FAQ – Questions and answers on the coronavirus

At the University, the "3G rule" automatically applies when the 7-day incidence of 35 is reached or exceeded: Only people who have been vaccinated, who have recovered from covid-19 or who have tested negative for the virus are then allowed in indoor spaces. The University is under obligation to check for proof of vaccination, convalescence or a negative test result. Therefore, the security service is conducting regular, random spot-checks – all university members should expect to be asked for proof of vaccination, convalescence or a negative test result while on the University's campus.

You must not come to the campus and must not participate in university activities on university premises or enter buildings and other enclosed spaces of the University if:

• you exhibit the typical symptoms of an infection with SARS-CoV-2 (specifically shortness of breath, new-onset cough, fever or a loss of smell or taste)
• you are under quarantine
• you have had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result

If you develop typical covid-19 symptoms while at the University, you must immediately leave the premises and notify the university. The University will report the facts to the competent health authority, which then determines what measures (e.g. quarantine) will need to be taken by the University.

While the 3G rule applies, only those who have been fully vaccinated, who have recovered from covid-19 or have a negative test result and have the required proof of this are allowed to enter the University's buildings. Examinations are exempt from the 3G rule.

You have to wear at least a medical/surgical face mask in all buildings and enclosed spaces. For your own protection and the protection of all others, we ask that you continue social distancing and keep social meetings to a minimum. Gatherings in public spaces are not permitted.

Lecturers have the right to enforce compliance with the mask-wearing requirement in their courses. This means that lecturers can order students who refuse to wear a face mask to leave.

According to the 14th Bavarian disease control ordinance, only those who have been vaccinated, recovered from covid-19 or tested negative (the so-called 3G rule) are allowed to enter indoor spaces when the 7-day incidence rate reaches 35 or higher; this also applies at universities. At and in the buildings of the University of Passau, checks of the 3G status take place through frequent, consistent and regular spot checks. The 3G rule applies to all university members and guests as long as the 7-day incidence in the city of Passau exceeds the value of 35.

Therefore, please be aware that you may be asked to show proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test certificate while on campus. You can prove your covid-19 status by using a smartphone app or a paper certificate (vaccination booklet/certificate, convalescence certificate, negative test certificate). You will also have to show an official photographic ID at the same time. Students can show their student ID card (orange version of the CampusCard with a photograph). Please remember to bring proof and your ID card with you whenever you come to the campus.

Exams are exempt from the 3G rule.

In the University Library premises, you may take off your face mask whilst seated or stationary at the designated desks and scan stations. However, when you move about the library or in situations where the minimum 1.5-metre distance cannot be maintained, you have to put on a medical/surgical face mask or an FFP2 face mask.

If the local 7-day incidence rate is 35 or above, all library users must show 3G proof for library access. The following counts as 3G proof:

• Fully vaccinated (this status begins 14 days after you receive your second dose): we accept your yellow WHO vaccination booklet or your EU Digital COVID Certificate (as a pdf/printout or QR code, also stored in a suitable app) as proof.
• Certified completed recovery from a covid-19 infection confirmed by a PCR test. The covid-19 illness must have been confirmed at least 28 days ago but not more than six months ago (i.e. you do not count as recovered for the purposes of the 3G rule if you recovered more than half a year ago).
• Tested negative: you should provide a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours or a negative rapid antigen test not older than 24 hours. These tests must be carried out and certified by a recognised testing centre; results from home test kits are not accepted, and there is no possibility to test yourself using a home test kit in the library under supervision.

You can also find up-to-date information on this on the University Library's website.

Staff of the security company "Dreiflüsse Sicherheitsdienst" have been commissioned by the University to carry out the 3G status checks. You will recognise the staff members by their service uniform, which has a badge depicting a lion's head.

Lecturers are entitled, but not obliged, to check for compliance with the 3G rule in their courses.

In the University Library, library staff will systematically check for 3G proof.

