International Office at the
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine

Please travel to Germany with a valid passport. It should be valid for at least six months after entering Germany, although we recommend a significantly longer period of validity so that you have enough time to complete all the necessary administrative procedures.

If your passport expires during your stay in Germany, you can have it extended at the embassy or consulate of your home country.
If you have multiple citizenships, please bring all passports with you.
 

EU citizens (and citizens of the EEA member states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) generally do not need a visa to work in Germany.

If you wish to travel to Germany from a third country, you will generally need a visa to enter the country. You can apply for this at a local German mission abroad (embassy or consulate general).

All current visa regulations can be found under the following links:

• Information on visa regulations
• List of countries requiring or exempting visas

Please submit your visa application in good time to the German embassy or consulate in your home country or country of residence. It may take several weeks or months before you get an appointment and until you receive your visa.
If you have any questions during the visa application process, please contact our International Office.

Please note that the visa is only your ‘entry ticket’ to Germany – if you stay longer in Germany, you must convert your visa into a so-called ‘residence title’ (visa and work permit) at the Foreigners' Registration Office in Münster.
The International Office will of course help you with this after your arrival.
 

The situation on the housing market in Münster is unfortunately very tight - finding affordable housing, especially in popular neighborhoods, is difficult. For this reason, we recommend that you start looking for accommodation as soon as possible after your arrival in Münster.
Sometimes housing opportunities arise very spontaneously, but this cannot be predicted in advance.

The MPI Münster has its own guest house, which is located next to our main building. However, places and the duration of use are very limited. A stay there in the first few weeks can nevertheless be helpful in order to look for suitable accommodation once you are here. Further information about the guest house can be found here:

• MPI Guest house

 

If you are staying in Germany for longer than 3 months, you must register at the local Residents’ Registration Office within two weeks of your arrival. When you register, you will receive a registration certificate, which you will need, for example, to open a bank account or to apply for a residence permit.
We will help you with the registration after your arrival.

If you move within Münster or within Germany during your stay, you will have to repeat this step and re-register.

If you are staying in Germany for a longer period of time, receive a regular salary and have to pay rent, it is advisable to open a German bank account at a bank of your choice. We will be happy to provide you with a list of banks that are located near the Max Planck Institute. There are also various online banks - you decide which bank suits you best.

After your first registration in Germany, you will receive an 11-digit tax identification number, which will be sent to your registered address by post. This process usually takes 1-2 weeks. The tax identification number will remain the same for the rest of your life and will not change.

Please inform our HR department of your personal tax ID upon receipt, as the number is required for the payment of your salary. The bank will also ask you for this number when you open a bank account.

On your first day of work at the MPI Münster, you need to have a membership with a German health insurance company.
This can also be applied for online on your first day of work.

You are free to choose which health insurance company you wish to join.
We will be happy to advise you on this after your arrival and help you to apply for the membership.

If you have been granted a visa for Germany, it is usually only valid for a limited period of time (90 days to one year). If your stay in Germany is planned for a longer period that exceeds the period of validity of your visa, you must apply for a so-called ‘residence title’ (visa and work permit) at the Foreigners' Registration Office in Münster in good time before your visa expires.
We will assist you with the application process on site.