Practical Information for Guest Scientists - Nordwest

Northwest Marine Research Association
Nordwest-Verbund Meeresforschung e.V.
Office for Guest Scientists
Practical Information for
Guest Scientists
Britta Stigge
www.nwv-meeresforschung.de/guestscientists
August 2012
Content
1.
Welcome! ................................................................................................................................................ 1
2.
Preparing your stay .................................................................................................................................. 1
a.
Visa............................................................................................................................................................. 1
b.
Invitation letter .......................................................................................................................................... 2
c.
Insurance .................................................................................................................................................... 2
d.
Accommodation ......................................................................................................................................... 3
e.
Driving ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
3.
Arrival in Germany ................................................................................................................................... 5
a.
From the airport to your host ..................................................................................................................... 5
b.
Registration ................................................................................................................................................ 5
c.
Residence permit ........................................................................................................................................ 7
d.
Money matters ........................................................................................................................................... 7
4.
Settling in… .............................................................................................................................................. 8
a.
Shopping (on Sundays) ............................................................................................................................... 8
b.
Living in Bremen/Bremerhaven/Oldenburg/Wilhelmshaven ..................................................................... 8
c.
Kindergarten and school ............................................................................................................................ 8
d.
Learning German ....................................................................................................................................... 8
e.
Phone calls, SIM cards, Internet… .............................................................................................................. 9
f.
Public transport .......................................................................................................................................... 9
g.
Driving ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
h.
Taxis ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
i.
Bikes ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
j.
Weekend destinations .............................................................................................................................. 10
5.
Departure from Germany ...................................................................................................................... 11
a.
Give notice of your departure .................................................................................................................. 11
b.
Contracts .................................................................................................................................................. 11
c.
Mail redirection service ............................................................................................................................ 11
6.
Miscellaneous ........................................................................................................................................ 11
7.
Useful links and downloads ................................................................................................................... 12
8.
Checklist ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Northwest Marine Research Association
Office for Guest Scientists
Practical Information for Guest Scientists
1. Welcome!
In order to help you to arrange your research visit at one of the NWVM member institutions please
find the following information on the different details to take care of while preparing your stay and
while you are here. We hope to help you and give you some information and additional links on nonacademic but nevertheless also important matters to take care of. Of course this is a first overview.
The Office for Guest Scientists and your host institution will add a lot of support and information.
Did we forget something? Did you find out that some information is not up to date? Please let us
know.
2. Preparing your stay
a. Visa
Depending on the duration and purpose of your stay you need to get a visa to enter Germany. NonEU residents generally require a visa. There are some exceptions to the rule which can be found
here (http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/EN/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/StaatenlisteVisumpflicht_node.html).
Please make sure that your passport is valid for another three months on the planned date of
departure. The passport should also have at least two empty pages where the visa can be inserted.
On the website of Germany´s Federal Foreign Office (http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/EN/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/Visabestimmungen_node.html) you find all the details and
requirements and list of German visa offices abroad: http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/EN/Laenderinformationen/02-WebseitenAV/Uebersicht_node.html
Documents needed: please check with the German Embassy in your home country. A list of their
websites can be found here http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Laenderinformationen/02WebseitenAV/Uebersicht_node.html
As a rule you need the following documents:
 Valid passport
 Proof of health insurance, valid for the duration of your stay in Germany which needs to be
presented to the German Embassy
 Additional passport photos
 Certificates showing your academic qualification (original)
 Birth certificate may be required for some countries, marriage certificate
 Invitation letter of your host institution/funding institution
 Proof of vaccination, if required
Northwest Marine Research Association
Office for Guest Scientists
Practical Information for Guest Scientists
Costs:
60 € for all types of visa (see http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/cae/servlet/contentblob/480896/publicationFile/150773/Gebuehrenmerkblatt.pdf for
reduction in some cases).
