# Research Visits in Heidelberg
**Source**: https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/promovieren/forschungsaufenthalte_en.html
**Parent**: https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/promovieren/index_en.html
[Contact](https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/beratung/servicestelle_en.html) | [Deutsch](https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/promovieren/forschungsaufenthalte.html)
[University](http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/index_e.html) >
[Institutions](http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institutions) >
[Graduate Academy](https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/index_en.html) >
[Doctoral studies in Heidelberg](https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/promovieren/index_en.html) >
# Research Visits in Heidelberg
Doctoral candidates can come to Heidelberg University to carry out a short-term research project as part of their doctoral studies at their home university. The first step towards carrying out a research stay is to find a professor at Heidelberg University who agrees to supervise your research visit and who will issue you a letter of invitation or acceptance. There is more information about finding a research supervisor at the university here: **[Step 1: Finding a supervisor](https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/promovieren/promotionsbeginn_en.html#anker_Schritt1)**
If you are enrolled as a doctoral candidate at your home university, there are two forms of registration at Heidelberg University that will give you different degrees of access to university facilities while in Heidelberg – you can register either as a (1) visiting doctoral candidate or as a (2) visiting researcher.
Registration as a visiting doctoral candidate involves completing the entire enrollment process at the university as well as payment of the semester fee (currently 161.10 Euro per semester or 322.20 Euro per year). This form of registration does provide full student privileges and access to all university services (more detailed information below); however, due to the amount of bureaucracy involved and the fee, it is seldom worthwhile to enroll as a visiting doctoral candidate for a visit of less than 3 or 4 months or if only limited access to university services is required.
Registration as a visiting researcher is carried out through the Welcome Center of the university. This procedure is free of charge and relatively simple and is well-suited to short research visits or visits during which university services will only be used in a limited way.
Please read through the detailed information below about both forms of registration to determine which form suits your needs for your research visit. Please feel free to contact us at the Graduate Academy (graduateacademy@uni-heidelberg.de ) if, after reading the information, you have any questions or need clarification on any of the points covered below.
## 1. Research stay as a visiting doctoral candidate
Coming to Heidelberg as a visiting doctoral candidate involves enrolling as a student at the university and gives you **full student status** including the [multifunctional student ID card](https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/study/management-studies/student-id), access to all university facilities (library, cafeterias, computer center, sports center etc.) and access to the services provided by the student services organization ([*Studierendenwerk*](https://www.studentenwerk.uni-heidelberg.de/en)) such as
- reduced student prices at the cafeterias
- the possibility to apply for a room in a student dormitory
- access to the Studierendenwerk housing service
If you choose to enroll at the university, you will be required to pay an administration and student services fee every semester in which you are enrolled. The current semester fee is 161.10 Euro per semester (as of the summer semester 2025).
Please read through the information below about admission and enrollment at Heidelberg University **well in advance** of coming to Heidelberg so that you can prepare all of the necessary documents. Please note that it is **not possible** to enroll at the university without all of the documents listed below.
**The application portal for applications for the summer semester is open from December 1 to March 31. It is not possible to submit an application for the summer semester after March 31.** **The summer semester runs from April 1 through September 30.**
\
**The application portal for applications for the winter semester is open from June 1 to September 30. It is not possible to submit an application for the winter semester after September 30.** **The winter semester runs from October 1 through March 31.**
**Application for Admission as a “visiting doctoral candidate” (“Forschungsstudent”)**
\
Before you can enroll as a visiting doctoral candidate, you must first apply for admission to the university in the heiCO system.
Please go to the [heiCO website](https://heico.uni-heidelberg.de/heiCO/ee/ui/ca2/app/desktop/#/login?$ctx=lang=en) 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 “other study” and for "intended degree" choose "Research Student (without ECTS)"
- For “Degree Programme” please select the subject in which you will do your doctoral training
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](https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/heico-downloads).
