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International Applicants

Studying at the HfMT Cologne

We are pleased that you are interested in studying at our university. As an applicant from abroad, in addition to the usual application requirements, you must consider a few other important things before you can begin studying in Germany.

In order to obtain a place at the Cologne University of Music and Dance, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Proof of a university entrance qualification
  • Proof of sufficient German language skills
  • Passed aptitude test

Information on the aptitude test and the application procedure can be found in German and English on the following page. We will try to answer all other points in the following.

Education systems can be very different around the world. Therefore, each country has different requirements that an applicant must fulfill in order to study in Germany.

A university entrance qualification is required to study at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. The university entrance qualification is proof of your school-leaving qualification and confirms that you are qualified to take up studies in Germany.

For applicants from the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland, the following applies: If your school-leaving certificate entitles you to study in your home country, you can also study in Germany. For all other foreign applicants there are different requirements. Information about the validity of your university entrance qualification can be found at:

In the case of outstanding artistic talent, proof of this aptitude in a special entrance examination may be sufficient to gain admission to the program.

EU/EEA countries and Switzerland

If you come from a country of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you do not need a visa, then a valid identity card or passport is sufficient. Please report to the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) responsible for you once you have found a place to live. There you will receive a residence permit for study purposes (Aufenthaltserlaubnis).

Other states

For a number of states, the visa can also be obtained after entry, including the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and several more (see list of states requiring visas). For all other countries, the visa must be applied for at the German diplomatic missions in the home country prior to entry.

Note

Please keep in mind that this may take some time depending on the embassy in your home country. Therefore, apply for the visa in time.
Once you have arrived in Germany, you must have the visa converted into a residence title for study purposes at the Foreigners' Registration Office.
The addresses for the district foreigners' offices as well as the required documents can be found on the website of the City of Cologne.

Detailed information on visas can be found on the DAAD website and on the website of the German Foreign Office.

Students are required by law to provide proof of health insurance at the time of enrollment and to maintain it during their studies. General information on health insurance for students can be found on the following page.

A list of the statutory health insurances in Germany for the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia can be found on the page GKV-Spitzenverband.

Students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland who are insured with a statutory health insurance fund in their country of origin can have their health insurance recognized by a statutory health insurance fund in Germany. To do this, they need the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the health insurance fund in their country of origin. You can apply for the EHIC free of charge at your health insurance company.

Students who are insured with a private health insurance company in their country of origin must present a confirmation of this health insurance company when enrolling in Germany. You cannot change to a statutory health insurance. Please also check with your health insurance company in your home country.

Students who do not comefrom EU/EEA countries or Switzerland must in any case take out health insurance in Germany.

For studying in Germany you have to pay a semester fee. This amounts to approx. 300 - 400 euros per semester. You can find more information about the fees on the following page.

As a student from a non-EU country, you must already present proof of funding when applying for your visa.

You can find all information on this on the following pages:

Please inform yourself in time about your possibilities.

In order to successfully pursue studies at the Cologne University of Music and Dance, you must have sufficient German language skills.

Bachelor of Music

To prove that you have sufficient German language skills, you must submit either TestDaF Level 3, Certificate B2 of the Goethe Institute or Certificate B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference by October 1 at the latest. In exceptional cases it is possible to prove the language certificate within the first year of study. You will be informed about this possibility individually.
Please note that you will be exmatriculated if you cannot provide proof of the certificate by the end of the 2nd semester.

Master of Music

For the Master of Music programs, a language certificate with level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) must be submitted at the beginning of the program. For the Master of Music Orchestra Performance, a language certificate with level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) must be submitted at the beginning of studies.

Bachelor of Arts / Master of Arts

Separate conditions apply for admission to the Bachelor of Arts / Master of Arts, which can be found in the respective application for admission.

Young students/ Pre-College Cologne

For young students and participants in Pre-College Cologne, proof of at least language proficiency level A1 must be submitted before the start of studies.

For all degree programs:

You do not need to submit a language certificate if you:

  • are a holder of the DSH (German language test for university admission),
  • hold one of the following certificates of the Goethe Institute: Goethe-Zertifikat C1, Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP), Kleines or Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (each level C2/C2+),
  • have completed a course of study in German language and literature.

Language courses

To obtain a recognized language certificate you can take language courses at numerous language schools. Here you will find a small selection:

Language courses at HfMT

If you have any questions about the application and aptitude test procedures, please contact the Office of Student Affairs.

For general questions about living, studying, housing, etc. in Germany, please contact the team at the Central Student Advisory Service.

Cellist*in im Foyer der Hochschule am Standort Köln
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