You want to enrol (or remain enroled) at Folkwang – i.e., re-enrol after a semester? Here you will find all the information you need to know about enrolment, re-enrolment as well as the semester contribution, which you have to pay to our account in both cases in order to receive your semester ticket. Here you will also find all the information relating to a leave of absence from studies (semester on leave).
Following a successful application to study at the Folkwang University of the Arts, the last stage in the process is your enrolment. Enrolment takes place in person at the end of September for a course beginning in October and at the end of March for a course beginning in April. Please refer to your letter of admission for the exact time period and information on the procedure.
Your letter of admission will inform you which documents you need to submit in order to enrol at Folkwang. Generally, the following documents must be submitted if you have not already submitted them with your application:
_Completed application for enrolment (you will have received the form with your letter of admission).
_ID (e.g. identity card or passport)
_Proof of payment of the semester contribution
_Proof of health insurance OR exemption from compulsory health insurance (this information will be sent directly to Folkwang University by a public health insurance company at your request, see below).
_Your general university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur) or your highest school leaving certificate (for certificates issued in another language, a certified German or English translation is required).
_Proof of German language proficiency at the level required for your study course (only required if you did not obtain your higher education entrance qualification in Germany).
_For enrolment in a master's course: The (bachelor’s or similar) degree qualifying you for admission to this study course (in the case of conditional admission, you can submit this later - please check your letter of admission to see if this applies to you!)
_If applicable, a certificate of exmatriculation from your previous university
After enrolment, you will receive your login data for the Folkwang Organizer, which is our online course catalogue. You can also use the Organizer to print out your certificate of study. Your semester ticket which allows you to use local public transportation, and your Folkwang e-mail address will also be available to you after enrolment.
Once you are enrolled at Folkwang University, you can submit an application for the recognition of examination results (i.e. of classes that you have already taken at a different university, for instance) to the relevant examination board. Depending on the number of classes that are recognized, this may also put you in a higher semester. For more information on this process, check our Recognition of examination performances page.
Please note that the amount of one-on-one tuition that you are entitled to in your main (or, if applicable, second/supplementary) artistic subject will be reduced if you were previously enrolled in a study course with the same artistic subject(s) or instrument(s).
If you have any questions on enroling, please contact the Office of Student Affairs.
Students at German universities are generally required to have health insurance during their studies. In order to complete enrolment, you need to make sure that your insurance status is digitally transmitted to Folkwang University of the Arts by a statutory health insurance company.
It is therefore important that you contact the relevant public health insurance company as soon as possible after receiving your letter of admission. Be sure to mention the Folkwang University sender number (H0001139).
Students with public health insurance apply to their health insurance company for digital transmission of their insurance status to the university via "Meldung 10".
Be sure to mention the Folkwang University sender number (H0001139).
Students who are insured with a private health insurance company and wish to remain so until the end of their studies must apply for exemption from compulsory student health insurance. An exemption from compulsory insurance is irrevocable for the entire duration of your studies.
To be exempted from compulsory insurance, you need to provide proof of your private health insurance to any German public health insurance company. The insurance company must then notify Folkwang University of your insurance status via "Meldung 10".
Be sure to mention the Folkwang University sender number (H0001139).
Students who are insured in other European countries (EHIC /GHIC /AT 11) can also contact a German public health insurance company and request that they notify Folkwang University of the students’ health insurance status.
When doing so, please be sure to state the Folkwang University sender number (H0001139).
Once you reach the age of 30, compulsory insurance for students no longer applies. In this case, no proof of insurance status needs to be submitted or sent to Folkwang University for enrolment.
Doctoral students, junior students and guest auditors are not required to prove their insurance status to the university. The same applies to students who are taking classes at Folkwang while primarily enrolled at a different university (Zweithörer*innen).
Important: Re-enrolment for the following semester is temporarily suspended if you are not up to date on your health insurance payments. Once the outstanding payments have been made, the suspension is removed and re-enrolment for the next semester is possible.
In order for you to remain enroled, you must re-enrol at Folkwang every semester!
To comply with the deadline, the semester contribution must have been received by the university (i.e. credited to its account) within the following periods:
_for summer semester: January 15 – March 15
_for winter semester: June 15 – September 15
For this purpose, please transfer the semester contribution applicable to you to the account specified below:
Enrolment at the Folkwang University of the Arts for the winter semester 2025/26 will be charged as follows:
Total: 356,80 €
_AStA: 23,00 €
_Student Union: 120,00 €
_Deutschlandticket: 208,80 €
The semester fee consists of the social contribution for the Folkwang AStA and the respective student union (Essen-Duisburg or AKAFÖ for Bochum) as well as the Deutschlandticket.
Notice for cross-registered students:
Students in a joint study course, that are enrolled at another university as primary student, do not have to pay the semester contribution at Folkwang. Students that are enrolled as a primary student a another university and are not in a joint study course of this university and the Folkwang University of the Arts, have to pay the AStA contribution at Folkwang. All cross-registered students have to additionally present a certificate of enrolment of the primary university for the respective semester for re-enrolment.
