies to you.

The University of Potsdam will provide you with confirmation for the German embassy for your arrival after the start of the semester. If you did not receive this confirmation together with your admission letter, please contact the Central Student Avisory Service. 

After you complete online enrollment and your semester fee payment has been received, you can activate your student account.
You will then be able to log in to the PULS portal, download your certificate of enrollment, and submit it to the embassy. It will then be accepted as proof that you can enter Germany later than at the beginning of the semester.
For further information about activating your student account, please contact the Student Administration Center/ Office of Student Affairs after paying the semester fee.

Course registration takes place online. However, you will need certain information and documents that will be sent to you by postal mail after the semester fee has been received:

• instructions for activating your university account
• an iTAN list for registering for courses via PULS, the University of Potsdam’s online portal for planning and organizing your studies

After you complete online enrollment and your semester fee payment has been received, you can activate your student account. For further information about activating your student account, please contact the Student Administration Center/ Office of Student Affairs.

PLEASE NOTE:
The iTAN list can only be sent by mail to an address within Germany; it cannot be sent abroad or by email. The mailing is handled by the University’s PUCK Service Point.

IF YOU DO NOT YET HAVE AN ADDRESS IN GERMANY:
If you know someone in Germany who can receive your mail, please provide that German address (including a c/o line) in your enrollment application.

Please make sure to observe the course registration deadlines.

No, there is no separate formal procedure for students who arrive late.

If, due to your late arrival, you are unable to attend classes during your first semester (or even the first couple of semesters), we strongly recommend that you keep all relevant documents (such as confirmation of your embassy appointment and your travel tickets). These documents may be important later when you apply to extend your residence permit for study purposes in case the immigration office responsible has questions about the duration of your studies.

Yes. The semester fee you pay when you first enroll applies only to the first semester. Even if, several months after the start of the first semester, you still have not received an embassy appointment and do not yet know when you will be able to arrive, you must still meet the payment deadlines for the second (and possibly third) semester.

To maintain your enrollment, you must re-register and pay the fees for each new semester.

Re-registration for the summer semester begins in mid-January, and for the winter semester in mid-June. From mid-January or mid-June onward, you will find the payment information for the next semester’s fees in the PULS portal under “Studienservice.”

In addition, the university sends a reminder email about re-registration to your Mail.UP account in mid-January or mid-June. Please check your Mail.UP account regularly so that you do not miss important information. If you miss the payment deadline, you will be deregistered by the University of Potsdam. If you plan to begin or continue your studies at the University of Potsdam, you should make every effort to avoid this.

Further information on re-registration can be found here.

According to our information, most German embassies accept a current certificate of enrollment as proof of university enrollment for students who arrive in their second or third semester.

Submit the following documents to the embassy:

• your admission letter that you used to enroll at the University of Potsdam
• your current certificate of enrollment
• if applicable, your PULS transcript of records (only if you have already registered for courses)

To remain enrolled, you must re-register on time for each subsequent semester — even if you have not yet arrived in Germany. Re-registration for the summer semester begins in mid-January, and for the winter semester in mid-June.

After your semester fees have been received and processed by the University of Potsdam, you can download your updated certificate of enrollment from PULS.

If the embassy explicitly requires an additional confirmation from the University beyond the documents listed above, please send proof of this requirement (for example, a message from the embassy requesting the additional document) to the Central Student Advisory Center and we will assist you.

Is it possible, then, that I enroll but can only begin taking courses in my third semester?

Yes. In some programs, required introductory courses are offered only once per year and must be taken in a fixed sequence. If you miss the starting point because of a delayed arrival, you may not be able to attend courses in your program during your first two semesters. In this case, you would begin taking courses in your program in your third semester (e.g. M.Sc. Toxicology).

Ultimately, the decision is yours

If your program offers first-year classes only once per year and you cannot arrive in time, you must decide whether to (1) enroll now and start your coursework later or wait and apply again next year.

Option 1: Enroll now and keep your study place

If you enroll, you secure your place in the program. However, you may only be able to begin attending your program’s courses one year later.

Financial implications

You must still pay:

• the semester fees for the winter semester and the following summer semester
• statutory health insurance contributions (if you are insured with a German public health insurance provider)

This applies even if you have not yet arrived in Germany and cannot attend classes.
A reduction of the semester fees for late arrival or non-arrival is not possible. The full amount, including the Deutschlandsemesterticket, must be paid. Statutory health insurance coverage begins on the date of enrollment, regardless of your arrival date.

Academic implications:
You remain a fully enrolled student. However, you will likely not complete your degree within the standard period of study. In practice, your third semester would function as your first semester of coursework.

Please note that an individual course of study may take longer than the standard period of study for your degree program. According to the Brandenburg Higher Education Act, you may be enrolled for longer than the standard period of study.

Although formally enrolled in a higher semester, you should attend orientation events for new students because you are academically starting your program.

Please contact your departmental advisor for guidance. We also recommend contacting the tutors in your faculty, if available.

How you can use the time
If you arrive in the summer semester and cannot yet take courses in your program, you may still:

• attend German or other language courses
• take lectures or seminars in other subjects (subject to availability and admission requirements)
• participate in university sports activities (also offered during the lecture-free period)

Important for your residence permit
If you cannot attend program courses during your first semester(s), please keep all relevant documents (e.g., confirmation of your embassy appointment and travel tickets). These may later be required when applying to extend your residence permit for study purposes in case the immigration office responsible has questions about the duration of your studies.

Option 2: Do not enroll and apply again later
If you decide not to enroll, your admission will expire and you must apply again in the next admission cycle.

This could save you money, but please note that there is no guarantee that you will be admitted again. In addition, you will have to start waiting for an appointment at the embassy all over again.