Leave of Absence and Exemption from Semester Ticket

Important facts about leave of absence

• As a general rule: During a leave semester, no graded or non-graded coursework may be submitted and no examinations may be taken.
• First-semester students cannot apply for a leave of absence. This restriction does not apply to parental leave.
• The deadline for submiting applications for a leave of absence (including the necessary documents) is August 15 for the winter semester and February 2 for the summer semester.
• For students with a special status (e.g. doctoral students, visiting students or students taking part in preparatory studies), a leave of absence is not permitted.
• Leave semesters count as university semesters, but not as study semesters.
• It is not possible to apply for a leave of absence retroactively.
• BAföG recipients and child benefit recipients must inform the respective authorities about their leave of absence.
• Visitors requiring a visa obtain the necessary permission from the Immigration Office.

Leave for miscellaneous reasons:

In the course of your studies, you can apply for a maximum of two leave semesters for miscellaneous reasons. In exceptional cases, further leave semesters may be applied for, which have to be substantiated individually.

Leave due to illness:

For a leave of absence on grounds of illness, you must supply a medical certificate which confirms the incapacity to work, take examinations or attend courses during the semester in question. A leave of absence for illness may not exceed the regular degree duration of your specific study program.

Parental leave:

For parental leave you must provide the following documents:

• A current household certification stating that you and the child live in the same household (available at all municipal registration offices)
• A copy of the maternity card indicating the expected delivery date or
• A copy of the child's birth certificate

During a parental leave of absence, you are permitted to submit coursework and take examinations.

Applications for leave of absence are to be submitted via moin by February 15th (for the summer semester) or August 15th (for the winter semester).

For re-registration, the semester fee is to be transferred by February 15th or August 15th (if applicable, reduced by the amounts for the student union, the administration fee and/or the semester ticket).

Exemption from semester ticket

The semester ticket is compulsory for all students.

An application for exemption from the semester ticket is possible for four reasons with corresponding proof:

• In the case of severe disability, the severely disabled person's ID card with the token (supplement to the ID card from the pension office) must be submitted for free transport
• In the case of a semester abroad, you will need to submit either the enrollment certificate of the foreign university, or (in the case of an internship abroad) proof that the internship is a mandatory part of your study program along with the internship confirmation (start, duration etc.) to the internship office
• In the case of a leave of absence, an application for exemption from the semester ticket can be submitted together with the application for leave of absence
• In the case of studies outside of the semester ticket boundaries lasting at least 120 calendar days, you can file for an exemption by submitting proof of your study purpose (e.g. an internship contract with start, duration, location or - in the case of a study abroad, proof of enrollment from the foreign university).

The application for exemption from the semester ticket must be submitted to the Student Office via moin by two weeks after the semester begins.

For re-registration, the semester fee – reduced by the amount for the semester ticket (if your application has been approved) – is to be transferred before the beginning of the semester, i.e. by February 15th or August 15th.

You will find the latest information about the semester fee here.