Formal steps for beginning your doctorate

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Formal steps for beginning your doctorate

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Doctoral studies in Heidelberg – administrative procedures

Each of the 13 academic faculties of Heidelberg University independently regulates and governs doctoral training and is responsible for admitting and registering its own doctoral candidates. The formal procedures that you must carry out depend on whether you choose individual doctoral training or a structured doctoral program.

If you need a visa to travel to Germany, please refer to our webpage

"Regulations for entering and living in Germany"

for information on visa requirements and applications.

How to begin your doctoral studies – step by step

Step 1: Finding a supervisor

Hints for contacting a supervisor

Every doctoral candidate at Heidelberg University must have an academic supervisor who provides advice and support in the following areas:

choosing a topic and methodology,
planning the project,
writing and revising the dissertation,
pursuing additional professional skills and qualifications.

Your academic supervisor can be a professor, associate professor or a junior group leader in your subject area. In order to find a supervisor the first step is to identify the department or institute in which your intended research field is located.

Please note that professors are not obligated to take on doctoral candidates, even if the individual candidates fulfil the formal requirements.

We recommend that you allow yourself plenty of time to find a doctoral supervisor. You can start with the list of University faculties. You may also search for research groups and professors in:

The websites of some faculties and institutes are available only in German. In such cases, you can use the following terms to search for more information about professors and research fields:

Research groups (Forschungsgruppen or Lehrstühle),
Research areas (Forschungsgebiete),
Research (Forschung),
Faculty, Staff, Members (Mitarbeiter, Mitglieder, Personen),
Publications (Publikationen).

When you have located professors or research groups that match your research interests, you can contact them to introduce yourself and your planned project. It is also helpful to have a short description of your project available. The individual websites of the University’s research groups and professors provide information about their current research topics as well as their contact information.

Language requirements for international doctoral candidates

Please note:

The doctoral regulations of each faculty determine the languages in which a dissertation may be written. If you would like to write in a language not specified in the doctoral regulations, you must receive the permission of both your supervisor and the Dean of your faculty.

Further Information:

► Lan guage requirements for international doctoral candidates

Please be aware that the Graduate Academy and other University offices are not able to make contact with potential supervisors on your behalf.

Step 2: Doctoral Agreement

The doctoral agreement

In the doctoral agreement, the doctoral supervisor and the doctoral candidate set down the framework of the doctoral project including the duration of the project, the reporting schedule, the resources that are to be made available, any additional qualifications the doctoral candidate should attain etc. The doctoral agreement form can be found on the website of your Faculty.

The doctoral agreement is the first step towards applying for admission as a doctoral candidate in your Faculty. You must submit the complete application for admission to your Faculty within six weeks of completing the doctoral agreement with your supervisor.

Further information is available from the Dean‘s Office of your faculty.

Deadlines for applying for admission to a University faculty\ There are no centralized, formal deadlines for submitting an application for admission to a Faculty. However, you should apply for admission to your Faculty soon after completing the doctoral agreement with your supervisor. Please be aware that some Faculties do set their own internal deadlines for the submission of an application for admission; therefore, you should inquire directly at the Dean’s Office or Doctoral Studies Office of your Faculty. Additionally, you will receive access to many university facilities and services (such as the central library and computer center) only after you have been admitted to your Faculty.\ Further information: Step 4: Admission to the faculty.

Supervisor and doctoral agreement in a structured program

Structured doctoral programmes often advertise their doctoral positions (both paid and unpaid) online and in academic journals. Applicants take part in a multilevel selection process that may include contact with possible supervisors and the discussion of possible doctoral topics. If you have been accepted by a structured doctoral program, the doctoral agreement may have been completed during the application and acceptance process. You should ask the coordinator of your program if this is true in your case\

Please read the following page with a comprehensive list of structured doctoral programs in Heidelberg:\ ► List of structured doctoral programs\ ► Current programs

