Information for hosts

The Welcome Service supports researchers and doctoral researchers, with or without a contract, from abroad who wish to stay at the University of Hamburg for at least one month. Their immediate family may also join them. The researchers can use our services in the preparatory phase and throughout their stay.

As soon as possible. The earlier they register, the better we can support them. We encourage the host or researcher to contact the Welcome Service as soon as the details for the stay have been planned.

• Make sure you give researchers a written statement of intent regarding their planned employment if an employment contract is to be concluded (contact HR Services).
• Non-EU postdoctoral researchers planning to stay for longer than 90 days must receive a hosting agreement well ahead of time, so they may apply for a research visa or research residence permit. The hosting agreement is only necessary if the researcher received an employment contract that falls below a predefined salary limit. In this case, researchers can apply for an EU Blue Card instead of a research residence permit.
• Non-EU doctoral researchers who are supposed to receive an employment contract can also apply for a research visa or research residence permit if they have a host agreement.

To ensure that your visiting scholar receives a library card, you will need to fill out the appropriate form to confirm their stay. The scholar can apply for the library card after receiving the confirmation.

The Welcome Service does not provide housing and is generally not authorized to book accommodation. You will need to contact the Gästehaus der Universität Hamburg directly to inquire about rooms and, book them if they are available, or you need to advise your guest researchers to do so.

Of course, the Welcome Service supports researchers on their search for housing and can provide information about potential accommodation options on our Housing Service website.

In the faculties, departments, and other institutions such as clusters of excellence, different officers/offices are responsible for granting visiting scholar status and/or providing signatures for the hosting agreement. Depending upon the institution, this may be, for example, the Executive University Board, the dean, or the department head. Contact the office of the dean in your faculty first to find out about your institution’s policies.

See the Staff Service Portal for more information under “Decision to grant visiting scholar status.”

The entire duration of a doctoral researcher's stay with a residence permit for the purpose of study (doctoral work), §16b AufenthG, should not exceed 5 years.