• From 27 April you are required to wear a non-medical mask (or a scarf covering nose and mouth) when shopping, using public transportation and at airports.
• Everyone is advised to limit contact with people other than those living in the same household to the absolute minimum necessary.
• When in public a minimum distance of at least 1.5 metres is to be kept wherever possible between all persons other than those living in the same household.
• You are permitted to be  in public spaces with up to 10 people. Private gatherings of up to 20 people are permitted.

Coronavirus Warning App: The Corona-Warn-App helps to quickly disrupt chains of infection. It turns your smartphone into a warning system. The app informs us if we have had contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19. It protects us and others around us, as well as our privacy. You can download the app here: https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/corona-warn-app/corona-warn-app-englisch

For more detailed information

German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community

https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/civil-protection/coronavirus/coronavirus-faqs.html#doc13797140bodyText3

Integration Commissioner of the German Federal Government

https://www.integrationsbeauftragte.de/ib-de/service/fragen-und-antworten/1731242-1731242?index=1731568

Corona Ordinance of the State of Baden-Württemberg (valid from 15 June 2020)

https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.de/fileadmin/redaktion/m-sm/intern/downloads/Downloads_Gesundheitsschutz/200612_CoronaVO_Konsolidierte_Fassung_ab_200615_en.pdf

Have you stayed in a risk area in the last 14 days prior to arrival?

Please check the list of the risk areas, as defined by the German Ministry of Health. 

Non-risk area: No quarantine necessary

Risk area: You have the following choices:

Quarantine: 14 days in home quarantine immediately upon arrival

Register with the local health authorities: Send an email to 31corona(at)mannheim.de with arrival information, full name and address

Test before travelling: Negative test (conducted no more than 48 hours prior to entry)

Register with the local health authorities: Send an email to 31corona(at)mannheim.de with arrival information, full name, address and a scan of negative test results

Please keep in mind that not all tests from all countries are recognized – check the current list

Many non-German native speakers are facing quite a challenge to stay on top of the news concerning the development of the situation of the coronavirus in Germany. The translation agency lengoo curate a live blog in English for all people living in Germany. The information published on this site is translated from German and based on the live blog of the Tagesschau: https://www.lengoo.de/blog/tag/covid-19-live-blog/

You can find more current information in English here:

German Federal Foreign Office:

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/coronavirus

German Federal Ministry of Interior, Building and Community:

https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/kurzmeldungen/EN/2020/03/corona-ein-und-ausreise-en.html

https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/civil-protection/coronavirus/coronavirus-faqs.html#doc13797140bodyText3

Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration

https://www.integrationsbeauftragte.de/ib-de/service/fragen-und-antworten/1731242-1731242?id=01-Intro-en

If you hold a German residence permit for the purpose of studying please keep the following in mind:

• Your residence permit becomes invalid six months after you have left Germany, even if it expires only at a later date. 
• Please note that if you intend to stay in Germany, you must apply for the following residence permit after successfully completing your studies (publication of the last grade in Portal2) in due time.
• Should you disenroll, your residence permit will expire automatically within 14 days after disenrollment.
• Make sure to keep an eye on the expiry date of your residence permit!

Travel to Germany is possible for the following groups or travel purposes:

• German nationals and nationals from other EU countries, countries associated with Schengen (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) and the United Kingdom;
• Third-country nationals with a valid residence permit for Germany;
• Family members of third-country nationals travelling to Germany for the purposes of family reunification or for visits for urgent family reasons;
• Foreign students whose studies cannot be continued entirely from outside Germany

German Federal Foreign Office:

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/coronavirus

German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community:

https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/kurzmeldungen/EN/2020/03/corona-ein-und-ausreise-en.html

It is also recommended that you hold onto any plane tickets or other documents that document your travels to your home country and possible intended return (e.g. if your flight back to Germany was cancelled).

For the most part, you should expect your classes to take place online. If the current situation and infection rates allow, classes with small groups may also be taught in person on campus. Over the summer, various working groups with student participation will continue working on the plans for the fall semester 2020/21. We will inform you of the details in good time before lectures start.

The lectures of the fall semester 2020/21 will start on Monday, 28 September 2020.

In most subjects, the lecture period for students starting their second or a higher semester will be shorter than usual, ending on 9 December 2020. First-year students beginning their studies in the fall semester will have classes until Christmas. In individual cases, this may also be the case for students enrolled in higher semesters.

Lecture period of the spring semester 2021

Lectures of the spring semester 2021 will begin on 1 March 2021 and end on 18 June 2020, including a normal Easter break.

You can find an overview of all semester dates at https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/academics/dates/academic-calendar/#c955.

The alternate examination dates for the spring semester 2020 will take place two weeks before the start of the lecture period of the fall semester, i.e. from 14 September until 26 September 2020.

You can find an overview of all examination dates at https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/examination-dates/.

Please note that exams subject to mandatory registration (in case you de-registered from the regular examination date or failed an exam) are not registered until early August.

For details on exam times and rooms, please check the exam schedule, which will be published in late August. In case you are due to take an exam on campus, you will be able to view your seat number in Portal² one week before the exam takes place.