Step 3: Registration in heiDOCS

heiDOCS: Your Online Doctoral File

The University has developed a web portal for doctoral candidates (heiDOCS) with which you begin the registration process and which will accompany you throughout your doctoral studies. The portal also helps you to stay informed about services for doctoral candidates at the University. Before submitting your application to the faculty, you must register in the heiDOCS portal and create your online doctoral file. \ \ Attention: As a doctoral candidate of the Faculty of Biosciences and the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, you cannot register yourself. Please contact your respective doctoral office.\ \ After the completion of the admission process at the faculty you will receive your Uni ID via this portal.\ \ Further information:\ ► heiDOCS web portal\ ► Doctoral Students' Office

Contact information:\ Doctoral Students‘ Office\ Email: zdb@uni-heidelberg.de\ Phone: +49 (0) 6221 54 - 12204/12205\ Room 027\ Seminarstr. 2\ 69117 Heidelberg\

Step 4: Admission to the faculty

Application for admission as a doctoral candidate to the faculty

After finding a doctoral supervisor, being admitted to the appropriate faculty at the University is the second necessary step towards beginning your doctoral studies. During the admission process, the doctoral committee will review your previous university degrees and your doctoral project to ensure that they fulfil the faculty’s prerequisites. You should apply for admission to the faculty as early as possible at the beginning of your doctoral training.

If your previous university degree is not equivalent to a German degree or if you are doing your doctoral studies in a subject area that differs from your previous studies, the doctoral committee may require you to do some additional coursework or pass an examination before granting you admission to the faculty.

The final admission to the faculty is issued in writing – the so-called “Annahme als Doktorand” (letter of admission). With this document, the faculty is committed to supporting your doctoral project until its completion and will assist you, for example, if you need to find a new supervisor.

Your admission is valid for a limited amount of time. This is generally 3-5 years but will vary according to the Faculty you belong to. You can find the duration of your admission on page 4 of your heiDOCS file. If you do not complete your doctoral training before this deadline, you must contact your Faculty and apply for an extension of your admission.

Admission as an individual doctoral candidate

If you are carrying out your doctoral studies on an individual basis, you must apply for admission to your faculty yourself. After registering in the portal, you must submit the documents listed below to the Dean‘s Office of your faculty. There is more information about applying for admission on the websites of the faculties.Application documents

application form “Antrag auf Annahme als Doktorand” (this form is available in the Dean’s Office of the faculty or on many of the faculties’ websites),
letter of acceptance from the doctoral supervisor and/or doctoral agreement (see step 2),
proof of a completed university degree (as a rule, certified copies of the university diploma),
topic and short summary of the doctoral project,
curriculum vitae,
declaration regarding past or current doctoral studies,
if applicable, proof of language proficiency.

Please note that applications are processed only at certain times during the semester. We recommend that you apply for admission promptly after receiving the acceptance letter from your supervisor. Some faculties require that you submit your application within a few weeks of beginning your doctoral project.

The letter of admission (Annahme als Doktorand) grants you official status at the University and gives you access to University services. It also allows you to apply to the University and to enroll as a doctoral candidate.

Admission through a structured doctoral program

Even if you have been admitted to a structured doctoral program, you must nevertheless be granted admission to the appropriate University faculty. In many but certainly not all cases, this application is taken care of by your chosen program. Therefore, you should ask your program coordinator ahead of time about the procedures applicable to your program.

Contact persons at the Dean's Offices\ The staff members responsible for doctoral studies in the Dean’s Offices of the faculties are listed here:\ ► Contact persons at the Dean's Offices

Important: Changes in your project

You are obligated to promptly report any fundamental changes in your doctoral project to the Dean’s Office of your faculty.\ Such changes could be:

change of topic,
change of supervisor,
discontinuation of your doctoral studies,
extension of your doctoral studies

Step 5: Registration in heiCO

IMPORTANT UPDATE!

Doctoral candidates can now apply for admission and enroll at the university through the online heiCO system. Please see below (Step 5) for information about the application procedure.

