Coronavirus ordinances of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia
You can refer to the Coronavirus Protection Ordinance NRW (CoronaSchVO) and the Coronavirus Incoming Travel Ordinance NRW (CoronaEinrVO)(Opens in a new tab) currently in force - here(Opens in a new tab) .
International "virus variant areas," "high incidence areas," "risk areas"
Information on the designation of international risk areas by the German Federal Foreign Office, Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI)
The list of international risk areas changes continuously. Please check the website of the Robert Koch Institute(Opens in a new tab) . (PDF in English available)
Information for students and employees of Fachhochschule Dortmund leaving Germany
Mobilities
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the International Office is planning and setting all deadlines as if the year 2021/22 will be a regular one. However, due to the exceptional situation, there is unfortunately no planning certainty at the moment.
Please note that all mobility commitments are subject to change. Depending on the situation, the EU, national governments and the host universities will decide on regulations that will ultimately be binding and that we all have to observe. As soon as the International Office receives relevant information, e.g. from the DAAD as National Agency, we will publish it on our website. Please also check independently on the pages of your host universities.
In the light of the coronavirus pandemic, we urgently ask you to gather information about the current situation in the host country when planning or before starting a stay abroad and, if necessary, to consider a virtual start of a mobility and the following physical continuation at a later date.
Your health and your safety are the top priorities of Fachhochschule Dortmund.
Departure to the host country
The pandemic development continues to be a dynamic one. If you are applying for a stay abroad or perhaps have already been acceptance, you are certainly asking yourself whether, when and how a start of a semester abroad is possible in the situation marked by the coronavirus pandemic.
First of all: Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences and Arts would like to support you even in this difficult situation and offers flexible solutions in almost all cases:
- You can postpone the start of your semester abroad and the departure.
- You can start your semester abroad online from Germany if your selected host university offers digital study or research formats.
- You can transfer the semester abroad to another destination country after consultation with the International Office and the international student advisors in the faculties. (This option is not possible at short notice.)
The options mentioned above also apply to students who have returned to Germany and are now considering returning to their host country.
Please note:
We would like to point out that the Federal German Foreign Office has ruled out further coronavirus-related emergency repatriations of German citizens. Should you decide to travel to a coronavirus risk area or to a country or region with a COVID-19-related travel warning, you do so at your own risk.
Please gather detailed information on all consequences of this decision, especially about the respective valid rules on departure and return, on quarantine and testing obligations, on hygiene regulations and further rules of conduct. Even if your insurance coverage remains valid when traveling to coronavirus risk areas or to countries and regions with a coronavirus-related travel warning, we urge you to choose one of the alternatives described above.
We ask our students to make sure that they have registered on the crisis precaution list of the German Federal Foreign Office, regardless of which country they are in. It is strongly recommended that you also save the emergency number, which can be found on the website of the respective German embassy abroad, and that you additionally gather additional contact options via the website of the respective embassy.
Country-specific travel warnings are in effect due to the pandemic. To find out which countries are affected and what regulations apply in other countries, visit the websites of the German Federal Foreign Office(Opens in a new tab) . (Information only available in German.)
Please check the entry requirements before starting your journey. Many countries currently ban entries from Germany.
ERASMUS+
Erasmus mobility also possible in times of COVID-19
As the handling of the coronavirus will continue to influence physical mobility in the coming months, the European Commission acknowledges the possibility of starting planned mobilities virtually during this period of uncertainty and restrictions of physical mobilies. Provided, for example, that travel restrictions are lifted or universities are reopened for mobilities on-site, virtual mobility should be encouraged in the sense of a "blended mobility" approach: a phase of virtual mobility at a host institution abroad should be followed by physical mobility abroad for the specified minimum duration.
Financial support for mobility begins at the time of travel to the host country, whether for face-to-face or online studies.
Can I start my ERASMUS+ semester abroad virtually for the time being if my host university maintains teaching operations with the help of online courses?
Provided that courses are offered by the host institution that contribute to the achievement of the learning objectives, virtual mobility can still be carried out in the Erasmus program.
As there are no additional foreign-related costs during the virtual mobility phase in the home country, there is no financial support for this period. As soon as the physical mobility phase begins i.e. upon arrival in the host country, you can receive the regular grant for the stay abroad.
The minimum funding period of an Erasmus+ mobility of 3 months should be fulfilled.
Postponement of a planned Erasmus mobility
Should you wish to postpone your stay, please discuss this with the Auslandsbeauftragte/Länderbeauftragte at the department. Inform us officially in the International Office via email to erasmusfh-dortmundde about the postponement. We will then change the nomination with the partner and adjust the data accordingly in the Mobility Online Portal.
Self-Isolation and funding period
In the event that host universities require you to arrive 14 days before the start of lectures and enter a self-imposed quarantine for this period, the EU Commission has now confirmed that this quarantine period will count towards the mobility period when entering the host country.
However, the Commission has also informed that possible quarantine periods upon return to the home country CANNOT be funded as a mobility period.
Information for people entering Germany and the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia
Regulations for entrants to Germany in the context with COVID-19
Important information and guidance on the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for returning travellers or those entering the country can be found on the website of the Robert Koch Institute(Opens in a new tab) .
Health and long-term care insurance: waiver of contributions until the date of entry for international students
The GKV Spitzenverband decided on 12 November 2020 that international students from non-contractual foreign countries can be exempted from health and long-term care insurance contributions under certain conditions.
Students who were prevented from taking up or continuing their studies in Germany due to the Corona pandemic are therefore exempt from the obligation to pay contributions. I.e., due to travel restrictions or delays in the visa application process, the studies could not be carried out in person, but only in digital form (abroad). Benefits from the (German) health insurance could therefore not be claimed.
International students who find themselves in this situation can have their health and long-term care insurance contributions waived until the time of entry if they enter the country at a later date. You should contact your health insurance company at an early stage to clarify how to apply for a waiver of contributions. The legal basis for the waiver of contributions is § 76 Para. 2 Sentence 1 No. 3 SGB IV in conjunction with § 9 of the contribution collection principles of the GKV-Spitzenverband.
"Corona-Warn-App"
We recommend installing the German coronavirus warning app on your cell phone.
The coronavirus warning app is an app that helps to track and break chains of infection of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 trigger) in Germany. The app is based on technologies with a decentralized approach and notifies people if they have been in contact with an infected person.
Please refer to the FAQ(Opens in a new tab) if you have further questions.
Confirmation of the necessity to be present in Germany for the purpose of studies
As of 1 September 2020, the certificate "Confirmation of the necessity to be present in Germany for the purpose of studies" is no longer required for a visa application. The letter of admission from the host university is sufficient.