Parents' Page

Dear Parents,
Welcome to our web page!

We're glad that you and your child have chosen our program, and we look forward to his or her participation in the IUSP in Marburg. Your son or daughter will make new friends and gain essential skills in a safe and vivacious environment. Our program participants not only improve their German language skills, but also immerse themselves in a new culture and get to know exciting new places.

On this site, we will provide some information that will hopefully be helpful for the preparation and duration of your son's or daughter's academic stay here in Marburg.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We'll be happy to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have.

Sincerely,
The IUSP Marburg Team

Information on Germany and Marburg

The Federal Republic of Germany is currently the most densely populated country in Europe.

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about Germany can do so by visiting the following websites: US Department of State's Background Notes, the Federal Foreign Office, or the Germany State Portal.

We also recommend the following guide and reference books, which will help both you and your child prepare for the IUSP Marburg experience:

"Gebrauchsanweisung für Deutschland": A satirically written book on Germany. Lots of secrets unravel due to the book's interesting perspective. The book is only available in German

"Lonely Planet": Probably the most popular guide and phrase book for backpackers. It is available in eight languages.

"Let's Go: Germany." A favourite of the budget travellers. Young and budget-savvy travellers turn to "Let's Go" for the most current coverage, insider tips and an authentic perspective.

"Rough Guide" publishes guides to hundreds of destinations worldwide, as well as benchmark books on other topics, such as climate change.

"Culture Shock!/Kultur-Schock": A dynamic and indispensable range of guides for those travellers wanting to truly understand the countries they are visiting. These books are available in English and German.

Thanks to its picturesque Old Town, its scenic landscape of rolling hills and the Lahn River, the Philipps University - the world's oldest Protestant University - offers an attractive environment in which to study.

Further information and pictures are also available on Marburg's official website, on the "Landesportal-Hessen", or from the Tourism Bureau of Hessen.

If you would rather have printed versions of information, we highly recommend the following books, which are readily available in local Marburg bookstores and also through online bookstores:

"Marburg an der Lahn": City guide from G.U. Großmann; bound – May 2006
"Marburg": Illustrated book from J. Schilgen and M. Wengierek; hardback – November 1991, 70 colour images, trilingual: German, English, French
"Marburganderlahnbuch": Paperback from N. Folckers und A. Waibel – December 2003
"Die Blauen Bücher, Die Elisabethkirche in Marburg": Paperback from E. Leppin – March 2002

Of course this is just a small sampling of the informative literature available.

What Parents Can Do to Stay Informed

To keep you up-to-date, you can get information on current events in Germany and the world on several web pages:

Tagesschau

"Deutschland-Portal"

Deutsche Welle

Money Matters in Germany

We recommend that your child takes along some cash, an ATM card (with PIN) and/or travellers checks, which can be cashed at local banks in Marburg. Please note that foreign currency CANNOT be exchanged at local banks in Marburg but only in bigger-sized towns like Frankfurt or at the airport.

In addition, we recommend that students bring a credit card with PIN to Marburg. Unlike in other countries, sometimes the credit card PIN must be used to authorize transactions in Germany, though this is becoming more rare now. Credit cards cannot necessarily be used as widely as elsewhere in the world, but they are becoming more popular in Germany. A word of caution, though: You should not count on being able to use them for all transactions!

In the event of a sort of financial emergency, you can transfer money from your home country into the Philipps University account if your child is hard-pressed for money. Once the transaction has cleared, we will then pass the assigned amount of money on to your child. This option is only intended for emergencies, and please bear in mind that a bank transfer can take several business days. We will provide information for emergency bank transfers only upon request.

Mail to Germany

Without a doubt, your child will be happy to receive a letter or package from home.

Please send it to the dormitory address students receive after arrival. If you need to send something beforehand, you can use our office address.

Before mailing, please bear a few conditions in mind:

Normally shipping to Germany from the USA and Canada takes about four to seven days. From Australia, it takes approximately seven to 10 days. We recommend that you ask your local post office or courier service about the anticipated shipping time and the exact price of mailing.

Please be aware that many items are subject either to import tariffs or customs duties or both. Most articles intended for personal use during your studies can be imported duty free. Labelling must be clear.

It is not allowed to send medication!

Please visit the following websites to find out more about precise regulations:

"Bestimmungen im Postverkehr" (German Customs Administration) and here: http://www1.zoll.de/english_version/a0_passenger_traffic/e0_vub/g0_medicines/priv_imports/index.html

Important Documents

Your child needs to bring along several documents to Marburg. In addition to the required passport and – where applicable - visa, they should also bring copies of all insurance and health-related documents with them. Furthermore we recommend backup copies to be left at home in case of an emergency.

Citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand can enter Germany as a tourist, i.e. with only their passport. This tourist visa is valid for 90 days. After arrival in Marburg, students will be applying for and receiving a student residency permit (Aufenthaltstitel). The fee for the residency permit is approximately 100 euros. IUSP students who are citizens of other countries than those listed above: Please check with the German embassy or consulate in your country.

Legal Services

Please visit the website of the Federal Foreign Office for the most relevant and up-to-date information.

Insurance, Health and Safety

Germany has excellent medical care. Internationally valid health insurance should be purchased in the home country of the student. Students who miss out on that have the opportunity to sign up for health insurance upon arrival in Marburg. Students should have liability insurance before they arrive in Marburg.

There are no obligatory inoculations for coming to study in Germany. However, inoculations against diphtheria and tetanus are recommended, and also for high-risk individuals and against FSME (Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis), hepatitis B and rabies. The FSME virus, which is transferred by a tick bite, is mainly spread in Germany in areas such as Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg, though also in specific areas with risk zones such as Hessen, Thuringia and the Rhineland-Palatinate. As Marburg is among the areas at risk, please talk to your general practitioner about whether or not he/she recommends inoculation against FSME as a preventive measure. Protection against ticks in general is always advisable, particularly for anyone who likes to go hiking/walking/running in the woods.

For importing/sending needed medication, please have a look at the regulations of German Customs.

Accommodation and Meals

The IUSP Marburg Team will place students in a single dorm-style room with a sink. Bed linens will be provided. There are plenty of showers on each floor of the dormitory. There are kitchen and laundry facilities available in the dormitories. The rooms will be assigned to the participants upon arrival. The IUSP cannot arrange private accommodations. We also want to draw your attention to the fact that the dormitory rooms are not equipped with TV, telephone or Internet.
Students can buy (warm) meals at the price of around EUR 1.50 - EUR 3 in the University cafeteria.

Contact Information

Please see Contact Page.