**During the online application process, you will be required to upload the following application documents:**
- copies of all of your university diplomas (Bachelor, Master etc.), 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.
- 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, 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
- copy of your current enrolment certificate as a doctoral candidate from your home university
- recent letter of acceptance from your supervisor of your research project at Heidelberg University. If the system does not request this letter, please upload it with your university diplomas. This letter should be on the letterhead of Heidelberg University or of the Heidelberg University hospital and must:
- confirm that your research stay is taking place within the framework of your doctoral studies in your home country,
- confirm that he/she will supervise your research stay in Heidelberg,
- indicate the time period of your research visit and
- if applicable, confirm that German language proficiency is not necessary for your research visit.
- 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*).
- photo in passport format
- copy of your passport/national ID card
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.
In order to enroll, you will be required to enter additional data in your account that is relevant to enrollment. When this information is complete, you will be asked to print out the enrollment form, sign it and upload it along with certified copies of your educational documents. You will also be asked to pay the appropriate semester fee.
Please be aware that your final enrollment will not be processed until the student administration receives all of the required documents in heiCO and the semester fee.
Before your enrollment can be completed, you will also 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](https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/promovieren/versicherungen_en.html) 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, if you have private health insurance, you must register in the electronic health insurance system within 3 months of the beginning of the semester. For the summer semester, the 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 necessary enrollment documents should include:**
- the print-out of the enrollment form, with your original 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. These documents need to bear the original stamp and signature of the person certifying the document and, if applicable, the original stamp and signature of the certified translator.
- 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. These documents need to bear the original stamp and signature of the person certifying the document and, if applicable, the original stamp and signature of the certified translator.
- **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. These documents need to bear the original stamp and signature of the person certifying the document and, if applicable, the original stamp and signature of the certified translator.
- 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.
- copy of your passport/national ID card
- passport photo
- 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 enrollment office will send you an email to inform you when you can pick up your student ID card. You must pick up your ID card in person at the university administration building.
\
The university will use your university email address to send you important information; therefore, please remember to check this email regularly. 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.
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 submit **certified** copies of your school and university diplomas and transcripts.
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.
**Fees and re-registration**
Visiting doctoral candidates are not required to pay tuition fees at Heidelberg University. However, if you 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 is currently 161.10 Euro per semester (as of summer semester 2025).
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
Please be aware that you must pay the full semester fee for every semester for which you are enrolled regardless of when during the semester you arrive or leave. Therefore, if possible, it is a good idea to plan the timing of your stay to coincide with the university semesters. The university semesters are as follows:
Winter semester: October 1 to March 31\
Summer semester: April 1 to September 30
## 2. Research stay as a visiting researcher
Coming to Heidelberg as a visiting researcher involves registering with the [Welcome Center](https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institutions/administration/international/welcomecentre.html) and gives you limited access to University facilities. If you have a scholarship or are funding your research stay privately, you will receive a visiting researcher card after registration, which confirms your association with the university and enables you to apply for additional cards to use the university library, the university cafeterias and the university sports center. Please note that you will **not obtain access to the services provided by the student services organization** which means you will **not** be eligible
- to live in a student dormitory
- to use the housing service provided by the student services organization
- to receive reduced student prices in the university cafeterias
In general this means that you will receive less support and will need to be more independent in organizing your research stay and finding housing. Depending on where you live and how much you wish to cook for yourself, you may also need to budget for higher expenses for food and other living costs.
You can register as a visiting researcher at Heidelberg University online on the website of the [Welcome Center](https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institutions/administration/international/welcomecentre.html) .
**More information:** \
[► Welcome Center](https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institutions/administration/international/welcomecentre.html) \
[► Visiting Scholar Card](https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/research/international/heidelberg/visiting_scholar_card.html)
\
\
Web Administrator:
[Eric Herbst](mailto:ga-web@uni-heidelberg.de)
Latest Revision:
2025-10-01