PhD Enrollment //
Research & Employment

To have us search for your degree certificate and higher education institution in the anabin database (German only) e-mail us a copy of your highest academic qualification attained with a translation, if you already have one.

With basic German language knowlegde you can search for your degree certificate and higher education institution following these instructions:
Look for “Hochschulabschlüsse” (left menu) > “Suchen nach Abschlüssen” (right of “Info” in the middle) > choose “Länderauswahl öffnen” (purple button for a drop down menu)  and select the country where your degree was obtained in the Länderauswahl dropdown menu & enter your degree type.

To check if your higher education institution is listed as well, go to: “Institutionen” > “Suchen” > select the respective country in the dropdown menu “Länderauswahl öffnen” (pruple button) & narrow your search with a search term at Suchbegriff (optional).

All regularly enrolled students must pay a nominal semester fee. The semester fee is not a tuition charge, but rather a contribution for the services of:

• the student union – Studentenwerk, that runs subsidized cafeterias and dormitories
• the student body – Studentenschaft, that advocate student interests
• the ticket for public transport – Semesterticket in Dresden and Saxony (please check what kind of transportation you are allowed to use under Gültigkeit)

Check the Semesterbeitrag on the website of the Studentenwerk to find out more about the current semester fees. Please do not pay the fee until you are told to!

International Office – Akademisches Auslandsamt – PhD Enrollment
For all necessary information on the courses of study, application, admission, language requirements and the student life in Dresden

Strehlener Str. 22: 6th floor, room 671
01069 Dresden

+49 351 463-35358

studium.international@​tu-dresden.de

A list of current funding possibilities is provided on the TU Dresden Research Funding page (TUD-Login neccessary).

On the website of the EURAXESS Germany, you can also search for foundations and sponsors that offer grants. Also job openings in other European research institutes can be found here.

Most funding programs ask researchers to seek out their academic host or supervisor themselves since they should know best which other researcher is working in the same field. It is also common to contact researchers you don’t know personally via mail or e-mail to ask if there is the possibility of a cooperation. Look up the different fields of research at TU Dresden in the research information system.

Job opportunities at the TU Dresden may be found here.

The Graduate Academy of the TU Dresden aims to create ideal research and working conditions for PhD students and postdocs throughout the university, in order to qualify them for distinguished positions in science, economy and society. As an umbrella organization the GA accommodates:

• doctoral students within or outside of structured PhD programs and external doctoral students in the industry
• scientists at every point of the postdoctoral stage

At the same time it helps increase the visibility and promotes the identification of PhD and postdocs as distinct groups within the university.

The European Project Center informs you continuously about current funding programmes of the German Federal Government, the German federal states (in particular Saxony), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the EU, as well as other national and international funding institutions and foundations. They also offer support for filing applications for third-party funded research projects and in negotiating and concluding research contracts.

The Philipp Schwartz Initiative provides universities and research institutions in Germany with the means to host threatened foreign researchers for a period of 24 months on a fully funded research fellowship. An extension is possible under a co-financing model. On behalf of the TU Dresden, the Welcome Center is responsible for the application and relocation of scholarship holders. The application was already successful in several rounds.

If you would like to apply, or if you know someone who might be eligible for a scholarship, please see the funding conditions and contact Natalie Brindle directly.

Income tax is deducted automatically from your income from employment and tied to your tax ID. You will receive the ID in the form of a letter a few weeks after your local registration. The letter is an important document, which you should keep in a safe place, because a German tax ID stays valid throughout your life and is only issued once.

The amount of income tax deducted from your salary depends on your tax class – “Steuerklasse”, which in turn depends on your marital status, children and additional jobs you may take on. Six tax classes exist, denoted with roman numerals:

• I for singles
• II for single parents
• III/V or IV/IV for married couples
• VI for a second or third job.

If you have children, you are probably eligible for a child tax break and should let your employer’s HR department know when signing your contract or as soon as a new child is born.

While scholarships generally are not considered taxable income (consult the awarding body, if in doubt), your German salary will be taxable if it is above a specific yearly minimum amount. Note that following the first year of moving to Germany, you are obliged to make an income tax declaration about your world-wide income. Don’t be alarmed: Only your German income will be taxed, but your world-wide income is used to determine the income tax rate to be applied to your German income. Once you have been living and working in Germany throughout the year, a declaration might not be mandatory anymore. Income tax declarations for a year are always due on the 31st of July of the following year.

