Late June – July
Schützenfest Hannover
Hanover
The world's largest marksmen's fair.
Niedersachsen
Lower Saxony
From the North Sea islands to the Harz mountains, home of Volkswagen
Volkswagen (Wolfsburg), Continental (Hanover) and a large wind-energy industry make Lower Saxony strong for automotive and energy internships. Göttingen is a classic university town, Oldenburg and Emden are relaxed and close to the coast, and Hanover is a big, green, very livable city.
7 host universities
Study in Lower Saxony
Each guide has campus videos, the GJU entry conditions, local prices and housing links.
NI · 26723Hochschule Emden/Leer
Emden · Lower Saxony
German B1
Open guide 
NI · 30539Hochschule Hannover
Hannover · Lower Saxony
German B1
Open guide 
NI · 49076Hochschule Osnabrück
Osnabrück · Lower Saxony
German B1
Open guide 
NI · 26121Jade University · Oldenburg
Oldenburg · Lower Saxony
about €500 extra fees
Open guide 
NI · 26389Jade University · Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven · Lower Saxony
German B2about €500 extra fees
Open guide 
NI · 38302Ostfalia University · Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel · Lower Saxony
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
NI · 37075University of Göttingen
Göttingen · Lower Saxony
No extra conditions listed
Open guide Watch
Lower Saxony on video
Travel guides, city walks and campus tours for every host city in Lower Saxony.
Calendar
Festivals & events worth your weekend
Most are free to enter. With your semester ticket, getting there on regional trains costs nothing.
August
Maschseefest
Hanover
Lakeside food and music festival.
Late Sep – early Oct
Oldenburger Kramermarkt
Oldenburg
A big traditional funfair.
All year
Göttinger Gänseliesel
Göttingen
New PhD graduates kiss the statue. A town tradition.
Every city
Christmas markets
From late November, every town square in Germany fills with stalls, lights and roasted almonds. Look for halal crêpes and children's punch (non-alcoholic).
Explore
Things to do
Gardens
Herrenhausen Gardens, Hanover
Baroque gardens with fountains and summer events.
Museum
Autostadt, Wolfsburg
Volkswagen's car theme park next to the factory.
Nature
Wadden Sea
A UNESCO tidal flat. Walk to the islands at low tide with a guide.
Mountains
Harz
Brocken mountain, steam trains and witch legends.
Prices
What things cost in Lower Saxony
Rent changes most from city to city; everyday prices follow it a little. Pick a city to adjust the whole table.
*Estimate*Estimated cost. Prices are subject to change. Everyday prices are estimated ranges; fixed official fees are shown at their exact 2026 rate.
*Estimate*Estimated cost. Prices are subject to change. Everyday prices are estimated ranges; fixed official fees are shown at their exact 2026 rate.
| Item | Price in Emden | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees & paperwork | ||
| Semester fee | €280–420 / semester | Set by each university and includes the €226.80 Deutschlandsemesterticket. Hochschule Schmalkalden: €331.80 for winter 2026/27. |
| Blocked account payout | €992 / month | Official 2026 amount for study visas: €11,904 for 12 months. Providers charge a one-off fee. |
| Public health insurance | €141.16 / month | TK student rate for 2026, under 23. From 23 without children: €146.29. Other public insurers differ by a few euros. |
| Visa (national D visa) | €75 once | Paid at the German embassy in Amman. |
| Residence permit | €100 once | First permit at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). Extending it by more than 3 months costs €93. |
| Broadcast fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) | €18.36 / month | Per flat, split among flatmates: €6.12 each with three. |
| Biometric photos | €9–13.50 once | Photo booth or drugstore (dm, Rossmann). |
| Housing extras | ||
| Deposit (Kaution) | €300–1,500 once | Dorms usually a few hundred euros; private flats up to 3 months of cold rent. |
| Home internet | €9–27 / month | Dorm LAN is sometimes extra, or split a WG contract. |
| Furniture & kitchen basics | €45–180 once | Kleinanzeigen, IKEA, leftovers from outgoing students. |
| Bedding & towels | €35–70 once | IKEA, Primark, TK Maxx. |
| Household liability insurance | €2.70–5.50 / month | Haftpflicht: cheap and strongly recommended. |