Time needed to get the visa:
For a short stay visa approx. two to ten working days, for longer stay visas several weeks to three
months, please check http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/EN/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/Visabestimmungen_node.html)
For a longer stay you will also require a residence permit, see section 2.4.
b. Invitation letter
You will receive an invitation letter from your host institution, stating the purpose, the duration and
the financial support from your host for your research stay in Germany. Please contact your host
institution to arrange everything. You also need this invitation letter for your visa application. If you
need support please feel free to contact the Office for Guest Scientists.
c. Insurance
Make sure that you have sufficient health insurance for the duration of your stay, valid for Germany.
First you should check with your health insurance company in your home country if medical and
hospital care in Germany is covered. If not, you must arrange an extra health insurance for the
duration of your research stay.
You also find packages of health, liability and accident insurance offered, which are also highly
recommended to be arranged for your stay. For shorter stays these insurances are arranged or
calculated on a daily basis. To give you an idea about the costs: you pay approx. 2 € per day (package
of travel health insurance, travel liability and travel accident insurance). Please also check
information provided by EURAXESS http://www.euraxess.de/portal/health_insurance_in.html.
This site gives you an introduction to the health insurance system in Germany in general and also
offers a list of statutory health insurance providers (If your stay is based on an employment, statutory
health insurance will be compulsory for you.) and private health insurance companies (you need
private insurance cover if your stay is based on a fellowship). Besides this general information the
site offers additional information on insurance plans to give you an idea about what is covered. In
general the health insurance covers medical and hospital treatment, please check the actual
coverage individually as the options can differ.
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d. Accommodation
If plan a longer stay make sure you arrange accommodation well BEFORE departure and let your host
know as soon as possible, so your host institution can offer you support if necessary. The NWVM
members try to arrange everything on time, however there is no guarantee to find an appropriate
apartment on time. The longer you wait the more difficult it gets.
The members of NWVM are situated in
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Bremen (MARUM, MPI, and ZMT are on campus of University of Bremen, Jacobs University in
Bremen Nord)
Bremerhaven (AWI, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, National Maritime Museum
of Germany)
Delmenhorst (HWK)
Oldenburg (ICBM)
Wilhelmshaven (SaM and some sections of ICBM)
Some of the member institutions have their own guest houses for international guests. As there is
quite a large demand you should contact the person in charge directly at the host institution at a
very early stage! Most of the places are in university cities with quite a bit of competition on the
market.
Here you find your contact persons in charge of housing for international guest scientists
and some websites with additional information:

University of Bremen runs its own Welcome Center for international researchers. This
Welcome Center provides a lot of details information on how to find accommodation. One
option could be one of the two guest houses run by the university. Please check
http://www.uni-bremen.de/en/international/ways-to-the-university-of-bremen/welcomecentre/useful-information/accommodation.html.
MARUM, representing the University of Bremen within NWVM, is situated right on campus
of Bremen University and closely cooperates with the Welcome Center of University of
Bremen, see information for University of Bremen

The University of Oldenburg runs a guest house (http://www.iro.unioldenburg.de/en/13614.html) and the International Relations Office offers a database online
which you can search for accommodation http://www.iro.uni-oldenburg.de/en/13613.html .
The Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Sea (ICBM), representing the University of
Oldenburg within NWVM, is situated on Wechloy Campus – the University´s guest house is
literally around the corner, right next to the campus.

Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences: see general information provided by AWI for
accommodation in Bremerhaven

Jacobs University: For more information and support concerning your research stay please
contact the International Office: http://www.jacobs-university.de/international
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Practical Information for Guest Scientists
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Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) also runs its own guest house. You can find additional
information and contact persons for the AWI guesthouse on the following website.
http://www.awi.de/en/institute/work_at_the_awi/international_staff/#c18829. The site also
gives information on how find accommodation with the help of AWI staff at Helgoland
Marine Station and Wadden Sea Station Sylt, both run by AWI.

Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (Institute for Advanced Study): At the HWK in Delmenhorst you
can only stay if you get accepted as a HWK-Fellow. This requires an extra application for a
HWK-Fellowship, see http://www.h-w-k.de/wie-wird-man-fellow.html?&L=1 for details and
requirements. There are different types of fellowships addressing junior and senior
researchers. HWK-Fellows live at the HWK for the duration of their fellowship and therefore
do not have to worry about searching accommodation.

The Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT) is also right on campus of University of
Bremen. The ZMT does not run its own guest house but as MARUM also it closely cooperates
with the Welcome Center of Bremen University (see above).

Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI) has several apartments for international
guests, situated in the MPI main building on campus of Bremen University. Your contact
person and more details about the housing at MPI can be found here http://www.mpibremen.de/en/Guest_apartments.html

National Maritime Museum of Germany. See general information provided by AWI for
accommodation in Bremerhaven

Senckenberg by the Sea (SaM): for more information and support please contact the SaM
Marine Research Department:
http://www.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?page_id=13800&abteilungID=4&institutID=3
Good to know about the market:
Apartments are usually rented on a monthly basis and the majority of apartment is usually rented
out unfurnished. When you move out you usually have three month´s notice. The exceptions are
holiday apartments which can be rented on a daily basis. As a thumb-rule: the rent might take up
40% of your salary/scholarship, especially if you need a furnished or at least partly furnished place
on short notice and only for a short period of time. If you search on the market, be aware that the
tenant usually has to pay a deposit. If you search with the help of a real estate agent you as the
tentant have to pay a commission.
EURAXESS http://www.euraxess.de/portal/accommodation_in.html offers a link list on
accommodation if you want to search on the market and - what is most helpful for internationals - a
translation of abbreviations which you need to translate the advertisements which are often in
German.
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e. Driving
Non-EU residents usually need an international driving licence together with the national licence.
Please check with the local authtorities in your home country. Also see chapter 4g (car sharing,
rental cars)
3. Arrival in Germany
a. From the airport to your host
An arrival at Bremen Airport would be the most convenient for you as this is the nearest airport for
all NWVM members. Alternative airports to travel to would be Hannover and Hamburg, from both
airports a train trip to Bremen takes approximately one and a half hours.
From Bremen Airport the central station can be reached by tram, line 6, which is the only line going
to and from the airport, it stops right outside the airport building. The airport is quite small you will
not have to walk long distances. The tram (direction “Universität”)runs via the central station of
Bremen right to the university which are the last stops.
At Bremen central station you have train connections to
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Bremen Nord (Jacobs University, approx. 20 minutes by train, direct connection).
Bremerhaven (45 minutes by train, direct connection),
Oldenburg (30-45 minutes, direct connection)
Wilhelmshaven (1 hour 45, change trains in Oldenburg)
For excact train departure and arrival see http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml.
For researchers staying in Oldenburg: if you like to travel a little more convenient you can contact
“Luftibus”, http://www.luftibus.de/airport_transfer/, prior to your departure from home. Luftibus is
a company from Oldenburg offering an airport shuttle service. You can book online and also check
the fares.
b. Registration
Everyone who moves to Germany for more than three months needs to register at the registration
office. This has to be done within one week after your arrival.
Take your passport, visa and your new address and form to be filled in (see link below) to the office
in charge (depending on your new address). If you change your address during your stay in Germany
you also have to inform the registration office (“Ummeldung”). And again, when you leave Germany
you also need to inform the registration office in charge (“Abmeldung”).
form to be filled in (unfortunately in German only):
http://www.stadtamt.bremen.de/sixcms/media.php/13/anmeldungummeldung.pdf
If you need assistance, let us know.
