When you send your registration form to ASTUR, a registration fee of 300 EUR becomes due and payable. Naturally, we treat this registration fee as a down payment for the total program costs. The registration process requires you to fill out a considerable number of forms and statements. Therefore, please plan ahead so that there is enough time for the paper work. Among other documents you need a statement from your German teacher and your physician. We can register you as a student only after having received your registration form and all necessary documents.

Important: If your home country is not a member of the Schengen Area, you have to apply for a Visa before you travel to Germany to begin your programme. Students which cannot provide a valid visa to ASTUR before travelling to Germany cannot attend our programme. Kindly be informed that you are responsible yourself for your visa application and any renewal, which might have to be taken care of during your stay in Germany.

After having received your full registration, we will send you a booking confirmation and start the placement process. Of course we will keep you up to date about all steps along the way.

Please include a short video of about one minute to your registration, in which you introduce yourself to your future host family. You can talk about your hobbies, your family, your school and what your learning goals are. Please record this video in German. You are free to use your smartphone.

Arrivals for the Highschool programme are fixed to take place on the weekend before school starts, so you can get to know your host family before your classes start on Monday. Departure days are fixed to take place on the weekend after school has finished. You make your travel arrangements yourself: either your parents bring you to the host family by car, or you arrive by plane or by train at your destination.

Should you travel by train, please note that your host family will pick you up at the train station nearest to their home.

Should you travel by plane, we recommend that you book our transfer service to/from the host family as early as possible. That way you will be picked up on time and won’t have to worry about anything.

If, due to your age, you have booked a UM service (UM = Unaccompanied Minor) with your airline, you also have to book our UM service accordingly – in addition to our general transfer service. This is necessary as handling unaccompanied minors at the airport is more complicated and time-consuming.

The Academic Trimester, Academic Semester and Academic Year programmes do not include pre-organised free time supervision. You can manage your after school free time activities yourself. Maybe you can draw inspiration from the hobbies of your classmates and host family. In school you can take part in any extracurricular activities on offer. After school you are free to join, for example, a local sports club and choose from their range of activities. That way you will have the opportunity to make even more friends apart from your host family.

You will spend the evenings with the host family. They will integrate you in their everyday life. You might cook together with the family or play a typical board game.

Please be aware that during your high school stay you may not be able to pursue your hobbies or interests the way you are used to, especially if they are more unconventional. Our highest priority is always to find a “most suitable” host family and school.

Before the beginning of your stay you will receive a detailed information pack from us with everything you need to know about arrival, what you should pack and the activity programme. Your host family can give you access to their Wi-Fi. However, ultimately it is their decision to grant or deny you access.

It is most likely that your regular health insurance will not cover all treatment costs incurred in Germany. We, therefore, generally recommend purchasing foreign health insurance as well as accident and liability insurance. ASTUR offers a complete pack, including all necessary insurances, at a small fee for your convenience.

If you do not book your insurance through ASTUR, we will need to see proof of your existing insurance before your arrival. If you need a visa to enter Germany, the visa application process will require you to show proof of existing insurances for the duration of your stay. It’s best to discuss those issues with your agency or with us directly. We’re always happy to help.

Please note that, for our High School programme, a good understanding of the German language is required. We recommend that you have attained a minimum level of B1 in German according to CEFR standards.

Please also note that, owed to the fact that the responsibility for educational matters in Germany rests with the individual Federal States (Bundesländer), dates of school holidays vary geographically. When it comes to possible beginnings and durations of an Academic Year, we must observe current educational frameworks in every region. Therefore, you should always get in contact with us for advice before booking a High School Programme.