| Food & groceries | ||
| Groceries | €135–205 / month | Cooking at home, shopping at Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Penny and Kaufland. |
| Mensa main meal | €2.30–4.50 / meal | Student price with your student card. |
| Bread rolls (Brötchen) | €0.40–0.70 / piece | Supermarket rolls are cheaper than bakery ones. |
| Halal chicken (1 kg) | €6.50–10 / kg | Turkish or Arabic supermarkets. |
| Rice (1 kg) | €1.40–2.70 / kg | Basmati costs more. |
| Hummus / tahini jar | €1.80–3.50 / jar | Arabic shops and big supermarkets. |
| Milk (1 L) | €0.90–1.20 / litre | |
| Eggs (10) | €2.30–3 / pack | |
| Eating out & drinks | ||
| Döner / falafel | €6.50–8 / meal | The student staple. |
| Pizza in a restaurant | €8–12.50 / meal | |
| Restaurant main course | €11.50–20 / meal | |
| Shawarma plate | €9–13.50 / meal | Arabic restaurants in bigger cities. |
| Coffee / cappuccino | €2.30–4 / cup | Cheaper in the Mensa café. |
| Soft drink / juice in a café | €2.70–4 / glass | |
| Water bottle (supermarket) | €0.30–0.70 / bottle | Plus a small deposit you get back. Tap water is safe to drink. |
| Ice cream scoop | €1.60–2.30 / scoop | |
| Transport | ||
| Regional trains & buses, all Germany | €0 extra | The Deutschlandsemesterticket is part of the semester fee at almost every host university: €226.80 a semester (€37.80 a month) from winter 2026/27. |
| Deutschlandticket (no semester ticket) | €63 / month | Only if your university has no semester ticket. Monthly subscription, cancel any month. |
| My BahnCard 25 (under 27) | €39.90 / year | 25% off ICE and IC tickets, 2nd class. Cancel at least 6 weeks before the year ends, or it renews. |
| ICE / IC long-distance train | €18–80 / trip | Book early for Sparpreis tickets. |
| FlixBus to big cities | €10–35 / trip | |
| Used bike | €70–180 once | Kleinanzeigen or university bike markets. Buy a good lock. |
| E-scooter ride | €2.70–5.50 / ride | Lime, Tier and Voi in bigger cities. |
| Taxi (5 km) | €13.50–20 / ride | |
| Flight to Amman (return) | €220–480 / return | From Frankfurt, Berlin or Munich. Book 2–3 months ahead. |
| Services & phone | ||
| Prepaid SIM with data | €8–15 / month | Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect, Congstar, Fraenk. |
| Bank account | €0–6 / month | Online banks (N26, DKB, C24) are usually free. |
| Haircut | €13.50–22.50 / cut | Barbers are often cheaper. |
| Laundry (dorm machine) | €1.40–2.70 / wash | |
| Printing (per page) | €0.05–0.10 / page | University printers with your student card. |
| Doctor visit | €0 / visit | Covered by public health insurance. Bring your card. |
| Prescription medicine | €5–10 / item | Co-payment set by law: 10% of the price, at least €5 and at most €10 per item. |
| Gyms & sport | ||
| University sports courses | €0–30 / semester | Football, volleyball, climbing, fitness: often free or almost free. |
| Budget gym (McFit, FitX, clever fit) | €18–30 / month | Check the contract length and sign-up fee. |
| Public swimming pool | €2.70–5.50 / entry | Student discount with ID. |
| Climbing / bouldering hall | €9–13.50 / entry | |
| Football boots / sports gear | €27–70 once | Decathlon is the budget choice. |
| Fun & activities | ||
| Cinema | €7–11.50 / ticket | Cheaper on discount days (often Tue or Wed). |
| Museum | €3.50–9 / entry | Student prices with ID; many museums are free on certain days. |
| Castle / palace visit | €4.50–13.50 / entry | |
| Bundesliga football ticket | €13.50–40 / ticket | Standing tickets are cheapest. Book early. |
| Escape room / bowling | €11–22.50 / person | |
| Student party entry | €2.70–9 / entry | |
| Christmas market snack | €2.70–5.50 / item | Roasted almonds, crêpes, children's punch. |
| Weekend trip (hostel + food) | €55–135 / trip | Travel is free on regional trains with your ticket. |
| Clothes & seasonal | ||
| Winter jacket | €55–135 once | You will need it from November to March. |
| Winter boots | €35–90 once | Waterproof. Snow and slush are common. |
| Rain jacket / umbrella | €13.50–55 once | |
| Toiletries & drugstore | €22.50–35 / month | dm and Rossmann. |
Housing
Dorms and trusted housing sites
Student dorms run by the Studierendenwerk are the cheapest option and include bills. Apply the day applications open.
