Guidelines for International Students

The Erasmus Student Network of the University of Potsdam is an organisation which organises events for international and local students. Especially in the first weeks of each semester, they offer a broad program for you to settle in smoothly. They also provide you with a variety of events to connect with other students during the semester. If you have any questions about life around Potsdam and free-time activities, you can always send them an email.  (info@esn-potsdam.de)   or reach out over Instagram

For more information you can visit their  Website: 

The housing situation in Potsdam and Berlin is very tight and there are very few affordable and furnished apartments and rooms. Start looking for accommodation as soon as you have decided to study at the University of Potsdam!

Use this link for Housing Information   as well as using social media to get in touch with landlords and other students.

For International Program and Exchange Students:

When you apply to Uni Potsdam via UPrepare, You’ll find detailed information on how to apply for a dorm room. Please read UPrepare carefully before filling out the online form. No documents have to be handed in as an exchange student! Of course, you can also try and find housing on your own, but please be aware that it is rather difficult to find a flat in the area in and around Potsdam and Berlin.

For Degree Students (Bachelor and Master)

For some information on how to find housing, click here.

For housing assistance in the International Office, contact housing-for-incomings@uni-potsdam.de

Opening times in supermarkets are usually from Monday to Saturday, ranging between 7am and 10pm, although some supermarkets might be open a bit longer. You can easily look up the opening times on the internet. Generally, in Germany all shops are closed on Sundays and on national holidays!

However, Berlin “Spätis” (small kiosks that are open during the night) are usually open on Sundays but also a little more expensive than normal supermarkets. There are some select supermarkets that are allowed to open on Sundays, they are normally located in main train stations.

Some supermarkets such as Rewe, Edeka or Bio Company are generally more expensive than discount stores, e.g. Kaufland, Lidl, Aldi or Netto, even with offering the exact same product. However, often they have a wider range of products. Qualitatively the products are (nearly) all the same.

Be aware that card payments are not possible everywhere; Germans cling to their cash.

To open a German bank account you will be asked for a form of identification; usually your identity card or passport. Some banks will also want to see your registration card (“Meldebescheinigung”) from the registration office (“Einwohnermeldeamt”), and maybe your residence permit. In any case, the bank needs an official document that confirms your name, current address, nationality and age.

Some banks offer free or discounted accounts for students, so make sure to bring your certificate of enrolment.

For students who had to open a Sperrkonto in your home country, please be aware that you can often not use the account  immediately after opening (upon arrival). As you will probably have to pay quite a lot at the beginning of your stay (deposit for apartment, health insurance, furniture, household appliances etc.), make sure you have an alternative method at hand (e.g. withdrawing money from your home bank account at German ATMs). Additionally, you might want to bring some Euro-cash with you for your arrival, for example to pay for train tickets. As mentioned before, it is not always possible to pay by card in Germany.

For general enquiries, you need to go to a general practitioner (Allgemeinarzt, or Hausarzt), who often works in a private practice. You should make an appointment by telephone beforehand, as some doctors only have limited capacities; however, sometimes it is possible to go there early in the morning (minimum 15 minutes before office hours) for urgent matters. Sometimes, private practices work on a “first come first serve” basis.

Some doctors also allow you to book appointments online. If that is the case, you will likely find a link to the platform they use on their website. If you struggle to get an appointment online for an urgent matter, contacting them by other means might still help.

If necessary, the Hausarzt will recommend a specialist for you, too. In some cases, for example if you need a dentist, you don’t have to go to a general practitioner beforehand, but instead you will need to make an appointment with a dentist directly.

Usually, the office hours are strictly limited from Monday to Friday but you can look them up on the internet beforehand. Moreover, you can look in the local newspaper for “Notdienste”, where you can find numbers of the following doctors: Ärzte (doctors), Krankentransporte (ambulance service), Zahnärzte (dentists), Augenärzte (eye specialists), Tierärzte (veterinarians), Apotheken (pharmacies).

You can use the “Arztsuche”-tool to find specific doctors for your needs on the KVBB website . You can also select filters to find doctors who speak different languages.

Always bring your health insurance card when you visit a physician!

Outside office hours:

At the weekend or in emergency cases, you can go to the hospital or to the emergency room and they will send you to a specialist in the building.

To get an ambulance, you call the “Notdienst” with the nationwide number “112”.

In addition, you can call the “Ärztlicher Notdienst” with the number “116 117”, which will guide you to a doctor in your area.

All students from Uni Potsdam can receive 3 free hours daily in Potsdam with the rental bikes from nextbike - check out their  Nextbike's Website.   

Uni Potsdam has a cooperation with Nextbike which provides bicycles all around Potsdam. If you register with your Uni Potsdam email account, you can use their bikes for up to 3 hours per day for free. 

A great choice for the enviroment and for your health! 

The AStA (Allgemeine Studierendenvertetung) is the Uni Potsdam’s student union. They are here to represent the students’ interests and concerns towards the university administration, but also to the public. Furthermore, they offer free consultations on various matters. For example, if you have issues concerning your courses and/or professors that cannot be easily solved, the AStA offers to help you. The same goes for legal matters and issues with your semester ticket.

For more information and their office hours, you can check their website.