You will need to plan your stay in Munich well before you arrive here. What kind of health insurance do I need? What language certificates do I have to provide? How can I register for courses and examinations? Find the answers to your questions here.
You can find information on common administrative terms and processes in the ABC Study Guide.
An overview of the administrative processes for exchange students can be found in our timeline.
The following certificates are regarded to be proof of your German language skills:
We accept the following certificates as proof of your English language skills:
These certificates must not be more than two years old. If you have not taken a test, your exchange coordinator from your home university can issue a confirmation of language skills (PDF, 80 KB) for you.
If you are a native speaker of one of the languages or are already studying at a German or English-speaking university, no proof of language skills is required.
As an Erasmus+, UK, SEMP or LMUexchange student, you can apply to the Munich Student Union (Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern) for a place in student housing in your application for your exchange program.
Rooms are usually available from 1 March or 1 September for a stay of one semester.
We have a limited number of rooms in student housing as part of the Servicepaket (service package) offered by the Munich Student Union. These are assigned at random.
Since there are far more exchange students applying for a room in a dormitory than there are rooms available, we cannot guarantee housing for every student!
For questions, please contact the Housing team.
There are no fixed dates but you will be notified approximately in January for the summer semester and July for the winter semester.
You will receive an email from LMU telling you whether your application for student housing was successful or not. If your application was successful, you will then receive an offer from the Munich Student Union directly. At this point, you will learn more about the room and its location.
You will be given a deadline for officially accepting the offer.
Please start looking for private accommodation immediately. The accommodation situation in Munich is very difficult, particularly at the beginning of the winter semester.
If you want to live near the city center and university, you can expect rental prices ranging from 600- 1.000 € per month. With a bit of luck or some commute time, you can also find cheaper options.
We can help you with the search for housing but please note that we cannot guarantee accommodation for you and that you need to search for housing yourself.
Health insurance is mandatory for all students. Exchange students need a digital Versicherungsbescheinigung (insurance certificate) from a statutory health insurance provider (e.g. TK, AOK, Barmer, DAK or others). This digital certificate of insurance is a prerequisite for enrollment.
Holders of an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) will receive a digital Versicherungsbescheinigung (insurance certificate) from a statutory health insurance provider. Other students must take out a German health insurance policy in order to receive the digital insurance certificate.
LMU offers an orientation program before the start of the semester, in cooperation with external partners. This consists of language courses and excursions in and around Munich. There are language courses across every level, all with a different focus. If you do not wish to take a language course, you can choose just to participate in the orientation and excursion program.
The courses are subsidized by the International Office. If you need more information, you can find further details under our study preparation program.
You can submit documents such as language certificates or Transcripts of Records later if they were not issued in time. If you have questions about this, please contact the Incoming Team.
In principle, yes.
Some courses have limited capacity (for example, Business Administration or English language courses in Political Science). If you have no previous knowledge and experience in a subject area, you can only take introductory courses in that subject.
You can find the dates and times for the coming semesters in the section timetable and lecture periods. Examination periods vary depending on the subject and can also extend into lecture-free periods.
If you would like to participate in the preparation program you should be in Munich by 1 September or 1 March.
No, LMU can only accept temporary exchange students whose home university has an exchange agreement with LMU via Erasmus+, UK, SEMP or LMUexchange.
You can find information on courses in the section choosing courses.
The course catalog is usually available right before the start of the new semester. Courses taught in English from previous semesters can be found in the overview in the section choosing courses.
If you are an Erasmus+/SEMP/UK student, please contact the Erasmus team. If you are an LMUexchange student (worldwide), please contact the LMUexchange team. Please find further information in the contact section.
If you’d like to hang out with and learn from the students who know just what it’s like to study abroad, MESA (Munich Erasmus Student Association) is a perfect option. It’s an organization run by LMU students who have studied abroad through Erasmus — but you don’t have to be an Erasmus student to join! The students of MESA are happy to support and assist you before and during the first few months of your stay. Each semester, there’s a big welcome party where you’ll meet many other international students from LMU and other local universities, and there are lots of great activities throughout the year (karaoke, pub crawls, castle tours, etc.).
Both the departmental coordinator at your home university as well as your departmental coordinator at LMU must agree to any changes made to the Learning Agreement (see overview of all departmental coordinators at LMU). If they agree, the Learning Agreement can be amended.
To register for LMU courses, please contact the relevant departmental coordinator for more information.
This should only be done once your Learning Agreement is complete. Registering for a course does not mean that you are registered for the exam.
To register for an exam, please talk to the course lecturer.
The International Office is only responsible for the administrative part of your study program. If you have any academic questions, please contact your departmental coordinator. This coordinator is also responsible for your Learning Agreement.
If you have any questions about LMU courses, please contact the course lecturer.
If your stay was only planned for one semester but you wish to extend it to two, you must first clarify this with your home university. If your university agrees to the extension, please contact your departmental coordinator at LMU. If you are able to stay, contact the International Office so that your dates can be changed and you are able to continue your registration.
Please note that if you have received student housing through the International Office, it cannot be extended. For the second semester you will have to find somewhere else to stay.
At the end of your stay at LMU, you will automatically be removed from our register of students. If you are here for the winter semester, your student status ends on 31 March. If you are here until the end of the summer semester, it ends on 30 September.
If you need a certificate of exmatriculation, please contact the Studentenkanzlei (Office of the University Registrar). You can then use this certificate to cancel your health insurance.
Please remember to cancel your health insurance and deregister your address from the City of Munich.
Many exchange students require a Certificate of Attendance or Departure at the end of their stay. Please contact the International Office about this.
If you are staying in student housing, you have to clean your room and return your key.
For further information please see the section Pre-departure.