Information for young people from abroad who want to come to Germany

This compilation provides information around youth mobility, international meetings and programs in Germany. It gives you an overview of the most important organisations in Germany in the area of international exchanges, sponsorship opportunities, German language courses and jobs or internships. Furthermore, you will find general information about Germany and information on travel and accommodation.

Information about studying, working, voluntary work and travelling in Germany (and the other european countries) can be found at the European Youth Portal.
We also provide further information about Germany for young people on the following website: http://www.infomobil.org/en/content/germany.

You can read general information about international meetings and programs in Germany here:

1. International Meetings and Programs in Germany
2. Sponsorship Opportunities
3. Studying German
4. Jobs and Internships
5. General Country Information
6. Information on Travel and Accomodation

1. International Meetings and Programs in Germany

Detailed information about international meetings and programs in Germany is listed in our database. Enter the kind of programme you would like to take part in and the country name "Deutschland" and you will get a list of organisations, which offer the specific programme you are looking for.

The program "moving times" addresses young people from 18-25 years, who don't quite know what they want to do after graduating or want to take time off to reorientate themselves. The aim of the project is to give you an occupational orientation and to help you develop your personality. Here you find more information. 

2. Sponsorship Opportunities

Eurodesk is a European youth information network that will help with questions concerning sponsorship programmes, education, training, youth, or mobility in Europe. On http://www.eurodesk.org/ you can find information about the network and the contact details of the Eurodesk offices: http://www.eurodesk.eu/edesk/Contact.do.

The EU Programme YOUTH IN ACTION promotes youth meetings and initiatives of young people and supports European volunteer services (volunteer services by young people at charitable organisations in European countries of several months duration). Detailed information on this action programme of the European Union can be obtained from the European Commission's homepage at http://ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.html or at the
German Agency YOUTH: http://www.webforum-jugend.de, E-Mail: jfe@jfemail.de.

The website http://www.4evs.net/ is the home of a contact and support agency for European volunteer services. If you are looking for a position within a volunteer project, you may find it here.

The Youth and Co-ordination Offices work on a bilateral level and promote getting to know each other, mutual understanding and collaboration of young people.

Koordinierungsbüro für den deutsch-israelischen Jugendaustausch - Conact
c/o Evangelische Akademie Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.
Altes Rathaus
Markt 26
D-06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg
Fax: 03491 4202-70
E-Mail: info@ConAct-org.de
Internet: http://www.conact-org.de/

Sponsorship Opportunities for studying in Germany:

Whoever wants to study in Germany and needs support may contact the German Academic Exchange Service (http://www.daad.de/en/index.html). It provides detailed information on support options for foreign students from their scholarship database. In addition, the German Academic Exchange Service informs about the German higher education system, presents options for learning German in Germany and offers general information about Germany.
You can contact German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) by e-mail.

The Educational Exchange Service (http://www.kmk.org/information-in-english.html) informs about school students exchanges with Germany. In addition to counselling and arrangement of partners, you can get information about sponsorship opportunities with different countries. For further information please contact the Service directly: europa@kmk.org

Several political foundations in Germany support study and research projects of young people from abroad:
- Konrad Adenauer Stiftung: http://www.kas.de/
- Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung: http://www.fes.de/
- Friedrich Naumann Stiftung: http://www.fnst.de/
- Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung: http://www.hanns-seidel-stiftung.de/
- Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: http://www.boell.de/

3. Studying German

Information on Seminars and Language Courses for Foreigners at German universities is provided by the German Academic Exchange Service in Germany: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/deutsch-lernen/02940.en.html

You can obtain further information on German courses (also abroad) from the Goethe-Institut (http://www.goethe.de/enindex.htm) and its more than 100 offices abroad.

For further information see: http://www.europa.eu/youth/studying/index_de_en.html

4. Jobs and Internships

Detailed information on working in Germany is available from the International Service of the German Employment Service (Zentrale Auslands- und Fachvermittlung, ZAV):

• Your job in Germany

For further information and job offers (e.g. for foreign students who want to work in Germany during their stay) please contact the ZAV directly.

