New Student FAQ for the Fall 2022

Most definitely! While these are difficult times, the university is and will remain an inspiring place. Professors will maintain high academic standards while making students feel supported. Students will still get early research opportunities. And you will still feel like an important part of a tight-knit campus community of friends and support staff from around the world.

Classes will begin on September 1.

Most of the "Freshie Journey" will be online. There will be a number of modules that provide you practical information on topics such as using your campus card and semester ticket, registering for classes, living in a multicultural environment, banking and insurance in Germany, and many more. There will also be live Q&A sessions each Friday. Additionally, there will be a number of in-person activities August 29-31.

Your Campus Net login credentials will be sent to you by July 31 (as long as you have submitted your study contract) so that you can access the Freshie Journey modules on August 1.

Here is the Freshie Journey info page for more information.

Course registration opens on August 25. Students will receive their Campus Net login credentials by July 31, and the Freshie Journey will contain a module about course registration.

Courses will start in-person on the Constructor University campus on Sep. 1 (except the online programs). The add / drop period will end on Sep. 15.

The procedure for the Housing Preference Survey will be described on your VIP page under Optional Tasks by the beginning of June.

One or two weeks after you submit your study contract, you will receive an email with a link to the Housing Preference Survey. The study contract will appear on your VIP page during the month of June for those who have submitted their enrollment deposits. If you submit your study contract right away, you could receive your Housing Preference Survey via email by the first or second week of July. We will then inform you of the residential college you've been assigned when you arrive on campus.

Check-in Day is August 29! We are excited to welcome you to Constructor University at "Welcome Street" in our Sports and Convention Center (SCC) on this day, 8 AM - 6 PM (CEST).

Early arrival can take place on August 27 and 28, but you will simply receive your room keys from our security office on these days. There are no welcome activities planned for these days. Your meal plan is not active on August 27th and 28th, so you can pay only with a debit or credit card (Visa, MasterCard) for your meals on campus.

If you need to arrive outside of the "Welcome Street" open hours (8 AM - 6 PM) on the 29th or after the 29th, you can get your room keys from the security office (just inside the main gate). You will then need to make an appointment with the Student Service Center here to get your semester ticket and the Housing Office (Reimer Lust Hall 104, Mon-Fri 10 AM - 12 PM & Mon-Thu 1 -3 PM) to sign your rental contract, get your campus card, and fill out some additional forms.

At the moment (as of 19 August), the Robert Koch Institut has no areas designated as high-risk or areas of variant concern so no travelers have an obligation to quarantine. If this changes and a student requires quarantine, they student will be permitted to quarantine in his/her/their college room upon arrival and receive food and support from campus staff.

We certainly understand that many students will not be able to arrive within this timeframe. If you need to arrive outside of the "Welcome Street" open hours (8 AM - 6 PM) on the 29th or after the 29th, you can get your room keys from the security office (just inside the main gate). You will then need to make an appointment with the Student Service Center here to get your semester ticket and the Housing Office (Reimer Lust Hall 104, Mon-Fri 10 AM - 12 PM & Mon-Thu 1 -3 PM) to sign your rental contract, get your campus card, and fill out some additional forms.

The security office can provide servery meal vouchers for those who have not yet received their campus cards.

Early arrival can take place on August 27 and 28, but you will simply receive your room keys from our security office on these days. There are no welcome activities planned for these days. Your meal plan is not active on August 27 and 28, so you can pay only with a debit or credit card (Visa, MasterCard) for your meals on campus.

Please fill out the "Pre-Arrival Form" on your VIP page with your travel information as soon as you have booked your travel.

You can find directions to campus here. On the 29th, we will also offer a shuttle service from the Bremen Airport to the Constructor University campus from 9 AM to 11 PM. Look for the Constructor University welcome desk outside international arrivals. From there, we will direct you to the bus with the Constructor University sign in the window.

We will offer a shuttle service from the Bremen Airport to the Constructor University campus on August 29 from 9 AM to 11 PM. Look for the Constructor University welcome desk outside international arrivals. From there, we will direct you to the bus with the Constructor University sign in the window.

On August 29, we will have signs and student assistants at the front gate directing you to "Welcome Street" at our Sports and Convention Center (SCC). There you will check in with our Student Service Center, sign your housing contract, and get your room keys. If you do early arrival on August 27 or 28, you will find our security office immediately on the right as you enter the campus main gate. They will will provide you your room key and direct you to your college room.

