For Germany, travel restrictions apply for entry from many countries. These regulations are issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI).

Anyone arriving in Germany following a stay in a risk area* within the last 14 days is obliged to quarantine. Quarantine time may only be waived if proof that no COVID‑19 infection is present can be provided by a test carried out no more than 48 hours before entry, or after entry.

If no negative test result can be provided, upon arrival in Germany you must:

1. Fill in a disembarkation card at the airport.
2. Undergo a Covid-19 test at border crossing or at the airport.
3. Go directly to your accommodation, booked and arrangements made in advance.
4. Self-isolate in your accommodation for 14 days.
5. Register with the local authorities by email or calling the health office* in your place of residence (‘Gesundheitsamt’).

* links to official websites. Information is updated regularly, please check in advance.

You can find further information on testing at the airports here for Berlin, Hannover, and Hamburg, as well as Frankfurt am Main.

The Robert Koch Institute, the government’s central scientific institution in the field of biomedicine and of the most important bodies for the safeguarding of public health in Germany provides the up-to-date of risk areas here. Please check this list before travelling, as it is updated frequently.

All upcoming intakes are set to start in hybrid learning mode, where a mix of physical presence on campus will be combined with virtual online learning environments.

• You are required to wear a mask on campus and keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters at all times. Masks can only be removed once you are in your designated seat in the classroom.
• Group meetings outside of class and physical contact (e.g. hugging or shaking hands) are not allowed.
• Elevators are to be used by one person at a time.
• You are NOT allowed on campus
  • If you have symptoms of an acute respiratory disease or with general flu-like symptoms (cough, loss of sense of taste and smell, colds, fever). The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, fever, rhinitis, loss of sense of smell and/or taste, pneumonia. Other symptoms may also occur: Sore throat, shortness of breath, headache, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, skin rash, swelling of lymph nodes, apathy, somnolence (Source: Robert Koch Institute)
  • If you have arrived in Germany following a stay in a risk area* within the last 14 days and cannot provide a negative, valid Covid-19 test result, carried out no more than 48 hours before entry, or after entry.
  • If you have been ordered by the authorities to quarantine

While on campus, in addition to wearing a mask and keeping a distance of at least 1.5 metres, remember to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, and at least 20-30 seconds, with soap. 

* links to official websites. Information is updated regularly, please check in advance.

If you have had personal contact with a person who was laboratory-confirmed as carrying the novel coronavirus, get in touch with your local public health office immediately, regardless of symptoms. They will then decide on the further course of action. In general: you should stay at home and reduce the number of people with whom you are in personal contact. Observe the sneezing and coughing etiquette, adhere to the recommended minimum distance of 1.5 metres from other people and wear a face mask when out in public places (DHM formula).

Remember that you are not allowed on campus while you have symptoms of an acute respiratory disease or with general flu-like symptoms (cough, loss of sense of taste and smell, colds, fever).

Berlin, Hannover and Hamburg have created special hotlines to call if you think you have been infected, for information and counseling. The Berlin hotline can be reached from 08:00 am to 08:00 pm at 0049 30 9028 2828, for Hannover please call 0049 511 4505555 and for Hamburg please call 0049 40 428 284 000.

GISMA Business School and GISMA Language School are strictly following the advice of the German government to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and taking measures to ensure the health of our students and staff.

• Social distancing throughout the campus, with markers on the floors in highly frequented areas. One-way systems implemented where possible.
• Classrooms are set up to ensure there is a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between students, and students and staff.
• Masks are required at all times and can only be taken off if students are at their designated seat in the classroom.
• Numerous hand sanitizing stations are provided throughout the campus, in addition the regular sinks for handwashing.
• Meetings and appointments outside of class are to be held virtually or over the phone. If a face-to-face meeting is necessary, protective screens (in addition to mandatory masks) are in place to ensure the safety of students and staff.

We will update students on a regular basis so please check our website and your student email regularly.

During quarantine you are not allowed to leave your accommodation for 14 days. You must buy online the food, basic supplies, and anything else you may need during this period. In addition, you are not permitted to receive visits from anyone; if you wish to practice sports you must do so indoors or in the private garden of your accommodation if there is one.

Buying food: in Germany it is a common practice to buy food online, including fresh items and ready meals, and to be delivered to your accommodation. Below a list of some providers, you will need to enter your postal code to find whether the service is available in your area:

• Rewe online supermarket
• Edeka online supermarket
• Amazon Fresh food and basics items
• Lieferando restaurant delivery service (delivery fees may apply).

Medical care

Contact your public health provider or a local general practitioner if you:

• Feel unwell or have any of the following symptoms: cough, sneezing, infection related shortness of breath, fever.
• Have any medical problems that could affect your compliance with quarantine.
• Need any medication or medical treatment for another or existing medical condition.

Important note! - If you experience life-threatening acute diseases, poisoning or severe injuries, please call the emergency telephone number 112 immediately.

For urgent but not life-threatening medical assistance call 116117. This on-call service will direct you to professional care and it is particularly useful outside working hours, weekends, or public holidays.

Virtual classrooms are a feature of blended learning options at GISMA Business School. A virtual classroom features a tutor delivering a lecture or seminar live, and real time interaction between students. Students can ask questions either verbally or in the chat feature, and work in break-out groups and deliver presentations to the class. Whilst the lecture is not pre-recorded, a recorded version is available for students to re-watch at any time.

Streaming programmes are an option for all GISMA students enrolling from April 2020. They allow for students to start their academic programmes online, and then continue their studies in a face-to-face environment once students are able to travel to Germany. Streaming learning gives students access to the virtual classroom, and therefore offers a very similar experience to face-to-face learning.

In this case your programme will not be disrupted and will continue to run via Online Streaming.

We have set-up NTT-Hotline (Need-To-Talk Hotline) for students and staff to provide both information and comfort from one of GISMA team if they feel distressed in the current situation or in self-isolation. You can get more information on it by contacting GISMA through the following email address: studentsupportberlin@gisma.com

Applying for a programme couldn’t be easier! All you need to do is fill out an enquiry form for your chosen programme and one of our consultants will get in touch with you.

Yes, The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s public health institute, has launched a track and trace app for Germany. The “Corona-Warn-App” is an app that helps trace infection chains of SARS-CoV-2 (which can cause COVID-19) in Germany. The app is based on technologies with a decentralised approach and notifies users if they have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The app is available for Android and Apple smartphones.

If you are applying for your visa or your visa/visa-free-90-days are expiring soon, you must reach out to the relevant authority in advance.

The processing time to receive a residence permit sticker or plastic card is 4 to 6 weeks.

For any questions, please reach out to our local teams: For Berlin campus, please reach out to visaberlin@gisma.com, for Hamburg campus, please reach out to visahamburg@gisma.com, for Hanover campus, please reach out to visahanover@gisma.com.

We are identifying and communicating directly with all staff and students, providing them with advice specific to their circumstances.