Starting in the summer semester 2024, the digital Deutschlandtsemestericket will replace the previous semester ticket at Folkwang. The Deutschlandticket is both cheaper and valid throughout Germany on local public transport. Please note that, unlike the previous semester ticket, it does not allow you to bring a bicycle or an additional passenger with you.
You will find more information on downloading the Deutschlandticket here after the end of the re-enrolment period.
Please transfer the semester contribution in good time before enrolment (or re-enrolment) to the following account:
Account Information:
Account Holder: Landeshauptkasse NRW
Institute: HELABA Duesseldorf
IBAN: DE20300500000004012217
BIC-Code: WELADEDDXXX
Reason for Payment: 95000004590/‘Student's name’/‘Matriculation No.’
Address of the account holder (recipient):
Landeshauptkasse NRW, Erkrather Str. 339, 40231 Duesseldorf
Address of the institute (Bank):
HELABA Duesseldorf, Uerdinger Str. 88, 40474 Duesseldorf
Please replace ‘Matriculation No.’ with your personal matriculation number and ‘Student’s name’ with your full name. Please make sure to fill in the purpose of payment as shown so that the payment can be allocated correctly.
Newly admitted students who are transferring the semester contribution for the first time and do not have a matriculation number yet should instead enter their full name and study course in the reference field.
In accordance with § 8 Enrolment Regulations, you can interrupt your studies by a leave of absence. Leave of absence is possible if there is an important reason for the interruption of the studies. You apply for a leave of absence using the „Application form for leave of absence“ in your faculty or if you are enrolled in "M.A. Professional Media Creation" in the ICEM.
The application form for leave of absence is only available in the German language.
Please note these important points when applying for leave of absence:
In principle, the application for leave of absence should be made during the re-enrolment period. On request, a re-enrolment can be changed to a leave of absence until the start of lectures. For specific reasons, leave of absence is also still possible during the lecture period for the current semester. In these cases, the semester contribution will not be refunded. Exception: as far as possible, leaves of absence in Faculties 1 and 2 should be applied before the end of the lecture period of the previous semester – provided that the important reason already exists at that time.
Your leave of absence is always for one semester. On application, leave of absence can be extended for one additional semester at a time, provided there is an important reason for doing so. A retroactive leave of absence is not possible. Leave of absence for the first study semester is only possible in exceptional duly justified cases (refer to § 8 Enrolment Regulations).
Following the leave of absence, re-enrolment during the re-enrolment period is necessary.
Leave of absence is only possible if there is an important reason for it. Verification of the good reason must be provided by relevant evidence (§ 8 Enrolment Regulations).
The following verifications are acceptable: a medical certificate, an expert opinion, the letter of commitment from the host institution abroad or other verifications substantiating the important reason for leave of absence, such as contracts or other relevant evidence.
Leave of absence due to pregnancy: The confirmation of receipt of the pregnancy notification must be enclosed in the application to the university as verification. You will receive advice from the Central Student Advisory Service
Leave of absence for the care and upbringing of children: as verification, you must submit the birth certificate of your child and – if applicable – a current registration certificate from the Bürgeramt (Citizens' Registration Office) stating that you and your child are registered at an address. Other relevant verifications are also possible.
Leave of absence to care for relatives: the report issued by the Medical Service of the Health Insurance Funds (MDK) or the placement decision in relation to the level of care (care decision) is suitable as verification. Other relevant verifications are also possible.
No examination performances can be rendered or credit points acquired during absence of leave. Exception: this does not apply to the resitting of failed examinations or to persons, who have been granted absence of leave due to the upbringing of children or providing care to a relative. In a study abroad, it is possible for examinations to be sat during the leave of absence. On request, these examination performances can be recognised by Folkwang after returning.
If at all possible, recipients of BAföG (state student financial assistance) should consult their BAföG Office before making an application. During a leave of absence, you do not generally receive BAföG!
In the event of leave of absence due to chronic illness or impairment, you can make use of the advice provided by the Officer for Students with Disabilities or Chronic Illnesses.
You will receive general advice on leave of absence from the Central Student Advisory Service
During your leave of absence, you are exempted from the social contribution and the mobility contribution – this means that you do not have do not have a Deutschlandticket. If you need a Deutschlandticket during your leave of absence, please make a separate application to AStA. You can find the application for the Ticket in the semester leave of absence on the
Folkwang Intranet, under "Gremienangelegenheiten/AStA". Please use your Folkwang ID to log in. Exemption from the AStA contribution during your leave of absence is not possible. The deadline for the summer semester is 15 March and for the winter semester 15 September.
The compulsory student health insurance remains in force during your leave absence.
Students in all cooperation study courses must also additionally apply for leave of absence from the cooperating university within the re-enrolment deadline. Please observe the regulations on leave of absence at the cooperating university.