The German social security system is based on the solidarity of the insured community. It provides an effective financial safety net for major life risks and their consequences, including illness, unemployment, work-related accidents and the need for long-term care. Social insurance aims to maintain a stable standard of living for every individual. Coverage encompasses the following branches:

• Health insurance – Krankenversicherung, KV
• State pension insurance – Rentenversicherung, RV
• Unemployment insurance – Arbeitslosenversicherung, AV
• Long-term care insurance – Pflegeversicherung, PV
• Accident insurance (covers the commute to/from work and workplace ac–
  cidents)
  

Contributions to accident insurance are carried by the employer alone. The other contributions are paid in (mostly) equal shares by employer and employee. As an employee, your contributions are automatically deducted from your monthly gross salary and transferred to the social insurance funds by your employer. 

Follow this link for general information about the social insurance system.

Out of these insurances, pension insurance is the only one which can be transferred to another EU member state later. Find more information here. In this video you can find more information about the three pillars of the German pension system.

If you are employed by a public service employer, such as the TU Dresden or many other research institutes, but are not a civil servant, you may be paying into a mandatory or voluntary pension scheme (VBL) apart from the social insurance contributions outlined above. Find more information here.

= gross salary – deductions

If you want to look up your gross and net income from a public service employer online, scan your contract of employment to locate the applicable collective agreement, your salary band, your salary level and, for part-time employees, your percentage share of a full-time equivalent (typically 50%, 65%, 66%, 75% or 100%). Usually at Dresden research institutes, the applicable agreement is TV-L (Ost), the salary band is E13 or higher, the salary level depends on recognition of previous experience (default is level 1). Finally the only other thing you need to know is the percentage contribution to your health insurance. Look up your net income by using the gross-to-net income calculator.

Once you are registered as a jobseeker with the Federal Employment Agency – Agentur für Arbeit, they will offer their assistance in the job hunt. In addition, search regional research institutions’ and company’s websites for vacancies and use online job networks and job search platforms. Talk openly and repeatedly to as many people as you possibly can about your (impending) job search, including your supervisor, colleagues, friends, family, online and offline, even to new acquaintances that you have just met – anyone might have a lead for your next job!

If you need funding to finish a research project, try to apply for a grant or scholarship as an alternative to employment, e.g. see the section Funding and support. And contact us if you have any specific queries! Best of luck for your search!

Type I- Arbeitslosengeld/ALG I

ALG I is a temporary jobseekers allowance which compensates for the loss of income after a fixed-term contract of employment ends or if an open-ended contract of employment was terminated by your employer. It amounts to 60% of your average income over the past 12 months and is payable only if your income was liable to social insurance deductions for a minimum period of time.

ALG I is not harmful to your residence permit, if your income is still deemed sufficient to sustain yourself (and any dependents) in the view of the Immigration office. If your ALG I income is deemed insufficient, the Federal Employment Agency will suggest that you apply for ALG II (see below) to close the gap. However, this should not be attempted if you are on a temporary residence permit.

Note that you are required by law to report your impending jobseeker’s status to the Federal Employment Agency 3 months before your contract of employment ends (or within 3 days of learning about your employment’s termination), whether you consider applying for ALG I or not. In addition, you must register as unemployed in person – at the latest on the first day of unemployment – to secure an entitlement to ALG I. ALG I will not be paid for some time if you are late to report as unemployed or if you terminate your contract rather than the employer.

To keep to the deadlines, to determine whether an ALG I application makes sense for your circumstances and whether your income from ALG I will suffice, please consult us as early as possible and at the very latest 3 full months before your current employment ends

Type II – Arbeitslosengeld/ALG II

ALG II  is definitely harmful to your residence permit. ALG II (also informally known as Hartz IV) are social welfare benefits meant to secure a livelihood. The immigration office will be notified if you avail of any social welfare benefits. Keep in mind that any temporary residence permit is issued on the condition that you must have sufficient – means throughout your stay to sustain yourself and your family financially. Therefore we strongly discourage applications for ALG II for any residence permit holder.

Federal Employment Agency – Agentur für Arbeit
Find general information about ALG regulations here.
Contact your local branch to report as a jobseeker and/or apply for ALG I or find out about the status of your application.

Additional contacts:

TU Dresden Stellenticket job database
To find regional vacancies

Graduate Academy (search their database) as well as the EURAXESS funding database
To find funding opportunities

Career Service
For career guidance outside academia

INTAP – the international talent program
When you are interested to pursue your career within Saxony it is worth checking