International degree-seeking students

Between 6th October and 10th October, we have prepared a week full of services, events, and trips to help you settle in, connect with fellow students, and get to know both HSB and Bremen.

Join as many activities as you can for the best possible start to your studies!

Welcome Week Winter Semester 2025 / 26

Monday, 6th October: 09.00 – 15.00

Welcome Desk

Do you need support on your arrival? Have questions regarding the Hochschule, accommodation or your Deutschlandticket? Come and see us in the Mensa in Neustadtswall 30!

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30

Tuesday, 7th October: 10.00 – 14.00

Accommodation & City Registration Service

Need support with accommodation or with registering with the city (Anmeldung)?

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30

Tuesday, 7th October: 15.00 – 16.00

Campus Tour

Come and check out the campus with us! Your first chance to meet other international students!

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30

Tuesday, 7th October: 16.30 – 18.00

Welcome / Info Session

Get all the information you need to get you started in your studies at the HSB!

Meeting Point: Room M-24

Wednesday, 8th October: 10.00 – 14.00

Accommodation & City Registration Service

Need support with accommodation or with registering with the city (Anmeldung)?

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30

Wednesday, 8th October: 15.00 – 17.00

City Tour (Registration required!)*

Discover Bremen with us and get to know fellow international students! Free for everyone who signs up!

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30 at 14.15

Thursday 9th October: 10.00 – 14.00

Accommodation & City Registration Service

Need support with accommodation or with registering with the city (Anmeldung)?

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30

Thursday, 9th October: 16.30 – 18.00

Weserstadion Tour (Registration required!)*

Join us to take a tour oft he famous stadium of SV Werder Bremen! Free for everyone who signs up, maximum 20 participants!

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30 at 15.30

Thursday, 9th October: 19.00 - Open End

Pub Night

After the stadium tour, we will show you the best places to socialise and hang out in Bremen!

Friday, 10th October: 12.00 – 15.00

IKEA Trip

Take a trip to IKEA to get anything and everything you need for your new start!

Meeting Point: Mensa – Neustadtswall 30 at 11.30

Friday, 10th October: 17.00 – 20.00

Cafe International

Come and meet all the international students at the HSB at the semester’s first Cafe international. Drinks, games and snacks are provided!

Meeting Point: AB Gebäude, Raum 516 (5th Floor)

We look forward to meeting you and seeing you at many of our events and activities!

* In order to register for the city tour or stadium tour, send an email to robert-campbell.rennie @hs-bremen.de. Places on the tours are limited and given on a first come, first served basis!

Every month, we organise events, activities, and excursions to help you connect with fellow students, discover HSB, explore Bremen, and even visit nearby cities.

Here is the programme for the winter semester 2025 / 26:

November

• Residence Permit Support Service - TBC
• Movie Night with German movie (and subtititles) - 07.11.25
• Get Together for international students – How are you doing, how can we help, what was great, what was missing? - 25.11.2025

December

• Visit to the Bremen Weihnachtsmarkt - TBC
• Germany / Christmas Quiz mit Plätzchen – 12.12.2025

Additional events will be added and updated during the semester. In the meantime, check out the International Student Support Instagram page @hsb_international_support and keep an eye on our regular newsletter for updates!

Get Involved!

Housing, culture, sports, and much more!
Here you can find information about student life in Bremen.

Who are we?

Café International is a networking platform for all HSB students and anyone interested in connecting with the university community.

When and Where?

Fridays | 17:00 – 20:00
Room 516, AB Building, Neustadtswall 30, 28199 Bremen

What do we do?

Café International was founded by students in 2015.

We meet over music, snacks, and drinks, and organize events such as presentations, game nights, and outdoor activities.
You’ll also find useful information about life in Bremen and studying at HSB.

And there’s more!

In a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, you can make new friends from all over the world and exchange experiences.
It’s a perfect place to learn about other cultures and practice your language skills.