Enrollment as a doctoral candidate at Heidelberg University

Enrollment is now legally mandatory for all doctoral candidates in Baden-Württemberg. Immediately after you have been admitted to your faculty as a doctoral candidate, you must go through the two-step process of admission and enrollment at the university. You are required to remain enrolled at the university throughout your entire doctoral training until you have completed your thesis defense.

It is possible to enroll at any time during the year although we recommend that enrollment take place before the end of the re-registration period (July 15 for the winter semester and February 15 for the summer semester).

Please be aware that regardless of when you enroll during the semester, you will be required to pay the full semester fee for that semester. This is true even if you enroll late in the semester. Partial payments of the semester fee are not possible. There is more information about fee payment under Step 6.

Exemption from mandatory enrollment:

Doctoral candidates admitted to their faculties before April 1, 2018 are not obligated to enroll. These doctoral candidates can choose whether or not they wish to enroll.
Doctoral candidates who have an employment contract of 50% or more of the regular working hours with Heidelberg University, the Heidelberg University Hospital or the University Medical Center Mannheim can apply to be exempted from mandatory enrollment. Doctoral candidates who wish to exempt themselves should apply by sending this form to the Zentrales Doktorandenbüro. For information about applying for exemption from mandatory enrollment, please contact them at zdb@uni-heidelberg.de

Admission as an international doctoral candidate at Heidelberg University

After you have received the letter of admission (Annahme als Doktorand) from your faculty, you must apply for admission to the university and then enroll as a doctoral candidate.

Applications for the summer semester can be submitted beginning on January 15. (The summer semester runs from April 1 through September 30.)

Applications for the winter semester can be submitted beginning on June 15. (The winter semester runs from October 1 through March 31.)

Apply as a regular doctoral candidate, WITH admission letter from the Faculty (Annahme als Doktorand)

The first step towards enrollment is to apply for and be granted admission to the university. The admission procedure takes place online in the heiCO system.

Before you begin with the application procedure, please make sure that you have the following documents ready because you will need to upload them as part of your application:

photo in passport format
copy of your passport/national ID card
a scan in PDF format (not larger than 10MB) of your secondary school leaving certificate (e.g. Abitur, high school diploma, GCE, baccalaureat, Attestat, Matura, Lise Diplomasi, Apolyterion, Maturität etc.) and a certified translation of this document into either German or English if it was not originally issued in German or English. In heiCO, this document is referred to as your "university entrance qualification".
a scan in PDF format (not larger than 10MB) of the diploma of the degree that qualifies you for doctoral training. For most doctoral candidates, this is your master's degree diploma. In exceptional cases, this may be your bachelor's degree diploma. If this document was not originally issued in either German or English, you must also provide a certified translation of the document into either German or English. For European doctoral candidates, please upload your degree diploma, not your diploma supplement
- Applicants from China: Please note! For all school and university diplomas and transcripts, applicants from China must submit certified copies and translations that are issued by an official notary whose office is affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Justice. Other forms of certification/translation (for example certification by means of a red star stamp) will not be accepted unless the applicant also submits an original APS certificate. In either case, for final enrollment (step 6) only actual certified copies will be accepted - not photocopies or print outs of certified copies.
- The newly introduced Online Verification Reports, by themselves, are insufficient and cannot serve as a substitute for official university diplomas and transcripts.
if applicable, a certifcate of exmatriculation (Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung). This document is required only if you have been enrolled in the past at a university in Germany (not Heidelberg University). If you have never been enrolled at a German university, you do not need this and you can ignore the information provided in heiCO, which is only for bachelor's and master's students.
if applicable, a certificate of periods of study (Studienverlaufsbescheinigung). This document is required if you have been enrolled in the past at a German university (not Heidelberg University). It is a list of the semesters of your enrollment. It is not a transcript of records. The Studienverlaufsbescheinigung and the Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung are available, even retroactively, from the student administration of your German university. If you have never been enrolled at a German university, you do not need this.
"confirmation of admission" form specifically for enrollment, issued by your faculty (Annahme als Doktorand)
The form issued by your faculty must bear a signature and the seal of the faculty.
The admission form cannot be older than 6 months.
Some faculties (such as Bioscience, Physics and Astronomy, Modern Languages and Philosophy) may use a different admission form specifically for enrollment; however, it must always bear a signature and the seal of the faculty. If you have questions, please contact our office.
your Uni ID. If you do not know your Uni ID (two-letter, three-number code), please contact the Zentrales Doktorandenbüro at zdb@uni-heidelberg.de.