Anyone found without appropriate proof despite being subject to the 3G rule will not be admitted to the University's buildings or will be told to leave. All those charged with checking 3G status to control access to the buildings are given the necessary authority to prevent individuals from entering the building or orders them to leave.

Their instructions must be followed. If the individual in question refuses to leave, the police or the public order office will be called in.

Please note that entering the University buildings without 3G proof is an administrative offence punishable by a 250-euro fine.

Unfortunately, your vaccination does not count for the 3G rule. We are only able to accept certificates for vaccination with a vaccine licensed for use in the European Union. If you do not have proof of this, you have to present a negative covid-19 test result.

For students who have been vaccinated with a vaccine other than those listed by the Paul Ehrlich Institute, covid-19 tests will stay free of charge until 31 December 2021.

The University and the vaccination centre (in German: "Impfzentrum") of the City of Passau continue their cooperation in the winter semester with further vaccination offers for university members. We will keep you informed of this in our regular Wednesday updates. Even when there is no specific vaccination drive for students on campus, you can always go to get vaccinated free of charge at the vaccination centre of the city of Passau [German content].

It is up to the Bavarian government to decide whether Corona tests will remain free of charge for students. In an announcement from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts [German content], testing in Bavaria will remain free of charge for all students until 30 November 2021. [NB: a later deadline applies for students who have been vaccinated with a vaccine that is not on the Paul Ehrlich Institute's list – see question "I have been vaccinated but my vaccine is not on the EU's list of officially approved vaccines. Do I count as vaccinated for the purposes of the 3G rule?"] We do not yet know what will happen after that.

To conform to the 3G rule, your test result (for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus) must be in the form of a paper-based or electronic certificate. The following types of tests are accepted:

• a PCR test, a PoC-PCR test or other test that uses the nucleic acid amplification technique. These tests are valid for 48 hours starting from the time the sample is taken
• a PoC antigen test. These tests are valid for 24 hours starting from the time the sample is taken
• an antigen test for self-administration by laypersons (self-tests) approved by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. This type of test must be carried out under supervision and the result is valid for 24 hours from the time the sample is taken

Until initially 30 November 2021, students at the University of Passau can get tested free of charge on campus on weekdays. The covid-19 antigen rapid test station is located on the ground floor of the Centre for Media and Communication Building (Innstrasse 33a, next to the footbridge and the FIM building). The opening hours are:

• Mondays 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Tuesdays to Fridays 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

No prior appointment is necessary.
Outside the opening hours of the campus test station, students can get tested free of charge at the Donaulände test bus of the City of Passau [German content]. The test bus operates at the following times:

• Weekends: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Weekdays (Mon–Fri): 2 to 5 p.m.

For this test station, we recommend that you make an appointment in advance [German content; the link points directly to appointments for the Donaulände test bus]. Please remember to bring your student ID (orange CampusCard) and an official photographic ID (e.g. passport) to the test station.

Yes, that is possible. Please note, however, that the tests must be carried out by an appropriately authorised body (such as doctors' surgeries, pharmacies). The municipal testing centre on Donaulände [German content] is also offering free rapid tests for students until 30 November.

The 3G rule (vaccinated, recovered or tested negative) does not apply to examinations. Nevertheless, we recommend that all exam candidates who have not been vaccinated or had the illness in and recovered from it should take a covid-19 test before the exam and, if the result is positive, self-isolate at home.
If you are ill, particularly if you are exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness, you are not allowed to take part in examinations. You may exceptionally attend examinations if you can show a current medical certificate (not older than one week) stating that the symptoms are due to a (chronic) illness, e.g. an allergy, hay fever, asthma or similar.

Winter semester 2021–22 is an in-person semester; face-to-face courses are the norm.

The decision whether courses are taught face to face or online rests with the individual lecturers. In the case of face-to-face courses, they are under no obligation to provide any form of online teaching. Students who cannot be vaccinated due to an underlying health condition are asked to discuss their situation with the respective lecturer.

