Living in Jena

All students have to pay a semester fee for the administration of the student body and the Studierendenwerk (approximately €255). This semester fee covers the use of local public transport in Jena and in Central Thuringia, and local trains throughout Thuringia for the entire semester. Students also pay far less for food in the canteen and cafeteria when they use their student ID.

Money is mainly needed for accommodation, food, health insurance, books, clothing, and personal things. We recommend you a budget of €750-900 per month for everything.

• €0 tuition fees
• €45 semester fee with semester ticket (monthly)
• €300 rent (can be higher)
• €220 food
• €30 clothing, shoes
• €50 books, copies
• €120 health insurance
• €50 telephone, Internet, TV and radio licence fee
• €50 free time (individual)

• At https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/External link you can compare the cost of living in your home town with that in Jena. This could be very helpful to get a feeling for the prices in Germany.

EU citizens, as well as affiliates of certain non-EU countries (e.g. Australia, Brazil, Iceland, Japan, Canada, Norway, and some others) can enter Germany without a visa.

All other citizens must apply for an entry visa for German at the German embassy in their home country.

• As soon as you have arrived in Germany, you must register at the residents' registration office.
• Non-EU citizens must also register with the Immigration Office and apply for an "electronic residence permit for the purpose of studying". To do this, you must prove that you have sufficient funds to finance your entire studies in Germany. This proof|evidence can be, for example, a bank statement|account statement, a scholarship confirmation or a guarantee from your parents.

As the topic of immigration is a very important and sensitive one, we recommend that you obtain detailed information before your stay. Further information can be found at the International Office(https://www.uni-jena.de/Jena+Leben+international de) as well as on the links to the German Embassy and the Immigration Office.

When you move to Jena, you can choose between private accommodation (shared flat or 1-room flat) and a room in a student services organisation hall of residence. A room in a hall of residence is particularly recommended for visiting students, as you can easily rent the room before you arrive in Jena.

• In Germany, you will always have your own room, regardless of whether you live in a shared flat or in a hall of residence.
• If you decide to rent private accommodation, NEVER transfer money before you have seen the flat and signed a tenancy agreement, especially if the tender seems very favourable. Scammers try to get money with fake accommodation offers and foreign students are easy victims.
• You can find information on halls of residence here: https://www.stw-thueringen.de/deutsch/wohnen/wohnen.htmlExternal link
• Helpful sites for finding private accommodation:

It is difficult to find a private room in Jena from abroad. We advise looking in neighbouring towns and cities, too (Weimar, Erfurt, Kahla, Gera, Apolda). It is best to do so using the Internet. There are many information boards in the university buildings displaying available rooms and flats. Please take note of our advice on looking for accommodation and life in Jena in general.

→ Episiode 3 of our Podcast "Uni Jena international" also tackles this topic. 

Health insurance

Students should have a valid health insurance for the duration of their studies.

Please see our information for

• degree-seeking students
• guest students

Please note that the International Office of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena does not accept any foreign, private travel insurance or emergency cover as student insurance. Although these are often necessary to apply for a visa in your home country and are also useful for your arrival and departure, they are not sufficient forms of full, proper health insurance. If you have any questions, please contact the International StudentsExternal linkExternal link department of the International Office.

Further information about the German health care systempdf, 3 mb · depdf, 3 mb · de

Other types of insurance

The semester fee includes a premium for accident insurance. In all university buildings, on the way to and from the University, at University’s events, and during sports and leisure activities related to the University students are therefore covered by insurance. We strongly recommend taking out a private liability insurance for your personal life after arriving which will cover costs of damages to other persons's belongings.

• Sports:
  • The "University Sports" is a sports club of the FSU and offers numerous sports courses You can prove|to register for|to take courses in yoga, canoeing, dancing, meditation, football, tennis, basketball and many other sports for a small fee. You can find more information here: https://www.hochschulsport.uni- jena.de/sportprogramm
  • Jena is also a great place for outdoor Sports. There are hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails and even opportunities for paragliding. The Saale river is very popular for canoeing or kayaking. Of course, there are also several gyms and swimming pools that you can use.
• Culture and History:

Incredible European and German History is always within reach in Jena. There are numerous old castles and palaces around Jena, some of which date back to the 11th century. After a 3-hour train journey, you will reach Germany's capital Berlin with its huge tender of cultural experiences. Just 15 minutes on the train will also take you to Weimar, where you can explore the origins of classical literature.

• Nightlife:

With around 25000 students, there is always something going on in Jena. There are plenty of quaint pubs, modern bars and clubs where you can leave everyday life behind you. There are also several breweries and various wine producers in the region around Jena, so you can sample many local drinks.

• University clubs:

There are many clubs at FSU that you can join. There are political groups, theatre groups and also charitable groups. It should be easy for everyone to meet like-minded people here.

You can find a list of all clubs on this homepage: https://www.uni-jena.de/freizeit de

Here are some places to go in case you need support. If you are unsure who to turn to, talk to someone you trust first. This could be a professor, your flatmate, your mentor or your GP. Even if these people can't help you themselves, they can certainly help you find the right place to go.

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