Once you have these items available, please go to the

heiCo Website

and click on “APPLICATION: Go directly to the online application here” . You will be required to create and then confirm a user account. After your user account is set up, you can log in and begin the application process in the system.

Please note:

For “Type of studies” please choose “Doctoral Programme”
For “Degree Programme” please select the subject that your Faculty indicated on your “Annahme als Doktorand*in”
For "Entrance Semester" please select "1". Choosing a semester other than "1" will cause a problem with your final enrollment.

Attention Doctoral Candidates in Medicine!

Please choose your "degree programme" as follows:

For a Dr.med. degree OR Dr.sc.hum in the Medical Faculty Heidelberg, choose "Medizin Fakultät Heidelberg"

For a Dr.med.dent. degree in the Medical Faculty Heidelberg, choose "Zahnmedizin"

For a Dr.med. OR Dr.sc.hum degree in the Medical Faculty Mannheim, choose "Medizin Fakultät Mannheim"

Then proceed to fill out the rest of the online application. For assistance in filling out the online application, please refer to the manuals found in the heiCO Download Center.

After you have submitted a complete application online and it has been processed, the system will let you know that you can continue with the enrollment process. There is more information on this at "Step 6: Enrollment" .

IMPORTANT! You will not automatically receive a letter of admission (Zulassungsbescheid) to the university in the heiCO system. For most doctoral candidates, this letter is not necessary and is not required in order to proceed with enrollment. However, if you need this letter for a visa application, please let us know. We will help you to make sure that the letter can be generated for you.

Please be aware that you can upload normal copies of all of your educational documents during the application process. However, for your final enrollment, you will be required to upload a certified copy (and, if applicable a certified translation) of your most recent university degree that qualifies you for doctoral training (generally your master's degree).

A certified copy is not simply a normal photocopy of an original document. A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document that has on it the confirmation that it is a true copy of the original. The certified copy must bear the original seal and the original signature of the person who is authorized to make the certification. Certified copies can be made by the educational institution that issued the document, by German diplomatic missions, by the embassy of the country in which the document was issued, by notaries and by other public authorities who are authorized to carry out such certifications. In Germany, certified copies can be obtained at the Bürgeramt, the local municipal offices, among other places.

A photocopy or a scan of a certified copy is no longer certified and will not be accepted by the admissions office.

Please do not hand in your original diplomas and transcripts as they will not be returned to you!

Apply for temporary admission WITHOUT admission letter from your Faculty (Predoc)

If you have not yet received the letter of admission from your faculty (Annahme als Doktorand), you may apply and enroll with the status predoc ("in preparation for doctoral studies”, in German "Vorbereitung für die Promotion").

You may remain enrolled with this status for a maximum of four semesters. Within the four semesters, you are expected to obtain the admission to your faculty (Annahme als Doktorand) and then you must change your enrollment status (see below).

IMPORTANT DEADLINE!

Your enrollment for "in preparation for doctoral training" can only be finalized if you have been registered in the student health insurance system (see grey information box below) before the applicable registration deadline. The student health insurance registration deadlines are:

June 30th for the summer semester

December 31st for the winter semester

This applies to everyone who is applying and enrolling for "in preparation for doctoral training"!

Please take care of your registration in the student health insurance system (see grey information box below) as early as possible.

Do not submit an application after the above deadlines if you are not registered in the student health insurance system as your application will not be processed.