Official student housing
Studierendenwerke in Lower Saxony
Search by city
WG rooms and private flats
WG-GesuchtMost usedThe main shared-flat portal in Germany. Turn on email alerts and message fast.KleinanzeigenClassifieds for rooms, sublets, bikes and cheap furniture.ImmoScout24The largest listing site for flats. Landlords often ask for a SCHUFA credit report.ImmoweltThe second big listing site for flats.Studenten-WG.deStudent-only room listings.WG-Suche.deA smaller WG portal, worth checking in smaller towns.HousingAnywherePayment protectionBook a room from Amman with payment protection. Prices are higher; few listings in small towns.
Quick dorm search for each host city
Avoid scams. Never send a deposit before you have seen the room in person or on a live video call. A "landlord abroad" who will post you the keys is always a scam. More housing advice
Internship semester
Internships in Lower Saxony
Employers in Lower Saxony that take interns in engineering, business and computer science. Click a company to search its current openings.
Volkswagen
Wolfsburg, Emden, Hanover, Salzgitter
Headquarters in Wolfsburg; the Emden plant is next to HS Emden/Leer.
Engineering
Continental
Hanover
Tyres and automotive technology.
Engineering
Enercon
Aurich (near Emden)
Wind turbines.
Engineering
Meyer Werft
Papenburg
Cruise-ship shipyard.
Engineering
Sartorius
Göttingen
Lab and bioprocess equipment.
Engineering
Ottobock
Duderstadt (near Göttingen)
Prosthetics and medical technology.
Engineering
TUI
Hanover
Tourism group.
Business
Hannover Re & Talanx
Hanover
Insurance and reinsurance.
Business
Career fairs
- Each semesterbonding BraunschweigBraunschweig
- Each semester (dates vary by city)bonding company fairsAachen, Berlin, Bochum, Braunschweig, Dresden, Erlangen, Hamburg, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Magdeburg, Munich, StuttgartFree student-run engineering and IT fairs.
- All yearVDI Recruiting TagMany citiesEngineering recruiting days by the Association of German Engineers.
- Usually once or twice a yearYour host university's FirmenkontaktmesseOn campusAlmost every university runs its own company fair. Ask the career service on day one.
Cultural survival map
Halal food, mosques & airports
Find halal butchers, Turkish and Arab supermarkets and mosques in each host city, plus the budget airports nearby.
Nearest budget airports
- HAJHannover FlightsRyanairEurowingsS-Bahn S5 from the main station
- BREBremen FlightsRyanairEurowingsClose to Oldenburg and Emden
- HAMHamburg FlightsRyanaireasyJetEurowingsMore destinations
Your Deutschlandsemesterticket covers the regional trains to most of these airports. What the ticket covers
Daily life
Living in Lower Saxony
Getting around
GVH (Hanover), VBN (Oldenburg/Bremen). Metronom trains link Hanover, Göttingen and Hamburg.
Weather
Mild and wet near the coast, colder in the Harz.
Halal food & community
Hanover has many mosques and Arab supermarkets around Steintor and Linden. Göttingen and Oldenburg have smaller but active Muslim communities.
Local food to try
Grünkohl (kale, often with pork) · Heidschnucke lamb · Asparagus in spring · East Frisian tea culture
Tip from past students
Many Lower Saxony universities offer dorm rooms to exchange students first. Reply quickly to any offer.
Next region
North Rhine-Westphalia