We know your family members may want to ensure you arrive safe and sound to your new home away from home, so we of course will allow them to accompany you onto campus. However, due to the pandemic, we do not provide a welcome area for family members, and we need to restrict access to all buildings to students and staff only. We have students arriving from all over the world so we do our best to reduce the risk to our Constructor University community.

Our peer counselors and student assistants will be ready to assist you with your move-in.

Please understand any accompanying relatives need to comply with state COVID regulations, and Constructor University will not be able to provide accommodations or resources for family members.

Remember to bring your:

✓ Signed Study Contract (German version)
✓ Signed Rental Contract (German version, available in Mercury by 17 August)
✓ Color copy of your passport
✓ Certified copy of your final transcript + diploma
✓ Enrollment Confirmation Letter from your VIP page
✓ Airline Letter (only for students who come from non-visa countries; will be available on your VIP page by August)
✓ Other documents you need for e.g. residence permit, health insurance, bank account, etc.

The Enrollment Confirmation Letter states that your physical presence on campus is required.

The Airline Letter states that a return ticket within 3 months is not required. You may need to give this to your airline.

You can find a recommended packing list here.

Upon your arrival in the European Union (be it Germany or another country), please keep the following in mind:

Cash amount of 10 000 Euro or more
If you bring more than 10 000 Euro (or equivalent in other currencies, bonds, shares or travellers’ cheques or other valuables) in cash, you need to declare it at customs. Usually, you will be required to file a declaration form before entry. You can request this declaration form from the airline staff or upon landing before clearing customs. Failure to declare the cash may result in confiscation of your assets. We suggest not bringing large sums of cash, unless absolutely necessary (e.g. if this is a condition to your visa approval)

Bringing Brand-New Packed Goods
Be it your laptop or a fancy camera or the PS5, please refrain from bringing the goods in their original package as they may be considered not a personal item, but rather an import. In this case, you will be required to pay the VAT (20% in Germany). The goods may be seized by customs until you pay the VAT. Therefore, consider bringing such items unpacked.

You can find the latest information from the German Federal Ministry of Health here.  Please note that regulations can change at any time.

On June 1st, the obligation to provide proof – vaccinated, recovered or tested negative – ended when entering Germany. Excluded are people arriving from a virus variant area. However, no country is currently classified as a virus variant area, the most up-to-date info is also here.

On June 1st, the obligation to provide proof – vaccinated, recovered or tested negative – ended when entering Germany. Excluded are people arriving from a virus variant area. However, no country is currently classified as a virus variant area, the most up-to-date info is also here.

Also, the state of Bremen does not require proof of vaccination, recovery or negative test.

Both PCR tests and rapid antigen tests are accepted. A list of approved rapid antigen tests that meet the requirements of the Robert Koch Institute for entry can be found here. As a general rule, the tests must not be more than 48 hours old at the time of the (planned) entry. However, if entering Germany with a carrier (e.g. an airline), PCR tests may be taken a maximum of 48 hours before the (scheduled) start of the journey (e.g. departure time). But antigen tests must not be taken more than 48 hours before the (scheduled) time of arrival in Germany even if travellers are being transported by a carrier.

Tests can be submitted in the following languages: German, English, French, Italian or Spanish in written or digital form.

On June 1st, the obligation to provide proof – vaccinated, recovered or tested negative – ended when entering Germany. With that also any quarantine regulations for arrivals ended.

Excluded are people arriving from a virus variant area. However, no country is currently classified as a virus variant area, the most up-to-date info is also here.

In the unlikely event that a student requires to quarantine, the student will be permitted to quarantine in his/her/their college room upon arrival and receive food and support from campus staff.

As of August 19, there are no areas considered high-risk or areas of variant concern.

For the Robert Koch Institut's list of high-risk areas and areas of variant concern, see here.

On June 1st, the obligation to provide proof – vaccinated, recovered or tested negative – ended when entering Germany. With that also any quarantine regulations for arrivals ended. Excluded are people arriving from a virus variant area. However, no country is currently classified as a virus variant area, the most up-to-date info is also here.

Also, the state of Bremen does not require proof of vaccination, recovery or negative test.