Registration in the student health insurance system

Before your enrollment can be completed, you will need to be registered in the electronic registration database for student health insurance existing between the public health insurance system and the university. This is also true if you have private health insurance. For information about the requirements for private health insurance, please see our website Insurance and especially the section entitled "Proof of health insurance coverage for enrollment at the University".

To get registered, please take a copy of your health insurance policy and your passport to a public health insurance company and ask to be registered in the system. There is a document prepared by the student administration that you can show to the health insurance company to explain your enrollment status and registration category. This can ease the registration process in the health insurance database. Please contact us at the Service Point (graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de) if you would like a copy of this document.

Please be aware that you must complete this registration in the health insurance system within 3 months of the beginning of the semester in which you are enrolling. For the summer semester, this deadline is June 30th, for the winter semester it is December 31st.

Please be aware that it takes 3-5 working days for your registration to be visible to the student administration in the system.

The admission procedure takes place online in the heiCO system.

Before you begin with the application procedure, please make sure that you have the following documents ready in PDF form (not larger than 10MB) because you will need to upload them as part of your application:

- your bachelor's degree diploma(s) and transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) for each semester or year of study and certified translations of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English
your master's degree diploma(s) and transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) for each semester or year of study and certified translations of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English
a recent letter of acceptance from your supervisor. This letter should be on the letterhead of Heidelberg University or of the Heidelberg University hospital and must:
- confirm that you will be pursuing doctoral studies at Heidelberg University and indicate the research group in which you will be working,
- indicate which professor at Heidelberg University will be acting as your doctoral supervisor,
- indicate the approximate time period of your doctoral studies.
- If your supervisor works primarily at an external organization such as the DKFZ, MPI etc and does not have university letterhead,they should confirm in the letter which university faculty they belong to
- Applicants from China: Please note! For all school and university diplomas and transcripts, applicants from China must submit certified copies and translations that are issued by an official notary whose office is affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Justice. Other forms of certification/translation (for example certification by means of a red star stamp) will not be accepted unless the applicant also submits an original APS certificate. In either case, only actual certified copies will be accepted - not photocopies or print outs of certified copies.
- The newly introduced Online Verification Reports, by themselves, are insufficient and cannot serve as a substitute for official university diplomas and transcripts.
your secondary school leaving certificate (e.g. Abitur, high school diploma, GCE, baccalaureat, Attestat, Matura, Lise Diplomasi, Apolyterion, Maturität etc.) including transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) and certified translations of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English
if applicable, your university entrance examination results and certified translation of this document into either German or English if it was not originally issued in German or English
a photo in passport format
a copy of your passport/national ID card

Once you have these items available, please go to the

heiCO website

Please note:

For “Type of studies” please choose “other study” and for "intended degree" choose "Vorbereitungskurse (Promotion)"
For “Degree Programme” please select the subject in which you will do your doctoral training
For "Entrance Semester" please select "1". Choosing a semester other than "1" will cause a problem with your final enrollment.

Then proceed to fill out the rest of the online application. For assistance in filling out the online application, please refer to the manuals found in the heiCO Download Center.

After you have submitted a complete application online, it will be processed by the student administration and you will be notified through the heiCO system about your admission status. After the Zulassungsbescheid (admission notification) is issued in the system, you can proceed with your enrollment. See "Step 6: Enrollment" for more information.

Please be aware that you can upload normal copies of all of your educational documents during the application process. However, for your final enrollment, you will be required to upload certified copies of your school and university diplomas and transcripts as well as of your passport.

Please do not hand in your original diplomas and transcripts as we cannot guarantee that they will be returned to you!

To change your enrollment status to doctoral studies (Promotionsstudium) with the Annahme als Doktorand:

As soon as you have received the confirmation of your admission from your faculty (bearing the signature of the Dean and the seal of the Faculty), please submit an application in heiCO to change your enrollment status to doctoral programme (Promotion mit Abschlussprüfung).

