Living in Osnabrück and Lingen

The cost of living in Germany varies greatly depending on the location and region where you live. To give you a rough idea of the average amount needed, we refer to an analysis by the Federal Statistical Office. According to this evaluation, a one-person household spends an average of around €1,600/month; a two-person household spends around €2,900/month. In Germany, housing costs account for around 35% of this amount. For a summary of further information on the cost of living in Germany, click here. The cost of living is relatively low in Osnabrück and Lingen, compared to other German cities, and experience shows that cheap housing can significantly lower the cost of living.

International researchers are often required to take out private German health insurance for their stay in Germany, which may well cost €90 or more per month (depending on age and underlying conditions). You will also be required to cover one-off expenses incurred at the beginning of your stay. Examples include a residence permit for non-EU citizens (approx. €110), a rent deposit, if required, and purchases for your home.

International visiting scholars who come to Osnabrück or Lingen for a short stay usually opt for accommodation in a boarding house, a vacation rental apartment, or the guest house of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences or Osnabrück University. We will be happy to send you an overview of the available options. Please note, however, that demand is often high and you should therefore book your accommodation well in advance. The sooner you start looking for accommodation, the better! We will be happy to advise you, but can only provide limited support in the search for accommodation.

Perhaps you would like to bring your family with you? Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences attaches great importance to family friendliness and is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance. A key element of this endeavor is our Family Service, which provides advice and practical information on aspects such as childcare and access to kindergarten. For more information, visit the website of the Family Service of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.

In Germany, there is a general obligation to take out health insurance. Whether your current health insurance from abroad will cover you in Germany or whether you will have to take out additional insurance coverage here depends, among other things, on which country you are from and how long you plan to stay in Germany. For example, if you plan to stay in Germany for less than 90 days, travel health insurance will be sufficient in many cases. If you have a fellowship to fund your stay in Germany, you should read the terms and conditions of your fellowship carefully and clarify whether it includes insurance coverage, where applicable.

• Nationals of Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland who hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) have coverage for short-term stays in Germany. However, the coverage provided by the European Health Insurance Card is usually limited to emergency treatment only. If you intend to stay in Germany for a prolonged period, you should therefore obtain additional coverage. To do this, simply request an S1 form (a European document) from your overseas health insurance provider. This document establishes your right to full healthcare coverage in Germany.

• If you come from a country outside the EU and intend to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days, the following options are available to you:
  • a) You can take out health insurance in your country and bring your policy with you to Germany. In our experience, however, overseas insurance policies are unlikely to be accepted in Germany.
  • b) You can take out voluntary statutory insurance in Germany. However, you will normally only have access to statutory health insurance in Germany if you have an employment contract in this country or if you previously had statutory insurance in an EU country.
  • c) If options a) and b) do not apply in your case, you will need to take out private health insurance in Germany. Substitutive private health insurance for scholars usually costs around €90 or more per month. Further information is provided by EURAXESS and the DAAD. We generally recommend that you take out insurance online before coming to Germany.

Health services can be very expensive in Germany, and if you do not have adequate insurance coverage, you will be responsible for meeting all of the costs.

Please also ensure that you have adequate liability and accident insurance coverage for your stay in Germany. You will not be insured through Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences during your stay in Germany!

In many cases, knowledge of German is not essential for a research stay because English is the academic language in many research groups and laboratories. If you wish to deliver courses at our university, it is advisable to clarify in advance with your host professor the language requirements for the relevant course. We recommend taking a preparatory German course, if required. Here are a number of potential German language course providers abroad. Whatever the case, it would of course be a great asset for you to have some knowledge of German for your everyday life here.

You also have the opportunity to improve your German during your stay in Osnabrück. German courses of all levels are offered every semester, usually with two 1.5-hour sessions per week. These courses, mainly aimed at students, are also open to all international visitors to the university. Some of these courses focus on specific terminology, such as business German or technical German, but we also offer general German classes. In our semester-long German courses, we additionally employ German tutors to support participants in their learning process. In small voluntary groups with a maximum of four to five people, learners receive support with homework, pronunciation difficulties, and oral presentations. Apart from helping learners to improve their language skills in case of difficulty, the emphasis here is also on getting to know other (German) students. If you are interested, do not hesitate to contact the Welcome Center, which will put you in touch with a contact person at the Center for International Students.