COVID-19 update for applicants & students

Yes, we are accepting applications for Fall Intake 2023 for new and transfer students. We continue to receive applications and make offers to students, including international applicants. If you have not yet applied but plan to do so, you should apply as scheduled. Our team can advise you on all aspects of studying at Berlin International. 

You can submit your application 24/7 through our Application Portal, just follow the link here. 

We accept applications for start into Spring Semester 2023 only for transfers into a higher semester from 1st December 2022 until 21st January 2023.

We accept applications for start into Fall Semester 2022/23 for new and transfer students from 1st December 2022 until approximately 31st August 2023.

BI’s dedicated Student Affairs & Admissions Team is available to answer any questions about the application process you may have.

Please feel free to send us an email at application@berlin-international.de with your inquiry.

We can also arrange a virtual student counseling session per video conference. To arrange a video call, please send us a request by email at application@berlin-international.de.

Please also use our website as a very good source of information about the application process, especially the Admissions page. Regarding the eligibility of international students please consult the DAAD website.

Yes, you can visit our campus. You can make an appointment with us or just walk in. For appointments, call us at +49 30-81 05 80 80 or send us an email at application@berlin-international.de

Please note that you will be required to show either a negative Covid-19 test for the date of your visit, or proof of complete vaccination, or proof of recovery from Covid-19. A medical mask must be worn at all times while on campus.

The campus is located in Charlottenburg, Salzufer 6, 10587 Berlin, near the S-Bahn station Tiergarten. When leaving the station, walk west along the Str. des 17. Juni until the Charlottenburger Tor, then turn right on to Salzufer, and continue past the Mercedes Benz building to Berlin International, a total distance of 700 meters.

If you are a prospective student and still waiting for final grades, you can submit your application with your record to date, and BI can evaluate your application and offer admission conditional on completing the examinations as expected. We need the final examination results latest at the start of the teaching period.

There are few online tests offered, which we are accepting:

IELTS Indicator, an online test aimed to help students progress their study abroad applications during this time of uncertainty. IELTS Indicator is designed to support students during the COVID-19 situation.

TOEFL iBT Special: To meet the needs of students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT® test at a test center due to public health concerns, the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test is temporarily being offered. The test is identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the TOEFL iBT test taken at a test center.

We recommend you check the following websites regularly for updates on language tests:

Click for IELTS updates.

Click for TOEFL updates.

Yes, online results can be accepted for the offer letter.

The BI / BAU Global Proficiency English Exam cannot be offered online, dates for the on-campus exam 2023 are not set yet.

Please contact the German embassy or consulate in your home country to find out about the visa process in the current situation.

We hope to resume regular teaching on campus as soon as possible, starting with the Fall Semester 2023 at the latest.

However, if the pandemic continues, we have the option of offering hybrid teaching, which we have already done successfully in the Fall Semester of 2020. In this case, we will offer virtual teaching opportunities for students who are unable to begin their studies on campus on time due to COVID-19 travel restrictions or visa delays. These students can begin their studies online from their home country for the first semester of their studies and then continue on campus once they are able to travel to Germany.

If the pandemic continues, we can guarantee that we will offer online classes in parallel with face-to-face classes for the entire first semester.

Visa refusal:

The application fee is non-refundable. The tuition fee is refundable, if the students present a visa rejection letter.

Deferment:

In case of deferment, BI does not charge any additional fee, if the deferment is no longer than 2 semesters.

If the pandemic continues at the start of the Fall Semester 2023, we will offer virtual teaching opportunities for new students who are unable to begin their studies on campus in time due to COVID-19 travel restrictions or visa delays.

However, if new students do not wish to begin their courses online, they may also defer their start date to the next Fall Intake 2024 at no charge. New students must start in the fall; they cannot start in the spring.

We are regularly offering informative events for applicants that include Virtual Open Campus Days and Webinars on different topics.

Virtual Open Campus Days are an opportunity to learn about our programs, meet our professors, and get all of your questions answered by our Student Affairs and Admissions team.

Webinars inform about application & admission process, give portfolio advice and cover many more topics such as BI student experiences or studying in Berlin in general. If you cannot attend live, we will be happy to provide you a link to the recording.

For dates, registration and further information please click here.

Fall Semester 2023/24: 01.10.2023 – 28.02.2024

Welcome Days: 21.09.2023 – 30.09.2023

The Academic Calendar 2023/24 will be online soon.

We plan to offer regular classes on campus beginning in the Fall Semester 2023/24. However, if the pandemic continues, we will switch to our hybrid teaching model, which was successfully implemented in the Fall Semester 2020/21.

Read more about Hybrid Teaching at BI here.

Watch a video about Hybrid Teaching at BI here.

If the pandemic will continue, we can guarantee the start of the Fall Semester 2023, with virtual teaching options for NEW students, who cannot begin their studies on campus on time due to COVID-19 travel restrictions or visa delays. Those NEW students can start their studies online from their home countries for the first semester of their studies and then continue on campus, as soon as they can travel to Germany. Generally, we expect to end online teaching and continue with on campus teaching at the earliest possible date, thus students are expected to be in Berlin long before their graduation, therefore we do not expect any impact on post study opportunities.

We hope to resume regular on-campus face-to-face classes as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are continually adapting to the changing decisions of the Corona Cabinet and the Berlin Senate regarding on-campus instruction and access to campus facilities.

Due to the pandemic, we have implemented hybrid teaching at BI for the current semester; we can continue with this model if needed.

Hybrid teaching at Berlin International reflects the best practices of both traditional face-to-face and online teaching. Berlin International has equipped its seminar rooms with Logitech Rally™ devices. The powerful system, provided by RightSense™, allows BI to broadcast lectures and seminars live. At the same time, active participation and full interaction of students, both on campus and online, is ensured.

Berlin International takes precautionary hygiene measures to ensure a safe learning and working environment for students and staff, to protect students and staff from infection, and thus reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

We encourage a sense of responsibility from everyone in the BI community, have placed safety posters around campus, and finally implemented a hygiene plan that is mandatory for all members of BI.

Here is the latest version of the Hygiene Plan.

Current information about COVID-19 measures from the German Government:

https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/corona-massnahmen-1734724