Step 6: Enrollment in heiCO

Enrollment as a doctoral candidate at Heidelberg University

Enrollment is obligatory for doctoral candidates. Doctoral candidates are not required to pay tuition fees. However, in order to enroll, you will have to pay a semester fee that covers the following costs:


EUR 80.00	Administrative costs
EUR 10.00	Fee for the constituted student body
	Social contribution for student services:
EUR 66.00	Student services fees
EUR 5.10	Levy for the use of nextbike and for the Theaterflatrate
EUR 161.10	Total as of the summer semester 2025

Advantages of enrollment

access to services provided by the student services organisation Studierendenwerk, such as housing in the student dormitories, the multifunctional student ID card, child care services, legal and psychological counselling etc.,
complete accident insurance coverage (for more information about insurance see our website).

Enroling at the University

After you have completed the procedure in Step 5 and received the admission notification from the University in your heiCO account, you can proceed with the enrollment in heiCO.

As of the winter semester 25/26, enrollment is completed online. Physical documents no longer need to be submitted; however, you may still need to upload certified copies of your educational documents.

What is a certified copy?\ \ A certified copy is not simply a normal photocopy of an original document. A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document that has on it the confirmation that it is a true copy of the original. The certified copy must bear the original seal and the original signature of the person who is authorized to make the certification. Certified copies can be made by the educational institution that issued the document, by German diplomatic missions, by the embassy of the country in which the document was issued, by notaries and by other public authorities who are authorized to carry out such certifications. In Germany, certified copies can be obtained at the Bürgeramt, the local municipal offices, among other places.

For candidates with university degrees from Italy:\ \ Because the online verification system for Italian digital diplomas does not work in Germany, we can offer the following options for obtaining a copy of your Italian diploma that is confirmed as a true copy for enrollment purposes:\ - Request that your Italian university send a digital copy of your diploma directly to our office (graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de ). We will then be able to stamp and sign a printout of the diploma, confirming it as a true copy for your enrollment.\ - Drop by our office in person to demonstrate that you received the digital diploma directly from your university – either by email from your university to you or through a download portal. This will allow us to stamp and sign a printout of the diploma, confirming it as a true copy for your enrollment.

The enrollment steps are

accept the "study place offer"
if required by the heiCO system, click on the button "Add Data" and follow the instructions in the subsequent message boxes
Reminder: The certificate of exmatriculation is a "can" document for enrollment. You need to upload this document only if you were enrolled in the past at a German university. If this is your first enrollment at a German university, you do not need the certificate of exmatriculation, you can ignore the information provided in heiCO, which is aimed at bachelor's and master's students and you can simply click on "Continue" at the bottom of the page
download the enrollment form and sign it on the last page
upload the signed enrollment form as requested in heiCO
upload any other documents as listed in heiCO in the form that is indicated in the system (certified copies or regular copies). We have listed the documents necessary for each type of enrollment below.
pay the appropriate semester fee. Information about paying the fee by bank transfer is provided in heiCO. Please make sure to indicate your last name, first name, Matrikelnummer, and semester for which you are enrolling on your payment order. Without this information, the university cannot identify your payment and credit your account.

If you are enrolling "in preparation for doctoral training" (Vorbereitung Promotion):

Before your enrollment can be completed, you will need to be registered in the electronic registration system for student health insurance existing between the public health insurance system and the university. This is also true if you have private health insurance. For information about the requirements for private health insurance, please see our website Insurance and especially the section entitled "Proof of health insurance coverage for enrollment at the University".

Please be aware that it takes 3-5 working days for your registration to be visible to the student administration in the system.

The enrollment documents for doctoral training (with admission to the Faculty) should include:

the print-out of the enrollment form with your signature on the last page
a certified copy of your university degree diploma from the degree that qualifies you for doctoral training (usually your master's degree). This document must clearly identify the degree that has been awarded and the date of the award. If this document was not originally issued in German or English, you must also provide a certified translation of this document.

