University of Osnabrück - European Legal Studies Institute
About
Osnabrück University's School of Law is renowned for its academic profile, which includes German and European Union Law, as well as Comparative Law. The programme is hosted by the prestigious European Legal Studies Institute, a leading research centre and a vibrant hub for young academics exploring the intersection between EU law and digitalisation. We conduct comparative legal research and contribute to the development of model regulations and legislative projects. We also advise institutions and companies, and prepare the next generation of female lawyers for future EU law.
The University of Osnabrück Faculty of Law
The University of Osnabrück Law School currenty has 19 professors, 6 postdocs, and 50 research/teaching assistants on staff, in addition to 2000 students. The faculty has experts in all core areas of private law, public law, and criminal law. However, our overarching common interest is European Union law and the influence of digitalization on the legal landscape. The courses on offer range from those needed for the German State Exam to a bachelors degree in business law as well as a masters degree for foreign lawyers.
A new addition is the Master of European Technology Law, building on our experience gained through numerous research projects and practical experiences.
The ELSI - 20 years of leading edge research
The European Legal Studies Institute is a renowned research institute and at the same time a lively hub for young academics working on the interfaces between European Union law and digitalization law. Comparative legal research is our speciality and our ideas help shape model rules and legislative projects. At the same time, we advise institutions and companies and prepare the next generation of lawyers for future EU law.
Enabling Innovation. Compliance by Design.
A particular interest of many ELSI staff members is the emergence of the new digital economy law as well as the opportunities and/or risks posed by these new technologies. We recognise that many of today's challenges can only be overcome with new technical solutions. However, these solutions will only be accepted by politicians, society and individuals if they respect our fundamental rights and values. "Enabling Innovation. Compliance by Design." therefore, means that we support inventors in finding legally compliant solutions while accompanying technical developments from the laboratory to market maturity.
Library
The institute library is accessible to both university members and external users (e.g., from the judiciary), but due to its character as a reference library, it is generally not possible to borrow items. The collection can be accessed via the university library's online catalogues (OPAC). In particular, monographs, collections of decisions, and journals on the law of the member states of the European Union are collected. A substantial part of the basic stock was acquired from the Leibniz Research Prize of the DFG awarded to Christian v. Bar in 1993.
The Institute's library primarily collects works on European Union law and the non-European jurisdictions of common law. As far as possible, titles on the law of the Member States are also collected from the fields of general administrative law, economic constitutional and economic administrative law, energy, antitrust, and environmental law. The Institute has good holdings on private international law, legal harmonisation, and comparative law.
The library is also the European Documentation Centre (EDZ) with a further 6000 volumes.
Housing
Around 1,700 places in halls of residence are available to students at the two universities in Osnabrück. Accommodation options range from single rooms to shared flats and family apartments.
If you are interested in a room in the halls of residence, you should apply as early as possible. You can submit an application as soon as you have decided to study in Osnabrück. A certificate of enrollment from Osnabrück University is not required at this stage.
Please note that an application does not guarantee you a place in one of the highly sought-after halls of residence.
The cost of a single room in student halls of residence ranges from €255 to €490 per month. There is also an initial deposit of €500 or €600 per room (depending on the furnishings). The deposit is refunded if you leave the room in good condition when you move out.
International students receive special support in the halls of residence: residence tutors help them to settle in quickly.
Before travelling to Germany
Applicants from certain countries need a visa in order to enter Germany. You can find out whether you require a visa by contacting the German embassy or consulate in your home country or by consulting the visa navigator or overview of visa requirements and visa exemptions for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany provided by the Federal Foreign Office. Students must apply for a residence permit at the responsible Foreigners' Office (Ausländerbehörde) before the first 90 days have expired.
Citizens from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland do not need to apply for a visa to enter Germany. A list of German representations abroad can also be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.
For a student visa, you need to be admitted to study at a German university. The student visa is usually valid for three months and can then be converted into a residence permit for study purposes in Germany.
Please note: Under no circumstances can a tourist visa be converted into a residence permit for study purposes!
You will need the following documents to apply for a visa:
- Passport
- Confirmation of application or letter of admission from a German university
- Proof of funding for your studies in Germany
- Health insurance
Please find out about the formalities required for the visa application as early as possible from the German embassy or consulate. The procedure often takes several months. If you arrive late, you may miss important appointments.
After arriving in Germany
Students from European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA) / Switzerland
Students from the EU, EEA countries, or Switzerland enter Germany without a visa but must register with the Citizens’ Office (Bürgeramt) in the city where they live in Germany after entering the country. They will then receive a registration certificate confirming their residence in Germany (Meldebescheinigung). A residence permit is not required.
If you live in Osnabrück, you can register at the Osnabrück Citizens’ Office (Bürgeramt) – either during the International Office’s Welcome Week or individually. In any case, you must schedule an appointment at the Citizens’ Office. During the Welcome Week, tutors will accompany newly arrived students to the Citizens’ Office on a designated date if they have booked an appointment for that day in advance. Please make sure that you arrive on time for your appointment, otherwise the booked time slot will expire!
Students who live in the district of Osnabrück should contact the Citizens’ Office and Foreigners’ Office in their town.
Students from non-EU/EEA countries / residence permit
After entering Germany, Students from non-EU/EEA countries must register with the Citizens’ Office (Bürgeramt) in the city they live in. They will then receive a registration certificate confirming their residence in Germany (Meldebescheinigung). If they live in Osnabrück, they must register at Osnabrück Citizens’ Office (Bürgeramt) – either during the International Office’s Welcome Week or individually. In any case, you must schedule an appointment at the Citizens’ Office in advance. During the Welcome Week at the beginning of the semester, international students can be accompanied by tutors to the Citizens' Office on a designated date if they have booked an appointment for that day. Please make sure that you arrive on time for your appointment, otherwise the booked time slot will expire! Students living in the district of Osnabrück must contact the Citizens’ Office and Foreigners’ Office in their town.
In addition, students from non-EU/EEA countries, regardless of whether they have entered Germany with or without a visa, must apply for a residence permit online at the Foreigners’ Office within the validity period of their visa or, in the case of visa-free entry, within three months of entering the country. All supporting documents (Entry without visa, Entry on a visa, available in PDF) must be submitted digitally. You can either submit your application for the residence permit yourself or attend the International Office session during the Welcome Week, where we will complete the application together. Once your application has been processed, you will receive an appointment at the Foreigners’ Office via e-mail, during which the final formalities for issuing the residence permit will be completed. The cost of the residence permit is €100 for a residence permit of up to one year.
You will receive your residence permit as an electronic residence permit in the form of a chip card. It contains your fingerprint, your photo and your personal details. The supplementary provisions are also stored on the chip and printed out on an additional sheet. There is also an optional online ID function and an electronic signature function. The card is not issued directly by the Foreigners’ Office. It will take a few weeks before you can collect the card from the Foreigners’ Office. Please bear this in mind when renewing your residence permit and contact the Foreigners’ Office in good time. The International Office will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.
It is essential to provide proof of funding for your study visit. You must therefore provide evidence of how and to what extent the funding will be provided. The German authorities currently assume that students need around €992 per month to cover their living costs in Germany.
After completing your studies in Germany
Once you have withdrawn from the university (Exmatrikulation), a residence permit for study purposes is no longer valid, even if it was originally valid for a longer period!
After graduation, students from non-EU countries have the option of applying for a residence permit for 18 months to look for work. During this time, they are allowed to work without restriction.
- Lower Saxony
European Legal Studies Institute Universität Osnabrück Süsterstr. 28 49074 Osnabrück
