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The Pandemic in Germany and its impact on foreign students

Dealing with the Pandemic has been a rough time for German universities and students. A lot of changes are going on which is why implementing new regulations is going to be necessary for successful teaching at German universities.
But what are those regualtions? And how will they affect the students?
You can find out the answers to these question in this blog post.

Which measures and rules are going to be relevant for applying to German universities?

Digital lessons have been taken place since the pandemic started. It started in the summer semester 2020, continued during the winter semester 2020/21 and stopped after the summer semester 2021.

What could the next semester look like?

It is clear that we need to continue to follow the contact restrictions and hygiene requirements.
But more importantly is how lectures, seminars and other events will take place.
Here is a small overview of what it could look like most likely:

Lectures and big events:
Digital online-lectures

Seminars:
Depending on the number of people, these could take place in presence or it could be a change or switch between teaching in presence and teaching online.

Exams:
The number of exams that are taking place in presence could be reduced and instead German universities will continue to do online exams or switch to homework assignments instead of exams.

There are different opinions about the current situation.
For some people it is an advantage to do everything digitally because they have to commute from one place to another or work beside university, which means that digital lessones save them a lot of time. Examination phases are also a little more relaxed since the presence exams are now being converted to online exams.
For others it is more complicated. Some people just can cope better with material while being present or because they need the contact, interaction and communication with people.

The students should be strengthened and supported in their everyday life as a student, so they really just need to make the best of the situation. Everyone knows about the regulations like the 3G-rule (fully vaccinated, recovered or tested) that are now part of a students everyday life. Of course, the masks should not be missing either. They must and should continue to be worn during exercises, seminars or lectures.

All of this is a lot of information and rules at once, but again, you have to make the best of the situation.
There is no way you can deny that the universities haven’t been doing a great job making it possible for students to pursue and graduate with success since the pandemic began.

Now they are thinking about the option to continue teaching in presence but only with the 2G-rule (vaccinated and recovered).
The rules and measures vary from state to state and depend on the current situation of the pandemic, which is why every university has different rules and measures.

What impact does the pandemic have on the life of students from abroad?

Are there any problems for foreign students entering Germany?

For a long time, foreign student could not apply for a visa because consulates were closed due the pandemic and accordingly a large number of students have not been able to enter Germany to study.

What about returning to the home country? Can foreign students simply return to their country without any problems?

Exchange or overseas students want to return to their home country but are left with costs and bills to pay such as dormitory lease. It’s not possible for them and they also should not just cancel everything and leave.

What happens when the visa of a foreign student expires?

The visa for some foreign students is about to expire and there are concerns about the application for an extension of expiring residence permits.
However, the immigration authorities were instructed to hand over fictional certificates when the residence permit expired without an examination and for a longer period of time.

Do German universities currently accept applications from foreigners at all?

Regardless of where you have been and where you come from (high risk area or virus variant area), you have to be vaccinated, recovered or tested negative to enter Germany. You can get the newest updates on the current situation, rules and precondiotins regarding the entry of foreigners to Germany.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE ENTRY TO GERMANY

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