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Practical Information for Guest Scientists
Registration offices – contact details and office hours:
Bremen (MARUM, ZMT, MPI)
As a guest scientist on campus of University of Bremen you can ask the University´s Welcome Center
for support http://www.uni-bremen.de/en/international/ways-to-the-university-ofbremen/welcome-centre.html. A registration office of the city of Bremen is right on campus
(“Zentralbereich”)
Stadt Bremen/City of Bremen
Bürgeramt Bremen
Zentralbereich, Campus Universität Bremen
Phone: 0421 218 61026
Email: bsu@uni-bremen.de
Office hours: Tue 9.00-13.00, Wed 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-16.00, Thu 9.00-13.00
Bremen Nord (Jacobs University)
Stadt Bremen/City of Bremen
BürgerServiceCenter-Nord
Gehard-Rohlfs-Straße 62
28757 Bremen
Phone: 0421 361 88644
Email: bscnord@stadtamt.bremen.de
Office hours: Mon 7.30-17.00, Tue 7.30-15.00, Wed 7.30-12.00, Thu 8.30-15.00, Fr 7.30-12.00
Bremerhaven (AWI, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, National Maritime Museum of
Germany)
Magistrat der Stadt Bremerhaven/City of Bremerhaven
Bürger- und Ordnungsamt
Postfach 21 03 60
Bürgermeister-Smid-Straße 10
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: 0471 590 -3470 or -3480 or -3727
Email: buergerbuero@magistrat.bremerhaven.de
Office hours: Mon-Fri 10.00-18.00, Sat 10.00-14.00
Oldenburg (University of Oldenburg/ICBM)
Stadt Oldenburg/City of Oldenburg
Bürgeramt
Pferdemarkt 14
26121 Oldenburg
Phone: 0441 235 65
Email: buergerdienst@stadt-oldenburg.de
Office hours: Mo 8.00-15.30, Tue, 8.00-15.30, Wed 8.00-15.30, Thu 08.00-18.00, Fri 08.00-12.00
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Wilhelmshaven (Senckenberg by the Sea)
Stadt Wilhelmshaven/City of Wilhelmshaven
Bürgeramt
Rathausplatz 10
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: 04421 16 0
Email: buergeramt@stadt-wilhelmshaven.de
Office hours: Mo, Wed, Fri 8.00-12.30, Tue 8.00-12.30 and 14.00-16.00, Thu 8.00-17.00
c. Residence permit
In general you need a residence permit (“Aufenthaltserlaubnis”) if you stay in Germany for a longer
time. Your visa which is for entering the country is replaced by the residence permit which your get
at the Foreigner´s office of your new temporary home town in Germany. The residence permit
authorizes any stay longer than the duration of your visa. You receive an ID-card which you have to
keep with your documents. Besides the passport you also need this ID-card when crossing borders.
If you are from a EU-country or the European Economic Area or Switzerland you do not need a visa or
residence permit. You receive the permit by registering at the residents registration office of your
temporary home town in Germany.
You will need the following documents
 a valid passport
 several passport photographs
 birth certificate/marriage certificate, if required and given
 possibly copies of your doctoral certificate or diplomas for other final academic qualifications
as well as copies of insurance documents, if possible translated into German and English
 proof of health insurance for the duration of your stay.
 vaccination card
EURAXESS provides detailed information on the formalities including information on the different
types of residence permits (http://www.euraxess.de/portal/working_in.html as well as the Federal
Foreign Office (http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/EN/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/Zuwanderungsrecht_node.html).
d. Money matters
If you stay for a longer period of time and receive a scholarhip/fellowship or salary and therefore
receive regular payments you should open a local bank account while you are here. With a local bank
account you can receive a debit card (“EC-card”) which is the most commons means of cashfree
payment in Germany. They are more common than credit cards and not every shops accepts credit
cards in Germany. Besides that you might end up paying relatively high fees when for example
withdrawing money at an ATM when using the credit card. Checks are not used at all. For the first
few days, make sure that you have some cash with you, also if you for instance arrive on a Sunday.