For students interested in getting vaccinated, it is very easy to do so via a primary care provider or the Bremen Impfzentrum. Campus Life staff can provide guidance for interested students.

The vaccines currently recognized within Gerrmany are Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech), Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca), or Nu­vax­ovid. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated once they are 14 days past two doses of any combination. PLEASE NOTE: One dose of Johnson & Johnson no longer counts as fully vaccinated within Germany.

The list is subject to change at any time. Currently, further vaccines are under review and in consideration for recognition in Germany as well. To see a current list of approved vaccines and vaccines under review, please see here.

Travelers can show proof of full vaccination in written (e.g. CDC card or WHO vaccination booklet) or digital form issued by the authorized institution (a cellphone photograph of the vaccination certificate is not sufficient) . The vaccine used must be recognized by the Federal State of Germany. All recognized vaccines can be found here. Travelers must have received all necessary doses at least 14 or more days prior to arrival. Vaccinated travelers must additionally show no relevant symptoms.

Proof of full vaccination must be provided in German, English, French, Italian, or Spanish.

The following information must be provided:
• Personal data of the vaccinated person (surname, first name, date of birth)
• Date of vaccination, number of vaccinations
• Name of the disease vaccinated against
• Characteristics that include the name of the institution or person issuing the certificate (stamp, or official symbol of the name of the issuer)

Proof of infection with COVID-19 can be evidenced with a positive test (PCR, PoC-PCR or other nucleic acid amplification test methods). The test can be provided in written or digital form in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish, and must be taken at least 28 days but no more than 90 prior to the point in question.

Information is updated regularly. Please be sure to check the information provided by the German Federal Ministry of Health here.

Not as of August 19. Since there are currently no high-risk areas or areas of variant concern, digital registration is not required.

In the unlikely event that it does, the university will take steps to support you. Undergraduate students would be allowed to quarantine in their college rooms and would be supported with food and resources from Campus Life staff. If the quarantine extends past September 1, quarantined students would be excused from class until they fulfill the quarantine obligation.

Currently, no country is classified as a virus variant area, the most up-to-date info is also here

Keeping our community safe and healthy is a top priority.

Constructor University has a coronavirus task force with representatives from all key departments that meets regularly and monitors available data and developments, decides on appropriate measures, and oversees their implementation. This includes gathering information and recommendations from the "World Health Organization", the "Robert Koch Institute", one of the most important bodies for the safeguarding of public health in Germany, and the "Gesundheitsamt Bremen" (Bremen’s Health Office).

All students, faculty, and staff are expected to comply with the university hygiene concept and state regulations.

For questions regarding COVID-19 regulations on campus, please be sure to read the Current Corona Regulations on Campus as well as the General Coronavirus FAQ.

Constructor University Bremen is not authorized to provide advice on the topic of vaccination. Individuals are encouraged to speak to their healthcare providers and become informed on the topic of vaccination in Germany. Further information on vaccines and resources regarding COVID-19 can be found on the German Federal Ministry of Health website.

Vaccinations are readily available throughout the city of Bremen. If interested, students can consult Campus Life staff on how to schedule an appointment once they arrive on campus.

Please note that many vaccines have not been authorized/recognized in Germany/the EU. In this regard, Constructor University will not recognize these vaccines.

Constructor University Bremen is not authorized to provide advice on the topic of vaccination. Individuals are encouraged to speak to their healthcare providers and become informed on the topic of vaccination in Germany. Further information on vaccines and resources regarding COVID-19 can be found on the German Federal Ministry of Health website.

Please note that many vaccines have not been authorized/recognized in Germany/the EU. In this regard, Constructor University will not recognize these vaccines.Therefore, we advise that you carefully review the state COVID-19 regulations before your arrival in Germany/the EU.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate is a digital certificate that is valid in all EU countries which allows individuals to show proof that they have either been vaccinated, have a current negative COVID-19 test result, or have recovered from COVID-19.

The digital certificate is available in English and is considered safe to use by the German Federal State. For further information on the EU Digital Certificate, click here.

If your vaccine is not currently recognized in Germany, you will be expected to comply with the requirements outlined above for unvaccinated persons.

Additional vaccines are currently being reviewed for approval in Germany. Please be sure to stay up-to-date on currently recognized / approved vaccines here.