Here you can find detailed information about summer jobs for foreign students in Germany. (only in german) 

InWENT (Capacity Building International, Germany) informs trainees and students about possibilities for a training or internship in Germany: http://www.inwent.org/capacity_building/index.php.en

Robert Bosch Stiftung: http://www.bosch-stiftung.de/
The Robert Bosch Stiftung offers several exchange programms (training, research etc.) for young people from Central and Eastern Europe and from Western Europe or America. Information on the programms is mostly only availible in German. An overview in English can be downloaded here.

For further information see: http://www.europa.eu/youth/working/index_de_en.html

5. General Country Information

The Press and Information Office of the German government presents general information about Germany at http://www.deutschland.de/. More publications and political news about Germany can be found on the homepage of the German government (http://www.bundesregierung.de/).

Publications as well as extensive material on Germany can be requested from the Goethe Institut Inter Nationes e.V. The Goethe Institut Inter Nationes e.V. works as a world-wide agency for promoting German language and culture (http://www.goethe.de/).

The Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) supports political, cultural and international youth work in the form of donations towards organisations and youth associations. It does not organise programmes itself. Information about youth policy and youth welfare services in Germany as well as numerous additional brochures and publications can be requested free of charge at the webpage: http://www.bmfsfj.de/Kategorien/publikationen.html

Information about Germany and basic information about youth work in Germany are available on the webpage of IJAB in the Database of International Youth Work (http://www.dija.de/).

Gereral country information you can also find here.

6. Information on Travel and Accommodation

Before you come to Germany, you should inform yourself about the exact entry regulations. This information is available from the respective German embassies and consulates in your home country or on the website of the German Foreign Ministry: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/.

Tourist information about Germany can be found at the Central German Tourism Office: http://www.germany-tourism.de

If you want to travel to Germany by rail, you may want to look at the many attractive offers, e.g. EURO DOMINO, a low-cost European Rail Ticket. Within Germany the German train system (Deutsche Bahn AG) offers several other discounts for young people and groups. Their sales agents and their website at http://www.bahn.de/ inform about schedules and other services.

Reductions while travelling can be obtained using a student identity card. When travelling abroad buying an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is worthwhile. It allows for several reductions before and while travelling and can be obtained from student's offices or student travel agencies. For further information turn to http://www.isic.de/.

Presently more than 600 Youth Hostels in Germany offer reasonably priced accommodation. You need a membership card to be admitted. Many youth hostels now accept pre-bookings from other hostels or via the Internet using the International Booking Network (IBN). Further information is provided by the International Youth Hostel Federation (http://www.iyhf.org/) or the German Youth Hostel Association (http://www.djh.de).

Hostels you do not need a membership card for are the "Schullandheime" (primarily for school groups, but you can also book individual stays). You can find these hostels on http://www.schullandheim.de/ (only in German; choose "PLZ Karten Suche" to see a map of Germany).

More hostels can be found on http://www.gomio.com/.

In Germany there is a closely-knit net of Naturfreunde-Häuser (houses of friends of nature) where cheap accommodation is available: http://www.naturfreundejugend.de

In university cities the Studentenwerk (student administration) often helps with lodging or exchanging apartments: http://www.studentenwerke.de/

Long and short term temporary accommodation can be arranged by the Mitwohnzentralen (temporary accommodation offices). The Ring of Temporary Accommodation Offices in Europe offers the same service on a European basis. The German office can be found at http://www.mitwohnzentrale.de.

For further information on travelling and accomodation see: http://www.europa.eu/youth/travelling_europe/index_de_en.html

Further general information for young poeple comming to Germany is availible on: http://www.young-germany.de/

All information was carefully researched. Nevertheless a guarantee for correctness cannot be given.

Pictures: Miriam Frommeyer