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Practical Information for Guest Scientists
4. Settling in…
a. Shopping (on Sundays)
Supermarkets and shops are open to 7.00 or 8.00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Some
supermarkets even open until midnight. On Sundays both – supermarkets and shops – are usually
closed. A very few might be open for instance at train stations. For food shopping your should also
check out the weekly farmers markets which offer fresh fruit and vegetables. They are quite common
here and you will find them in all of the cities and towns in the vicinity. These markets are usually
only set up once or twice a week, often on Saturdays. Please keep in mind that the most common
way of payment is payment in cash or in stores by debit card (EC-card, also see section 3d).
b. Living in Bremen/Bremerhaven/Oldenburg/Wilhelmshaven
All the cities offer information online in English language, introducing the city but also giving
information on special events, culture and leisure and in general just useful information for your
everyday life.
http://www.bremen.de/home
http://www.bremerhaven.de/en/
http://www.delmenhorst.de/ (German only)
http://www.oldenburg.de/sprachversionen/gb.html
http://www.wilhelmshaven.de/willkommen/en/welcome.htm
c. Kindergarten and school
http://www.euraxess.de/portal/childcare_in.html and
http://www.euraxess.de/portal/schools_in.html: Both links in the EURAXESS portal explain the
system in general. At what age do children usually go to “Kindergarten”. At what age do they have to
go to school, what type of schools are there etc. If your family is going to accompany you should let
your host know as soon as possible in order to make arrangement on time and find the best possible
daycare for your children.
d. Learning German
The universities` Language Centers offer German language courses on different levels for
internationals.
University of Oldenburg: http://www.sprachenzentrum.uni-oldenburg.de/
University of Bremen: http://www.fremdsprachenzentrum-bremen.de/5.0.html
Some of the NWVM members run own languages courses on demand for their international
researchers and student, provided that there are enough participants. Also different adult education
centers (“Volkshochschule”) and private schools offer language courses. If you like to check out
opportunities for distance learning, please visit the homepage of the Goethe Institute
http://www.goethe.de/enindex.htm. Besides a lot of information on language learning you can also
find online dictionaries.
It is not a problem though if you do not speak German. Germans learn English at school from an early
age onwards. Many people will be happy to have the opportunity of practicing their English a bit.
At your host institution you can certainly get around with English “only”.
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e. Phone calls, SIM cards, Internet…
There are many mobile phone providers in Germany where you can buy prepaid cards. Make sure
you do not buy a mobile phone contract as they usually have a minimum duration of around 24
month. Shops by the different providers (for example O2, Vodafone, E-Plus/Base and T-Mobile) can
be found in every bigger city in the NWVM region. Also, discounters offer their own usually relatively
cheap prepaid cards, just ask the cashiers for tariffs.
If there is no internet at the place where you stay and you want to use it, you can buy USB-modems
and a SIM card at the mobile phone providers. Please ask them for tariffs and take care that you buy
one without minimum duration or very short duration of contract.
f. Public transport
You will find an excellent public transport system in the Northwestern region, connecting the
different places in NWVM but also within Bremen, Bremerhaven, Delmenhorst, Oldenburg and
Wilhelmshaven, those cities of the NWVM member institutions. The following links give you detailed
information on public transport by train and also by bus and tram in the different cities. Keep in mind
– Northern Germany is place for cyclists. Each city has a well built net of bicycle lanes, so cycling can
be a good and sometimes even quicker alternative to buses and trams (also see chapter 4i).
Trains:
„Deutsche Bahn“ (http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index) conncets all large and most of the
smaller cities in Germany. You purchase tickets online or at the ticket machine/ticket office at the
train station. If you stay for longer and use trains regularly you might check out monthly passes
(https://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/season-tickets.shtml ) and/or offers for
frequent travelers (https://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/bahncard.shtml ).
Buses and tram:
BSAG – the Bremen transport company http://www.bsag.de/eng/index.php is responsible for trams
and buses in and around Bremen.
Bus and tram tickets can usually be purchased directly on the bus/tram. Often you can get tickets of
four or ten which are usually cheaper. If you travel by bus regularly you can also get monthly passes.
The BSAG has information center at the main railway station where you can get information on the
best possible option and also buy the tickets.
The Oldenburg equivalent is the VWG, https://www.vwg.de/, responsible for public transport in and
around Oldenburg.
