Application as a freemover

Freemover students do not have to be nominated by their home university. Please contact us yourself and send the following information to the e-mail address exchange-studentsfh-dortmundde 

• Your full name (first name and surname)
• Your gender
• Your study program at your home university
• Your desired degree program at our university
• Period of study (winter semester, summer semester or winter semester and summer semester)
• Whether you are currently studying for a Bachelor's or Master's degree
• Your e-mail address

Deadlines for sending the information:

For the winter semester from March 15 to May 1
For the summer semester from September 15 to November 1

An application is only possible within the following periods:

Winter semester: 15.03. to 15.05.
Summer semester: 15.09. to 15.11.

After you have provided us with your contact details, you will receive an e-mail with the most important information about applying for a stay abroad at Fachhochschule Dortmund. Use the link to the applicant portal in the e-mail to register in the Mobility Online Portal.

Please note that this is an automatically generated e-mail which may be marked as spam. It is therefore essential that you check your spam folder.

Use the link in the following e-mail to complete your personal master data first. You will then be taken to the overview of your application history, where you can check the status of your application at any time and make subsequent changes. Here you will be asked to upload various documents step by step. All steps must be completed for the application to be accepted.

The following documents must be submitted:

• Copy of passport
• Proof of language proficiency in the language of instruction at the host university
• Proof of academic achievement
• Learning Agreement (see below)

Your documents will then be formally checked by the International Office. After the formal check, no further changes to your application data are possible.

If you have ticked "Yes" to the housing question, your request will be forwarded to the Studierendenwerk Dortmund, which will take care of the housing arrangements.

If you have any questions, please contact: exchange-studentsfh-dortmundde 

The Learning Agreement (LA) is your personal study plan on which you enter the courses you have selected and any changes.

Information on the procedure:

• The Learning Agreement is part of your application documents.
• It is available for you to download from the Mobility Online Portal.
• On the LA, you enter courses with a maximum total number of 30 ECTS per semester.
• The LA must then be signed first by your home university and you and then by Fachhochschule Dortmund (international representative).
• You must upload the LA with the signatures to the portal by the application deadline.
• The documents will then be checked by the International Office.
• No later than 3 weeks after your arrival at Fachhochschule Dortmund, they will check the feasibility of the courses and make any necessary changes.
• After you have changed your LA, you will again need the signatures of your home university and the international representative of your faculty at Fachhochschule Dortmund.
• You must upload the amended LA with all signatures to the portal yourself.
• You will receive all the necessary information for your course selection from the international representatives of your faculty (see below).

Please make sure that all the examinations you have selected are offered during your period of stay. At Fachhochschule Dortmund, examinations are offered in two examination sections. As a rule, the 2nd examination period always extends into the following semester. This examination period is often outside your period of stay, requires you to re-register at Fachhochschule Dortmund and pay the semester fee and overlaps with the start of your studies at your home university.

Please note: A Learning Agreement does not replace registration for the examination via the study portal. You will receive the access data when you enrol. Each faculty has its own deadlines for registering and deregistering for examinations. If you do not register for the exam, you will not be able to take the exam. You can obtain information about the study portal from your International Relations Officer or your Office for Student Affairs.

If you have any questions, please contact exchange-studentsfh-dortmundde 

We support our students in their independent search for a room via the following website. It is not possible to reserve a room via the Studierendenwerk Dortmund.

Non-EU citizens who hold one of the following nationalities: Switzerland, Andorra, Australia, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino or the USA can enter without a visa, but must register with Bürgerdienste International in Dortmund after entering the country and apply for a residence permit and provide proof of funding of €934 per month.

Non-EU citizens from other countries should contact the German Embassy to apply for a residence permit. Proof (Opens in a new tab) of financial means of € 934 per month is required to obtain a residence permit.

In most cases, proof is provided by setting up a blocked account. However, it can also be provided by means of a declaration of commitment. Information on this can be obtained from the German Embassy. Proof of health insurance(Opens in a new tab)  is also required.

Further information and the addresses of the embassies can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office(Opens in a new tab) .