If you have an online course scheduled between two in-person courses, or if you don't have enough time to transit between an in-person and an online course, you can use the rooms below to attend online courses. In total, 13 seminar rooms have been made available as online-attendance rooms (in German: 'Online-Verfügungsräume'). Students can use these rooms to attend online lectures, exercise courses or seminars. The rooms are located in the following buildings:

• Audimax Building (AM, Innstrasse 31): SR 101
• Dr.-Hans-Kapfinger-Strasse 14 (HK14): SR 001 and SR K01
• Dr.-Hans-Kapfinger-Strasse 14b (HK14b): SR 017, SR 102 and SR 106
• Innsteg Auditorium (ISA, Innstrasse 23): SR 007
• Juridicum Building (JUR, Innstrasse 39): SR 059
• Ludwigtrasse 8 (LU8): SR 307 and SR 308
• Nikolakloster Building (NK, Innstrasse 40): SR 412
• Business and Economics Building (WIWI, Innstrasse 27): SR 026 and SR 034

Please only use these online-attendance rooms to take part in online-taught courses; they are not intended as general study and recreation rooms. The provisions of the protection and hygiene concept of the University of Passau must be observed.

You have to wear at least a medical/surgical face mask in all buildings and enclosed spaces. In principle, face masks are compulsory in lectures. However, if a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between seats can be reliably maintained in courses (e.g. seminars) with a small enough number of participants or because they are held in a lecture theatre or room of sufficient size, the mask-wearing requirement can be waived once everyone has taken their seat. The decision is made by the lecturer/instructor for the course.

You are exempted from the mask-wearing requirement if you cannot wear a mask or if it would be unreasonable to demand that you do so due to a disability or a health condition; however, you will have to furnish proof of this in the form of: an original written medical certificate, to be presented when asked for, which must contain your full name, date of birth and specific details as to why you should be exempted from the mask-wearing requirement.

Yes, you will have to provide your contact details. Please remember to register your current telephone number, e-mail address and a postal address in Stud.IP in the "profile" tab under "contact tracing". The data stored there are not visible to lecturers or other students. This information will only be used if the local health authority orders contact tracing after an in-person exam or course.

In the University Library premises, you may take off your face mask whilst seated or stationary at the designated desks and scan stations. However, when you move about the library or in situations where the minimum 1.5-metre distance cannot be maintained, you have to put on a medical/surgical face mask or an FFP2 face mask.

If the local 7-day incidence rate is 35 or above, all library users must show 3G proof for library access. The following counts as 3G proof:

• Fully vaccinated (this status begins 14 days after you receive your second dose): we accept your yellow WHO vaccination booklet or your EU Digital COVID Certificate (as a pdf/printout or QR code, also stored in a suitable app) as proof.
• Certified completed recovery from a covid-19 infection confirmed by a PCR test. The covid-19 illness must have been confirmed at least 28 days ago but not more than six months ago (i.e. you do not count as recovered for the purposes of the 3G rule if you recovered more than half a year ago).
• Tested negative: you should provide a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours or a negative rapid antigen test not older than 24 hours. These tests must be carried out and certified by a recognised testing centre; results from home test kits are not accepted, and there is no possibility to test yourself using a home test kit in the library under supervision.

You can also find up-to-date information on this on the University Library's website.

By now, notices have been put up in all lecture theatres, seminar rooms and meeting rooms regarding ventilation, seating arrangements and CO₂ traffic lights, which inform you whether and in what way the room needs to be ventilated.

