Kühne Logistics University
About
Kühne Logistics University (KLU) is a leading, state-recognized international business school based in Hamburg and ranked among the world’s top 5% (AACSB-accredited). Funded by the Kühne Foundation, KLU empowers future leaders to think and act with an Operations Mindset – analytical, data-driven, and solution-oriented. With small classes, research-active faculty, and strong ties to global industry, KLU combines academic excellence with hands-on learning, entrepreneurship, and sustainability to prepare students for impactful international careers.
KLU, Kühne Logistics University, is a leading, state-recognized, international university based in Hamburg, Germany, with a second campus in Saigon, Vietnam, and with a planned expansion to Africa and the Americas. Among the top five percent of business schools worldwide, as per AACSB accreditation, KLU offers high-quality education, fully in English, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, MBA, PhD, and Executive Education programs in business and management, data science and analytics, and notably, logistics and supply chain management.
Funded by the Kühne Foundation KLU is committed to empowering contemporary leaders with a strong Operations Mindset. Our teaching and research activities blend academic excellence with a hands-on approach preparing our students to tackle real-world problems with a future-oriented approach. Emphasizing digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, KLU shapes leaders to drive responsible and sustainable change globally.
Our students benefit from an exceptional professor-to-student ratio, providing them individual support from world-class, highly research-active professors. Integrated internships, participation in student and sports clubs, and international exchanges with prestigious business schools and universities worldwide provide the best environment to gain additional experience and enjoy their student life. This is rounded off with tailored career coaching and partnerships with top companies to ensure a successful career path.
KLU's Name and Meaning
Kühne represents our founder and benefactor, Klaus-Michael Kühne, a visionary German businessman whose influence has shaped KLU’s powerful corporate network, bridging academia and industry while creating exceptional opportunities for our students and alumni.
Logistics reflects our origins in driving progress in logistics, operations, & supply chains. While this stays core to our mission, offering students a unique edge through an Operations Mindset, we’ve since expanded into broader management education, earning global recognition with prestigious AACSB accreditation, placing us among the top 5% of business schools worldwide.
University stands for our faculty’s dedication to producing cutting-edge science. As world-class researchers, they bring the latest insights to students, helping them gain up-to-date knowledge and hone the critical skill of knowledge production. Students learn to differentiate rigorous research from mere opinions, giving them a competitive edge in an era of continuous learning.
Operations Mindset
The Operations Mindset is a unique skillset (rooted in our logistics heritage) that allows anyone to approach any challenge with the strategic and pragmatic vision of a leader. This mindset empowers you to “get things done”, enhancing your problem-solving skills by rigorously analyzing the situation and coming up with effective and innovative solutions that can be implemented, even in a fast-paced environment. The Operations Mindset encompasses many skills that are key to moving projects forward, such as strategic thinking, data-driven decision-making (“Head”), open mentality, quick adaptability, strong cooperation (“Heart”), & a hands-on approach (“Hand”)
Below you find the 6 steps which lead you to be a student at KLU.
- You apply online.
- You receive your admission kit.
- You return your signed study agreement.
- You receive a welcome e-mail from Student Services including the link to our student intranet.
- You follow the enrollment guide in the student intranet and send the required documents to Student Services.
- You start at KLU. On-campus you will receive your student ID card & enrollment certificates.
Welcome on board! We are very much looking forward to getting to know you.
As an international student, you will have to get a visa and residence permit for the period of your studies in Germany. All new residents of Hamburg have to register within one week after moving in - it doesn’t matter whether you are an international or a German student.
Applying for a residence permit takes quite some time and preparation. To make your planning easier and provide some orientation please find below our overview on what you have to do if entering the country for the purpose of the study. Not all steps apply to everyone but depend on your nationality amongst others.
The detailed information below will help you through the process of visa application, registration, and application for a residence permit in Hamburg.
Visa process overview
Non-EU applicants, please note: The visa process takes up to two months, starting on the date of acceptance by KLU. Please keep in mind that there are a lot of other organizational matters to deal with when planning your study abroad. We recommend non-EU applicants apply at KLU five months before the commencement of studies and apply for a visa right after having received acceptance by KLU.
| Steps | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apply for a student applicant visa/student visa in your home country, if appl. | Right after having received acceptance by KLU |
| 2 | Register in Hamburg (all students/residents, regardless of your nationality) | Commencement of your studies |
| 3 | Apply for residence permit, if appl. | Max. 90 days after you have arrived in Germany |
| 4 | Extend your residence permit until the end of your studies, if appl. | During your studies at KLU |
| 5 | In case you move within Hamburg or Germany: always register your new address (all students/residents, regardless of your nationality) | During your studies at KLU |
Visa details
In general applicants for university studies have to apply for a student visa in order to enter Germany and study in Germany.
This does not apply for:
- Citizens of EU,
- Citizens of other European countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland),
- Citizens of Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Republic of South Korea, and the United States of America may apply for a residence permit ("Aufenthaltstitel") after arriving in Germany.
Nationals from the countries mentioned above do not require a visa to enter Germany. Applicants from all other countries need a visa for entering Germany and studying in Germany. A tourist visa does not entitle the holder to register as a student. Visa applications must be made well in advance at the local German embassy or a German consulate.
There are two kinds of applicable visas:
- Student applicant visa,
- Student visa.
The following documents have to be presented:
- Visa Application,
- Valid passport,
- 1 biometric passport-sized photo,
- KLU admission letter,
- Proof of sufficient funding (bank statement e.g.),
- Proof of health insurance valid in Germany.
For details on visas, please contact the German embassy or consulate in your country.
Registration & Co.
After arriving in Hamburg, you will need to register at any service center in Hamburg or the Hamburg Welcome Center (HWC). It doesn’t matter whether you are an international or a German student – all new residents of Hamburg have to register within one week after moving into a new apartment or room.
KLU students find all relevant information and forms in the student intranet by KLU.
Residence permit
In order to be allowed an extended residence in Germany, non-EU citizens have to apply for a residence permit immediately upon migrating to Germany. It is essential that you always have a valid residence permit during your stay in Germany. As a rule, this permit can be extended as long as your purpose of stay is still valid.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides detailed information about residence permits.
KLU students find all relevant information and forms in the student intranet by KLU.