The examinations in the fall semester 2020/21 will be held during the following periods:

Regular examination dates for the fall semester 2020/21:           

10 December – 23 December 2020 (in case of shorter lecture period)
7 January – 16 January 2021 (in case of longer lecture period)

In the coming weeks, the schools will be busy working out the schedules for the fall semester, and will inform you about the periods relevant for you as soon as possible.

Alternate examination dates for the fall semester 2020/21:         20 February – 27 February 2021

As you might have read in the media, the individual standard periods of study and the examination deadlines (e.g. orientation examination and deadline for the maximum period of study) have been extended by one semester for all students in Baden-Württemberg who were enrolled in the spring semester 2020.

To read more information and find out who to contact with questions, please go to https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/academics/during-your-studies/examinations/extension-of-examination-deadlines/.

If you are looking for a job there are a few options, also for those who speak limited German:

• The local newspaper Mannheimer Morgen is looking for deliverers: http://www.pdk.de/Zusteller.html
• Due to the current situation supermarkets are looking for helpers – try asking directly at the ones close to your home.
• There are many jobs currently available in agriculture (harvest workers etc.). You can for example write an email to Erntehelfer-gesucht(at)pfalzmarkt.de stating your location and regional availability or have a look here (currently only in German): https://www.daslandhilft.de/.
• Furthermore E-Commerce companies are looking for workers to help out, try finding a logistics center close by.

If you are living in accommodations of the Studierendenwerk Mannheim and are facing financial difficulties due to Corona, please contact the Studierendenwerk directly: housing(at)stw-ma.de. Evidence that paying the rent is a financial burden must be provided.

If you are living in private accommodation we strongly advise you to contact the Tenants' Association (Mieterverein Mannheim) in your town or municipality. For international students who have rented accommodation on the private housing market special protection against the termination of rental agreements are in place. If tenants cannot or only partially pay their rent in the next three months as a result of the corona pandemic, the landlord cannot terminate their room/apartment due to late payment. Tenants have until the end of June 2022 to make up their rent payment and do not have to fear termination due to non or partial payment of the rents from April 2020 to June 2020.

Measures to support students during the corona pandemic

Bridging aid for students in financial emergency situations: The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is helping students who are demonstrably in a financial or economic emergency situation owing to the corona pandemic . Those already receiving loans, grants or other support may nevertheless obtain bridging assistance. Depending on proven need, you could receive between 100 euros and 500 euros as a non-repayable allowance. They are paid out via the Studierendenwerk Mannheim. Online application here: www.ueberbrueckungshilfe-studierende.de

BW Emergency Aid Fund: Baden-Württemberg has a student emergency aid fund for students who have lost their part-time jobs due to the corona pandemic and are thus in financial need. With the emergency aid fund, the state provides interest-free loans of up to 450 euros for the months of April and May - a total of up to 900 euros - for students in an emergency situation.  All enrolled students are eligible to apply, provided they can prove that an emergency situation has arisen due to the lack of additional income and do not receive other funding, such as scholarships.

Loan from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW): From 01.06.2020, international degree seeking students can receive a KfW student loan temporarily at an interest rate of 0%. From April 1st, 2021, the regular interest rate will apply again, which is set for 6 months. You can receive the first payment on July 1st, 2020. The extension for international degree seekings students is limited until March 31, 2021. Here you can do a pre-check whether you meet the requirements for funding (currently only in German): Pre-check.

Applications for both loans can be submitted to the Studierendenwerk:Counseling Service Studierendenwerk Mannheim

In order to lessen the strain inflicted on families during this crisis, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs has announced to adapt the criteria for supplementary child allowance (Kinderzuschlag) for the period between April and September. Specifically, this means that the Ministry will no longer take the income of the last six months into account as it did previously, but only the income received in the past month. Applications can be submitted online. For more information have a look here (currently only in German): https://www.bmfsfj.de/kiz

If you are moving within Germany you can currently need to make an appointment to register and deregister at the citizens' service offices: https://tempus-termine.com/termine/index.php?anlagennr=36

Please bring the following documents with you to your appointment:

• Registration Form (if you are moving to Mannheim from another municipality in Germany): https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/page/73797/formular_anmeldung.pdf
• Registration Form (if you are moving within Mannheim): https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/page/73797/ummeldung.pdf
• A scan of your passport/ID
• A scan of your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord's confirmation of residence)

If you are leaving Germany please take these documents to de-register:

• A scan of your passport/ID
• A scan of the filled out and signed “abmeldung” 

Please remember to wear a mask at all times during your appointment!

Here you will find digital offers of the International Office as well as external offers that might be interesting and useful to you: Digital Offers for internationale degree seeking students of the University of Mannheim

We are also planning more online activites for our Degree Seeking Students in the coming weeks - we will inform you soon via email.

The University of Mannheim's Institute of Sports offers you the opportunity to stream various courses offered by the institute online in your living room: https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/sports/program/

If you feel you need support and somone to talk to the psychologists at the Psychological Counseling Center of the Studierendenwerk Mannheim are offering telephone counseling: PBS Psych. Counseling Center

For all of us these times are very unusual and some of you may be confronted with new insecurities and challenges. In order to help you deal with some of the challenges you might be facing at the moment, we have compiled a few helpful links and ideas:
Tips and Help for International Students

10 Tips for Students in Times of Corona