Application and enrollment

What does waiting period mean?

General information on the waiting period:
The waiting period is defined as all half-years (also known as standby semesters) from the date of obtaining the higher education entrance qualification (HZB), e.g. entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences or Abitur, until enrolment in a degree program - minus semesters spent studying at German higher education institutions.

A summer semester covers the period from April 1 to September 30, a winter semester the period from October 1 to March 30. The semester in which you obtained your HZB is not included in the calculation. For example, if you took your Abitur (German secondary school leaving certificate) in June 2015 (i.e. during the 2015 summer semester), the counting of semesters begins with the 2015/2016 winter semester.

With the exception of study semesters at a German higher education institution, it is irrelevant for the calculation of the waiting period how you spend this time (e.g. with training, a social year, other academic appointments or "doing nothing"). For example, if you do not start studying immediately after completing your Abitur (German secondary school leaving certificate), you will automatically accumulate standby semesters during this period of non-study.

With a change in the law for the summer semester 2020, the waiting period was limited to a maximum of 7 eligible standby semesters.