The enrollment documents for "in preparation for doctoral training" (Vorbereitung Promotion) should include:

the print-out of the enrollment form with your signature on the last page
certified copies of your secondary school leaving certificate (e.g. Abitur, high school diploma, Attestat, Matura etc.) including transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) and certified translations of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English
if applicable, certified copy of your university entrance examination results and certified translation of this document into either German or English if it was not originally issued in German or English
certified copies of all of your university diplomas (Bachelor, Master), including transcripts of records (lists of courses and grades) for each semester or year of study, and certified translations of all of these documents into either German or English if they were not originally issued in German or English
Applicants from China: Please note! For all school and university diplomas and transcripts, applicants from China must submit certified copies and translations that are issued by an official notary whose office is affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Justice. Other forms of certification/translation (for example certification by means of a red star stamp) will not be accepted unless the applicant also submits an original APS certificate. In either case, only actual certified copies will be accepted - not photocopies or print outs of certified copies.
The newly introduced Online Verification Reports, by themselves, are insufficient and cannot serve as a substitute for official university diplomas and transcripts.
passport photo and copy of your passport (if not previously uploaded)
if applicable, proof of any time spent at a German university as well as proof that you are no longer registered at that university (Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung).
any other documents listed in the heiCO system.

After receiving and processing your enrollment documents and your semester fee, the student administration will issue your enrollment in heiCO and a green checkmark will appear in the relevant category in heiCO.

Within a few days, you will also receive an email from the student administration that provides important information about the Uni ID, enrollment certificates, student ID card etc. Please read this email carefully!

If you are enrolling "in preparation for doctoral training", you will receive a second email a few days later that explains where to find your Uni ID and activiation code and how to set a new password.

Please note:

Approximately 2-3 days after your enrollment is completed in heiCO (indicated by the green check mark) or after receiving and activating your Uni ID, you will be able to find your enrollment certificate in your heiCO account.
You will need to pick up your student ID card in person at the Serviceportal in the university administration building (Seminarstrasse 2, 69117 Heidelberg). Please make sure to take your official picture ID (passport or national ID card) with you for identification purposes. There is more information about this in the email that you receive from the student administration (see above).

\ The university will use your university email address to send you important information (such as reminders about re-registration!); therefore, please remember to check this email regularly. If you need information about using your university email address, please have a look at the URZ website. Additionally, the university will send notifications to you by postal mail to the mailing address that is in the enrollment system. You are responsible for keeping this address current in the heiCO system.

Fees and re-registration

Doctoral candidates are not required to pay tuition fees at Heidelberg University. However, in order to enroll at the University, you will have to pay a semester fee that covers administrative costs, costs for student services and student representatives. The total fee as of the summer semester 2025 is 161.10 Euro (semester fee).

In order to remain enrolled at the University, you must re-register each semester by paying the fee described above. The time periods for re-registration are as follows:

June 15 to July 15 for the winter semester,
January 15 to February 15 for the summer semester.

\ If you have any questions about the amount shown or other questions about re-registration, please contact us by e-mail at rueckmeldung@uni-heidelberg.de. Please state your full name and matriculation number as well as the key word “re-registration” in the subject line.

\ \ Detailed information about re-registration at the university is available on the university website "Re-Registration".

Changing your Enrollment status in heiCO

Changing your Enrollment status

There are two situations in which you may need to apply to the enrollment office to change your enrollment status.

1. Did you originally enroll “in preparation for doctoral studies” and now have your admission to the Faculty?

In this case, you need to apply to change your status to doctoral studies (“Promotion mit Abschlussprüfung”). You will need the following document:

Confirmation of your admission to your Faculty (Annahme als Doktorand:in): this is a form that is specifically for enrollment purposes and must be signed by the Dean and stamped with the round seal of the Faculty. Please ask the doctoral studies office (Promotionsbüro) of your Faculty to issue this form for you.

When you have this form, please go into your heiCO account and begin a new application. The heiCO system will recognize that you are currently enrolled and therefore are applying for a change in enrollment status. Please follow the directions in the heiCO system for the application, admission and enrollment stages of the process.