• A foosball table is available for fun
• A play area for children

We look forward to seeing you at Café International!

Mastering a degree in a foreign language is not an easy task! Even if you have already passed the C1 German exam, there may still be some unanswered questions about how to use German in an academic context that may not have been answered in the previous language courses. StudiumPlus therefore offers special workshops for students whose native language is not German. The workshops are an invitation to come together and honor your own writing journey. There are also tips on the special features of the academic language German.

It’s completely normal to need support or advice during your studies.

We can help you with topics such as:

• Financial issues
• Questions about your studies
• Assistance with your residence permit
• Guidance on everyday life in Germany

…and many other areas.

Just send us an email or visit us during our office hours (see the contact page)!

Depending on your budget, there are generally three types of housing in Bremen:

1. Your own apartment – Renting your own place can be expensive, and you will need to pay for utilities and internet separately.
2. Student dormitory – Affordable shared housing specifically for students.
3. Room in a shared flat (WG) – Live with other students and share costs for rent and utilities.

You can find apartments here:

• https://www.immobilienscout24.de/
• https://www.immonet.de/
• https://www.immowelt.de/
• https://schwarzesbrett.bremen.de/
• www.kleinanzeigen.de
• https://www.bremen-tourism.de/
• https://www.galileoresidenz.de/
• https://www.the-fizz.com/de/standorte/bremen.html
• http://www.bremer-oekumenisches-wohnheim.de/de/home/
• http://www.bremer-backpacker-hostel.de/
• https://bed-and-breakfast.de/
• http://www.agp-privatzimmer.de/de/
• https://www.city-appartements-gmbh.de/
• https://bremen.homecompany.de/de/index
• https://www.airbnb.de/
• https://housinganywhere.com/de/?utm_source=Zwischenmitte
• https://www.bremer-privatzimmer.de/
• q17-bremen.de/apartment/

In student dormitories, you can find both shared flats (WG) and single rooms with a small bathroom and kitchenette. To apply, you need to register with the Studierendenwerk Bremen.

All the information can be found here:
https://www.stw-bremen.de/de/wohnen/studentisches-wohnen

Shared flats (Wohngemeinschaften / WGs)

Probably the cheapest and easiest option is a room in a shared flat (WG). In a WG, you have your own bedroom but share the kitchen, bathroom, and sometimes the living room with other residents. Rent and utility costs are also shared among all flatmates.

You can find WG offers here:

• https://www.wg-gesucht.de/wg-zimmer-in-Bremen.17.0.0.0.html
• https://schwarzesbrett.bremen.de/verkauf-angebote/rubrik/wohngemeinschaftsangebote-verkauf.html
• https://housinganywhere.com/de/?utm_source=StudentenWG
• www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-auf-zeit-wg/bremen/c199l1

Whether your degree programme is in German or not, it always helps to learn some German in order to better integrate, to get a part time job or for your future career!

If you are already in Bremen, check what is on offer at the local private language schools: for example, Aktiv Deutsch Bremen (DAA language courses), the Aristoteles-Institut, CASA or the Volkshochschule Bremen.

During your studies you can also take advantage of the offers of the Language Centre of the Universities in the Land of Bremen.

It is likely that during your studies, you will need support from a general practitioner or other kind of doctor.

If you need to find a doctor, you can use the service from the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Bremen (KVHB).

Here you will find a list of doctors, which you can filter (also for the language spoken). Please note that this website is in German.

Should you need emergency sevices at any time, you can contact them on these numbers:

Police: 110

Fire Brigade: 112

Ambulance service: 112

Medical on-call services (non-life threatening): 116 117

There are many possibilities to earn money during your studies, but international students need to make sure they comply with the legal regulations stipulating how much they are allowed to work.

All households must pay the Public Broadcasting Fee (Rundfunkbeitrag), regardless of TV / radio / PC ownership or usage.
Unfortunately, there is no exemption for international students. For students who get accommodation through Into Rooms, this contribution should already be included in the rent. Please check with your landlord / landlady.