For Wilhelmshaven please check: http://www.swwv.de/verkehrsbetrieb.html
For Delmenhorst please check: http://www.delbus.de/
These three websites do not provide information in English yet, but you find an information
center/help desk at each train station and/or central bus station, where you can get timetables,
tickets and information on the different fares.
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g. Driving
If you are here for a longer time knowing that you will need a car regularly,
Cambio, a car sharing company, also in Bremen, Bremerhaven and Oldenburg, might be interesting
for you. https://www.cambio-carsharing.com/cms/carsharing/en/1/cms?cms_knuuid=a30b82386b9a-442c-830d-8ba11768367f&cms_f4=1&cms_f8=.
The big rental car companies have offices and pick up and drop off points in all the cities of the
NWVM member institutions.
h. Taxis
Taxis are relatively expensive and usually people use them on special situation, in the nighttime or
with heavy luggage. But just in case some phone numbers:
Bremen
+49 (0) 421-14014
+49 (0) 421 14433
+49 (0) 421 65 0005
(Bremen North)
Bremerhaven +49 (0) 471 40004
+49 (0) 170 29 89 166 (mobile
phone no)
Delmenhorst
Oldenburg
+49 (0) 441 2255,
+49 (0) 441 44000,
+49 (0) 441 81111
Wilhelmshaven +49 (0) 4421 44450
+49 (0) 4421 36000
+49 (0) 4221 121212
+49 (0) 4221 52222
i. Bikes
As the North of Germany is almost perfectly flat it is ideal for cycling. So if you are here for a longer
time, you might think about getting yourself a (used) bike, which really is the item of daily use over
here. The cities have special cycle paths (local and long distance) at most main roads, usually
separate to the road itself. The paths though are in many cases also for pedestrians. So be careful –
as a cyclist and as a pedestrian. For used bikes, you may check the local newspapers, for Bremen the
virtual blackboard on www.schwarzesbrett.bremen.de (German only) or ebay “Kleinanzeigen” online
(http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de). Besides, some cycling shops also sell used bikes. You might also like
to check the “Bike Centres” at the central train stations in Bremen and Oldenburg. At these centres
you can park your bike and therefore leave it in a safe place while you keep going by train. Many
people commuting between home and work place make use of this service. Also the bike centre sell
bikes, run a bike repair shop and a bike rental service.
j. Weekend destinations
The NWVM members are situated in Bremen, Bremerhaven, Delmenhorst, Oldenburg and
Wilhelmshaven. All towns have information online in English language where you can search for
events – also see chapter 4b.
Within a one to two hours drive you can reach Hamburg, the North Sea with its Island in the Wadden
Sea or the Netherlands. http://wikitravel.org/en/Germany. Berlin is about three hours away by train.
From Bremen you can reach several European capitals by train or plane.
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5. Departure from Germany
a. Give notice of your departure
When you leave Germany you also need to inform the registration office in charge and give notice of
your departure and return home (“Abmeldung”). See chapter 3b for the actual registration offices in
charge.
b. Contracts
Keep in mind, that you have to give notice to move out of your accommodation unless you rented
the place for a limited period of time from the very beginning. The notice period usually is three
months. Also make sure that you close your bank account, give notice to insurance companies,
mobile phone companies etc. Keep an eye on different notice periods.
c. Mail redirection service
The “Deutsche Post” offers a redirection service:
http://www.deutschepost.de/dpag?tab=1&skin=hi&check=yes&lang=de_EN&xmlFile=1016715
Make sure that your check the costs which might differ depending on your home country. If you
want to send packets home, you may check for instance:
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DHL: the http://www.dhl.de/en/paket/privatkunden.html
Hermes: https://www.hermespaketshop.de/paketeversenden_preise.php#international
UPS: http://www.ups.com/content/de/en/index.jsx
6. Miscellaneous
Weather and temperature equivalents
What to say in general about the weather in North of Germany….a bit unpredictable sometimes – so
make sure, that you bring warm clothes in winter and a rain coat for summer and hope for the best.