Please note:

For “Type of studies” please choose “Doctoral Programme”
For “Degree Programme” please select the subject that your Faculty indicated on your “Annahme als Doktorand*in”
For "Entrance Semester" please select "1". Choosing a semester other than "1" will cause a problem with your final enrollment.

If the re-enrollment period for the next semester has begun, please make sure that you have paid the appropriate semester fee. The change in your enrollment status can only be processed if your fees are paid in full.

After the change has been processed, you will see your new enrollment status in your heiCO account. It can take 10 days to 2 weeks for the change to be processed.

2. Did you recently finish a master’s degree at Heidelberg University and are going to continue on immediately to begin doctoral studies here in Heidelberg?

In this case, it may be possible to avoid exmatriculation and a new enrollment process. You may be able to simply apply to change your enrollment status either to “preparation courses for doctoral programme” or to “doctoral programme”. You will need the following documents:

A certified copy of your master’s degree diploma from your Prüfungsamt. If you don’t have your diploma yet, you can ask your Prüfungsamt for a written confirmation that you have completed your degree.\
Confirmation either that you already are (a) a doctoral candidate or that you (b) are preparing to apply to become a doctoral candidate at Heidelberg University:\
In this case you have already been admitted to your faculty and will receive a written confirmation by the doctoral office of your faculty. This confirmation is called “Annahme als Doktorand” and is specifically for enrollment purposes and must be signed and stamped with the seal of the Faculty.\ \ The Faculties of Bioscience, Physics and Astronomy, Modern Languages and Philosophy issue a different admission document for enrollment. If you are joining on of these faculties, please use the document provided by the Faculty for enrollment. Please be aware the document must bear the stamp/seal of the Faculty.\
If you have a doctoral supervisor but your admission to the Faculty has not yet begun or is not yet complete, you can stay enrolled with the status “in preparation for doctoral programme” for a maximum of 2 semesters. To do this, you will need proof that you have a doctoral supervisor at Heidelberg University.\ \ Fill out only the uppermost box on page four of this form („Betrifft: Einschreibung an der Universität Heidelberg im Rahmen der Vorbereitung auf ein Promotionsstudium“) and ask your supervisor to sign and stamp with his/her institute stamp in the space provided. The application will not be accepted without the stamp of the professor’s institute. Please ignore the rest of page 4 as well as pages 1-3 of the form.

When you have collected the two documents that are relevant to your situation, please go into your heiCO account and start a new application. The heiCO system will recognize that you are currently enrolled and therefore are applying for a change in enrollment status. Please follow the directions in the heiCO system for the application, admission and enrollment stages of the process. Please note:

If you have been admitted to your Faculty (scenario a above):

For “Type of studies” please choose “Doctoral Programme”
For “Degree Programme” please select the subject that your Faculty indicated on your “Annahme als Doktorand*in”
For "Entrance Semester" please select "1". Choosing a semester other than "1" will cause a problem with your final enrollment.

If you currently have a doctoral supervisor but have not yet been admitted to your Faculty (scenario b above):

For “Type of studies” please choose “other study” and for "intended degree" choose "Vorbereitungskurse (Promotion)"
For “Degree Programme” please select the subject in which you will do your doctoral training
For "Entrance Semester" please select "1". Choosing a semester other than "1" will cause a problem with your final enrollment.

After the change has been processed, you will see your new enrollment status in your heiCO account. It can take several weeks for the change to be processed.

Terminating your Enrollment

“Exmatrikulation” is the termination of your enrollment at Heidelberg University.

You are required to terminate your enrollment at Heidelberg University at the end of the semester in which you pass your doctoral thesis defense (Disputation/Rigorosum). We recommend that you officially apply for “Exmatrikulation” rather than ending your enrollment simply by not re-enrolling for the following semester.

The university provides information about the “Exmatrikulation” procedure as well as the application form on this website: https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/study/management-of-studies/exmatriculation

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions that are not answered by the above website.

Please be aware that the Graduate Academy and other University offices are not able to make contact with potential supervisors on your behalf.

Web Administrator: Eric Herbst

Latest Revision: 2026-02-26