What's going on in Bremen? Check here for daily tips - events in Bremen today

Being new to a foreign country can be quite overwhelming. To help you get started and find some helpful advice on getting accustomed to life in Germany, please check the guides at www.study-in-germany.de!

Bremen has an efficient public transport system. VBN (Verkehrsverbund Bremen / Niedersachsen) is the public transport association of Bremen and its surroundings. The VBN region offers an endless variety of destinations. Buses and trams (BSAG) are usually on time and reliable. Students can use all buses and trams as well as regional trains all over Germany free of charge with the semester "Deutschland" ticket. Why not simply hop on a VBN bus or train and start discovering.

Your living expenses depend on your lifestyle. The largest share of monthly expenses is incurred by the rent, which usually makes up one third of students’ living expenses.

Doctors

In Germany, there are general practitioners as well as specialists in each field (eg. radiologists, optometrists, dermatologists, etc.). Everyone has free choice in the selection of their doctor. In case of illness, go to a general practitioner (Arzt für Allgemeinmedizin) first, who will send you to a specialist if necessary. It is recommendable to make an appointment before going to the doctor. For an appointment, a valid health insurance (e.g. EHIC card), a proof of matriculation at the HSB, and an ID / Passport are needed.

At night or on the weekend, contact the emergency medical services (phone numbers below) or go directly to the hospital.

Hospitals

• Hospitals in Bremen

Emergency medical care (nights and weekends)

• Emergency Doctors: +49 421 / 19292
• Medical Emergency Portal: +49 421 / 116117
• Emergency Pediatric Doctor: +49 421 / 3404444
• Poison Information Center North ("Giftinformationszentrum Nord"): +49 551 / 19240

Psychological and social support

The "Studierendenwerk Bremen" offers support to students in situations of psychological or social crisis.
If you need psychological counseling, you may also contact the Psychological Counseling Center for Students. It is located on the campus of the University of Bremen (another Bremen university, not HSB), but is available to all students in Bremen.
Emergency? Help in serious crisis.

English speaking doctors or psychologists

Use the TK-Ärzteführer (TK doctor's guide). Here you can enter your city and postcode and select the language and speciality you need to find the right doctor for you.

Pharmacies

In Germany, medicine is only available in pharmacies. There are two types of medicine: available with or without a prescription.
The German law on medicine is strict - most medicine is only available with a prescription (e.g. antibiotics) and pharmacies will not provide them without a prescription from a doctor. In this case, a doctor must be consulted first in order to get a prescription for medicine available in pharmacies. Most health insurances generally cover most of the cost of medicine. There might be an additional fee of around 5 - 10 euros.

• Pharmacies search
• Emergency Pharmacies Bremen (search by zip code)

Emergency phone numbers

• Police: 110
• Fire Services: 112
• Emergency Medical Services / Ambulance: 112

Also check our safety information.

There are five waste categories in Germany:

• Lightweight packaging (LWP) made of plastic, aluminium, tinplate or composite materials
• Bottle banks for glass
• Paper and cardboard
• Residual waste
• Biowaste

Find out more about waste separation.

Be careful! Illegal downloading of movies or music is a crime in Germany and will have serious legal consequences.

International students at HSB have access to a variety of workshops, training sessions, courses, and advisory services. The goal is to strengthen study skills, language abilities, intercultural competence, and academic skills—all essential for success in your studies and for a smooth transition into professional life.

Click here for more information and registration.

In addition to individual counseling on topics such as job applications, internship searches, and starting a career in Germany, HSB offers workshops and training sessions tailored to the unique challenges faced by international students.

The aim is to strengthen your career orientation skills and application strategies, helping you successfully transition from university to the German labor market. Topics also include legal regulations, recognition of degrees, and cultural differences in the application process.

Click here for more information and registration.