Upon Arrival

Local Transport

The nearest bus stop from the ISM is "Technologiepark". Bus lines 468 and 465 serve this bus stop on Hauert Straße. From there it is approximately a 5 min. walk to the ISM. The S-Bahn stop "Universität" is about 10 minutes away.
Please check www.vrr.de for further information on local transport. Please note that as a student of the ISM you cannot obtain a Semester Ticket which allows free transport, as we are a private institution.
However, there are other discount tickets available, f.ex. the Young Ticket which enables you to use local/regional trains and buses at a cheaper rate.

Registration for Residence

Upon arrival in Germany you have to register in Dortmund and apply for a residence permit to take up your studies. If you are an EU student please bring your passport and register at the Bezirksverwaltung Dortmund (Südwall 2-4). No fee will incur.
If you are a non EU student you need apply at the Ausländerbehörde for your residence permit. Please bring the following documents:

a valid national passport
completed application from for a residence permit
one biometric passport picture
proof of sufficient funds of at least 521€ per month of your stay in Germany (only applicable if you do not have a sholarship)
proof of enrolment at the ISM (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung)

If you are not able to submit all necessary documents at your first appointment, a provisional permit (for three-months) is usually issued. Upon presentation of the complete set of documents a one-year residence permit for study purposes will be issued. The cost of a one-year residence permit is 50€, for validity of more than one year the cost is 60€ (information correct as of January 2006).

Money Matters

Germany has a relatively high standard of living. Even though everything from rent to going out is less expensive in Dortmund in comparison to many other German cities, you should expect your monthly budget to lie between approximately 550 and 700 Euros - depending on your lifestyle.
We would recommend that you open a bank account in Germany to avoid additional costs for international money wiring and transfer of money. This may also be convenient because, as opposed to countries like the US, purchases by credit card are still not that common - especially in smaller businesses and for public services.

Orientation Day

The ISM offers an orientation day at the beginning of each semester with information on the university facilities and procedures, registering and enrolling, course choice, etc. During this orientation day the ISM International Office provides new international students with detailed program information, academic advice and gives a short introduction to our IT system. The ISM International Office and student representatives run a popular 'buddy-program', a twinning-system that matches an ISM student with an incoming foreign student one on one so that the start at the ISM Dortmund is a smooth one for the international newcomers.