Information for Hosts

If you would like to receive a guest from abroad, but financing is still unclear, we will be happy to advise you on various options and support you in the preparation of the necessary application documents on the part of HSBI (e.g., letter confirming academic supervision, invitation letter, etc.):

• Funding programmes for employees at Erasmus+ partner universities
• Scholarships Database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Sponsorship programme search of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
• Funding programmes overview of the initiative Research in Germany

As soon as financing has been clarified, please let us know about your guest or new employee from abroad right away or send the registration link for the Welcome Center to your guest. We will then offer advice and support on the following topics:

• Visa, residence permit and dealing with the authorities
• Arrival, departure and accommodation
• Scholarships, salary, taxes and pension
• Cultural issues (in academia) and language courses
• Insurance, medical care, bank account
• Childcare, school and family issues

If your guest does not enter into an employment relationship with HSBI and does not require a university account (access to ILIAS, webmail, etc.), you can skip this step.

If your guest requires a university account (access to ILIAS, webmail, etc.) but does not enter into an employment contract, please ask the personnel administrator responsible for your faculty to draw up a visiting researcher contract.

If an employment contract is to be concluded, please send the appropriate recruitment documents from the Intranet to the personnel department. In this case, a university account will be created automatically.

Depending on for how long and from which country your guest or new employee comes to Germany, a visa or residence permit may be required for the stay. The visa application process may take several months and should therefore be initiated as early as possible. An invitation letter from your faculty is often required for the visa. We will be happy to inform you about which documents are required and provide you with text templates.

Make sure in good time that your guest or new employee is provided with a workstation in your faculty. Remember that the PC’s operating system language or keyboard layout may need to be changed. For longer stays, also have the door label changed.

Please inform the Welcome Center if locking authorisations are to be set up for your guest or new employee. If a guest’s stay is short-term and they do not receive a university account, guest access to the WLAN can also be set up.

Department III: Personnel and Organisation provides guidelines for the introduction of new employees on the Intranet. Be sure to assign mentors to new employees from abroad, as many processes at a German university can be different from those in their home countries. For example, onboarding should cover the topics below:

• Getting to know each other virtually before arrival
• Pick-up at the station upon arrival (on request: by the Welcome Center)
• Official welcome on the first day at the university
• Guided tour of the university and the faculty
• Introducing colleagues
• Using the CampusCard
• Food and drink on campus