A weather forecast for Germany can be found here:
http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/Germany/Bremen.htm
Important phone numbers
Ambulance
Fire Brigade
Police
19222
112
110
Deposit system
In Germany most of the bottles and cans you can buy are recyclable. When you buy them, you have
to pay a deposit (between 0,08 and 0,25 Euro) which you can back when you return the empty one.
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Waste separation
In Germany waste is separated and recycled if possible: recyclable plastic/tins (“yellow bag/bin”),
organic, residual waste, paper, glas. Every household in Germany usually has three or four different
wastebins.
Tap water
Tap water in Germany is drinkable and it is safe to drink it as the water is checked constantly by the
authorities.
Plug adapter
In case you need an adapter for using our German electricity plugs, you can buy them (also called
“Adapter” in German) in electronics shops which can be found in every bigger city within NWVM.
7. Useful links and downloads
A very useful link is EURAXESS (http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/) a service provided by the European
Commission especially for international researchers moving into or within the EU. You can search the
site by destination (country) and get a lot of useful general information.
Also “Research in Germany” (http://www.research-in-germany.de/52/home.html) by the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research offers many facts and figures on research in Germany. You can
search by status (student, PhD, junior and senior researchers) and learn a lot of detailed information
on research funding also about “what happens where” in terms of research.
http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/de/home1.html offers a lot of information about
Germany, its history and culture, economy, political system, research and education etc., same with
http://www.entdecke-deutschland.diplo.de/Vertretung/entdeckedeutschland/en/Startseite.html,
maintained and created by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Culture and Communication
Department.
Alumniportal Germany https://www.alumniportal-deutschland.org/en/education.html is a
webservice for Germany Alumni (and those to be) and offers the opportunity of getting information
on Germany for on language, culture, science and research, training initiatives, job offers etc. The
portal is carried out by five organisations from the field of international cooperation and financed by
the German Federal Government.
The Welcome Center of University of Bremen( http://www.uni-bremen.de/en/international/ways-tothe-university-of-bremen/welcome-centre.html) supports researchers and their families on all “nonacademic” questions and offers a lot of information online. Guest scientists of those NWVM
members situated on campus of Bremen university (MARUM, ZMT, MPI) can profit from the
Welcome Center´s services. However the website offers a lot of general information also.
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Northwest Marine Research Association
Office for Guest Scientists
Practical Information for Guest Scientists
8. Checklist
Before you start your journey…
Is your passport still valid (minimum of three months after departure)?
Do you need a visa for you and your family?
Do you need an invitation letter?
Application for external funding – do you need support from the Office for
Guest Scientists? All Documents ready? All deadlines met?
Travel arrangements for you and your family (departure and return)?
What kind of accommodation do you need? Do you need assistance from the
host? Paperwork done (contract, deposit, payment arrangements, total costs)?
Does your host know when you arrive?
Is the first day/meeting at host institution arranged?
Address, important phone no. and campus map of your host institution?
Adress of your accommodation?
Insurances arranged? (health, liability, …)
Checked, if you need an international driving licence?
Do you need a daycare for your kids?
Vaccine protection up to date?
Registered at the Office for Guest Scientists? 
Arrival in Germany
Airport transfer arranged?
Accommodation: meeting landlord/landlady, getting the keys?
Language course: got information on different options, dates and prizes?
Currency change?
Registered at the registration office?
Got your residence permit?
Before departure
Bank account closed?
Travel date and time?
Any packets to send home?
Given notice to landlord, insurance companies, mobile phone companies…?
Did you inform the city´s registration office about your departure?
Airport shuttle?
Enjoy your stay!
Nordwest-Verbund Meeresforschung e. V. / Northwest Marine Research Association
Office for Guest Scientists - Britta Stigge
bstigge@nwv-meeresforschung.de, +49 (0)4221 9160-122
www.nwv-meeresforschung.de/guestscientists
Office: Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (Institute for Advanced Study, HWK)
Lehmkuhlenbusch 4, 27753 Delmenhorst, Germany
The given information is subject to change and no responsibility is taken for its correctness.
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