REST procedure

Mobility of students and researchers from non-EU countries with a valid residence permit in an EU country

Are you a non-European citizen (so-called third country), studying or researching regularly at a university within Europe and would like to study or research at Clausthal University of Technology as part of a temporary mobility program?

Under certain conditions, you can enter Germany without a German visa and residence permit and study or conduct research at Clausthal University of Technology. The so-called REST guideline applies here.

Under certain conditions, students and researchers from other EU countries can benefit from simplified mobility rights within the EU. This special procedure is called the REST Directive (REsearchers and STudents) and it applies to people who:

a) have a non-EU / third-country nationality
b) are studying or researching in an EU member state (Schengen area), and
c) wish to undertake structured mobility (e.g. Erasmus+) within the EU or wish to research or teach for a limited period of time

Exceptions to this are Denmark and the Republic of Ireland, which do not participate in the REST procedure.

Students must fulfill the following requirements in order to participate in the REST procedure:

  • You are starting your mobility within a mobility program (e.g. Erasmus+, UNITECH).
  • Your stay in Germany does not last longer than 360 days.
  • You come from a so-called third country, i.e. you are a citizen of a non-EU country and are studying in an EU member state (with the exception of Denmark and Ireland) in the Schengen area.
  • You have a valid residence permit for study purposes in an EU country (exception: EU permanent residence permit or European permanent residence permit). The residence permit must be valid for the entire duration of the planned stay at the TUC.

  • You are currently employed as a researcher at a university in an EU country, but are from a third country.
  • Your planned stay in Germany will last a maximum of 180 days (short stay).
  • You have been invited by a TUC institute.

  • Belgium
  • Germany, France
  • Belgium France
  • Luxembourg
  • The Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Austria
  • Austria Greece
  • Finland
  • Iceland
  • Norway
  • Sweden
  • Estonia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Malta
  • Poland
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Czech Republic
  • Hungary
  • Switzerland
  • Liechtenstein

No. The REST procedure is only available to third-country nationals whose first EU country of residence is part of the Schengen area. Please enquire at the German embassy about the entry and residence regulations that apply to you.

The residence permit in the first EU country of residence must fulfill the following conditions:

  1. Temporary residence permit for study or research purposes within the meaning of the REST Directive.
  2. This must be valid for the entire duration of the planned stay.
  3. There must be no permanent residence title or European permanent residence title

No. Only students participating in a Union exchange program or another bilateral exchange program can register for the REST procedure. Free Movers and Visiting Project Students can therefore not register for REST

Please submit the following documents by e-mail:

  • Residence permit from the first EU Member State for study purposes and in accordance with the Directive.
  • Proof of participation in a Union or multilateral program with mobility measures or the agreement between the universities (this can be an Erasmus agreement or a binational study program, for example).
  • Proof of admission to Clausthal University of Technology (letter of admission).
  • Recognized, valid passport/passport substitute.
  • Proof of financial means: Proof of livelihood.
  • Proof of health insurance valid in Germany or a certificate of exemption.
  • Mobility notification form

Please submit the following documents by e-mail:

  • Residence permit from the first EU Member State for research or teaching purposes within the meaning of the Directive
  • Letter of invitation from the host TUC institute/research institution
  • Recognized, valid passport/passport replacement
  • Proof of funding: Proof of financial means of subsistence
  • Proof of health insurance valid in Germany or a certificate of exemption

The amount required to secure your livelihood is based on your needs as determined by the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAFöG) and is subject to change. Up to and including December 2022, you must be able to prove a monthly amount of at least 861 euros, from January 2023 an amount of at least 934 euros. The amount can be proven as follows

  • Presentation of income and financial circumstances (of parents, if applicable) or
  • Payment of a security deposit into a blocked account at a bank, from which only a proportionate amount may be drawn each month according to the number of months of residence (e.g. 1/12 per month for one year) or
  • Declaration of commitment or
  • Scholarship certificate (e.g. Erasmus scholarship)
  • Various documents can be submitted which together cover at least the amount required

As soon as you have received admission or an invitation to your stay at Clausthal University of Technology, you can register for the REST procedure. Admission is part of the required documents.

The deadlines for submitting applications to the TUC International Office are as follows:

  • Stays starting in the winter semester: August 01
  • Stays starting in the summer semester: February 01

Researchers can also register for REST at short notice.

  1. Please submit the above-mentioned documents in full and on time.
  2. Please send your documents exclusively by email to bettina.sekler@tu-clausthal.de.
  3. Please send individual PDF files named in this format: Lastname, Firstname_Name of the document (for example Miller, Jamie_Admission TUC). This makes processing easier for us.
  4. We check your documents for completeness and send them to the responsible Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The BAMF will check the content of your documents and issue a permit to enter and stay in Germany. The BAMF has 30 days to do this. After these 30 days, your mobility is automatically approved unless you have received an explicit rejection. The International Office will receive the certificate. We will then send it to you.

As this document is of a purely declaratory nature, you may enter Germany before receiving the certificate, provided you have not received a rejection from the BAMF. This means that you may not enter Germany before the 30 days have expired on the planned date of your stay.

  • If you have received a mobility certificate as part of the REST procedure, you do not need a German residence permit. You therefore do not need to present yourself at the local immigration office.

Students may stay in Germany for a maximum of 360 days. Researchers may stay in Germany for a maximum of 180 days. If you would like to extend your stay beyond this, you will need a German visa. Please contact the Immigration Office in Goslar in good time.

In principle, yes. However, residence is only granted until the expiration date of the residence permit of the first member state. As soon as you have extended your residence permit in the first member state, you are obliged to contact Ms. Sekler. She can then arrange for your residence permit to be extended.

You will find all current information on the REST procedure on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in the external links. Information on residence permits can be obtained from the Goslar Immigration Office.