Research stay or internship at KIT

International students (bachelor, master, or PhD) can come to KIT for a short stay as part of an internship or a research project (e.g., master thesis). The following options are available for students to visit KIT:

1. Enrolment as Research Student
International students may be enrolled temporarily at KIT as research students.  They cannot earn ECTS credits, but they receive regular student status, a KIT student account, and a KIT card.  If applicable, with the admission letter or enrolment certificate from KIT, they can apply for a study visa or residence permit at the German embassy or the immigration office in Karlsruhe.
Target Group: International bachelor, master or PhD students, enrolled at the home university.
Requirements for enrolment: Confirmation from a supervisor at KIT, enrolment at the home university for the entire duration of their stay at KIT.
Fees: 184 EUR per semester (as of June 2026 for WS 2026/27)
Enrolment is possible for any duration of stay but highly recommended for stays of two months or more.
Office: IStO (DE INTL)
E-mail: researchstudents∂intl.kit.edu 
Website: https://www.intl.kit.edu/istudies/3175.php  
Eucor - The European Campus
Students from the Eucor universities (University of Basel, University of Freiburg, University of Haute-Alsace, and University of Strasbourg) can register as Eucor students and are exempt from paying fees. For more details and registration, please follow the link.
2. Stay as Intern 
A formal internship contract has be concluded for an internship at KIT.  
Intern handbook and checklist – detailed guidance is found under the “Interns/Praktikanten” tab on the website below.
Target Group: International bachelor and master students, enrolled at the home university. Internship before start of studies.
Office: PSE
E-mail: praktikanten∂pse.kit.edu 
Additional information & forms – available on the PSE website: https://www.pse.kit.edu/formulare.php   
Submission timeline:
- EU-citizenship: 4 weeks prior to the intended start of the contract
- Third-country citizenship: 6 weeks prior to the intended start of the contract
Visa: 
Third‑country nationals must present a work permit, valid from the first day of the internship. Consequently, an internship at KIT cannot be completed—even for a stay of less than 90 days—solely with, for example, a Schengen visa and no work permit.
This rule also applies also to nationalities that can enter Germany visa‑free and stay up to 90 days. In such cases, entry is allowed, but employment in Germany is not.
Labour‑market approval (for third‑country nationals)
INTL checks the accreditation of the foreign university and degree/s in the anabin database and prepares employer‑side documents required by the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA).
INTL contact: hong.ding∂kit.edu 
3. Stay as Visiting Scientist 
International PhD students can enroll as research students for a limited period (see 1) or register as international Visiting Scientists for a temporary research stay at KIT. Registration as Visiting Scientist is not available for bachelor and master students from abroad.
Target Group: International PhD students
Office: IScO (DE INTL)
E-mail: scholar∂intl.kit.edu 
Website: https://www.intl.kit.edu/ischolar/index.php 
International Visiting Scientists at KIT are required to conclude a Visiting Scientist Agreement.
Office: DE Recht
Website: https://www.recht.kit.edu/english/984.php 
4. Other options
Stay at KIT without enrolment, without an internship contract, and without registration as a Visiting Scientist: in most cases, a foreign‑trade law assessment and a Visiting Scientist Agreement are required.
Office: DE Recht
Foreign-trade law assessment: exportkontrolle∂recht.kit.edu 
Visiting Scientist Agreement: https://www.recht.kit.edu/english/984.php
This option is only available for very short stays at KIT. It is highly recommended to chose one of the options above.
Insurances 

International students should maintain sufficient health‑insurance coverage in Germany for the entire duration of their stay at KIT. Specific health‑insurance prerequisites apply when enrolling as a research student or undertaking an internship. Detailed information can be obtained from the responsible offices.
International students are advised to acquire a private liability insurance that is valid in Germany for their KIT stay.

Interns are covered by statutory accident insurance through KIT or the hosting institute for the whole internship period.

Students enrolled as research students are, for the duration of their KIT enrolment, covered by statutory accident insurance and liability insurance (for activities related to their studies at KIT) provided by the Studierendenwerk. Further information available on the website of Studierendenwerk. 

Erasmus+ Learning Agreement Traineeship

For Erasmus+‑funded short stays, a Learning Agreement is required and can be signed directly by the supervisor.

KIT research program for international students

Learn more about KIT's IMPULSE Research Program with scholarships for students from designated international partner universities and organised by IStO (DE INTL) here.