The lecture theatres and seminar rooms are divided into three categories in the safety and hygiene concept according to their fresh-air supply:

1. Lecture theatres and seminar rooms with a supply air volume of at least 30 cubic metres per hour and person: sufficient air exchange is guaranteed in these rooms. No further actions are required.
2. Lecture theatres and seminar rooms with a supply air volume of 10 to 30 cubic metres per hour and person: a CO₂ traffic-light indicator is installed in these rooms to signal air quality in the room.
3. Lecture theatres and seminar rooms with a supply air volume of less than 10 cubic metres per hour and person: in these rooms, you have to open the windows in regular intervals in accordance with the guidelines for offices and teaching rooms. A number of rooms of this category, e.g. the seminar rooms of the ISA Building, lecture theatres of the KT Building and other large seminar rooms have also been equipped with a CO₂ traffic-light indicator to warn occupants when ventilation measures must be taken.

A room plan is displayed in all lecture theatres and seminar rooms. Places that are 1.5 metres away from each other, thus fulfilling the minimum safety-distance requirement, have a sticker attached to them. In all lecture theatres and seminar rooms, information on seat allocation is displayed at the entrances and on the lecturers' desks.

In category-2 rooms, you will also find the information on the CO₂ traffic lights displayed next to the room occupancy plans at the entrances.

In category-3 rooms, you will additionally find the information on the correct ventilation method displayed at the entrances and the lecturers' desks.

For up-to-date information on rules effective in Passau visit the City of Passau's covid-19 information page [German content].

Yes, exams are exempt from the 3G rule. For doctoral examinations, this exemption applies only to the doctoral candidate; guests must abide by the 3G rule.

As of 1 October 2021, the dissertation/thesis writing periods at all faculties continue as normal; the deadlines are no longer suspended. The Examinations Office has written to students who were affected by the suspension of deadlines to inform them of their new submission deadlines.

For comprehensive information on in-person examinations and the measures put in place to protect candidates and invigilators, visit the Examinations Office website.

The infection control measures do not currently require you to wear a face mask while seated at your desk during the exam. The infection situation will be reassessed before the start of the examination period. We will inform you in a Stud.IP update and via www.uni-passau.de/en/coronavirus if a mask-wearing requirement during the exam writing phase is introduced.

The 3G rule (vaccinated, recovered or tested negative) does not apply to examinations. Nevertheless, we recommend that all exam candidates who have not been vaccinated or had the illness in and recovered from it should take a covid-19 test before the exam and, if the result is positive, self-isolate at home.

If you are ill, particularly if you are exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness, you are not allowed to take part in examinations. You may exceptionally attend examinations if you can show a current medical certificate (not older than one week) stating that the symptoms are due to a (chronic) illness, e.g. an allergy, hay fever, asthma or similar.

According to the Corona regulation [German content], all exams you have registered for count towards your degree. This means that you must submit documents proving extenuating circumstances to the Examinations Office if you are ill or unable to attend for any other reason.

Exception: If an examination is announced as an in-person examination and a change of format becomes necessary due to the covid-19 epidemic after the end of the respective registration period, the examination performance of students who do not attend the examination will not be graded as 'failed' (§ 2(5) sentence 2 Corona regulation). All examinations you complete are counted (§ 2(5) sentence 3 Corona regulation).

For information on the first state examination for a teacher education programme visit the website of the Bavarian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs.

Current (pandemic-related) changes in the study and examination schedule of the Faculty of Law for the semester can be found on the web page of the Dean of Studies.

If you notice any symptoms of the common cold (e.g. a cough, runny nose, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or fever), please stay away from the campus and stay home. Contact your GP by telephone. Your GP will discuss the further necessary steps with you (whether to come in for a consultation and testing and, if necessary, reporting to the health authority and self-isolation at home etc.).

If you have tested positive for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, please stay away from campus. If you were on campus during the period of infection, please inform the relevant lecturers or your immediate superior. If you additionally report your illness to us via the online self-report form, you give us valuable time in which we can act swiftly to break the chain of infection. We will always treat your information in the strictest confidence.

From that point onwards, the public health authority is in charge of the further procedure. It determines whether contact tracing is to be done. Identifying contact persons is within the remit of the public health authority. The competent health authority also decides on the duration of quarantine or self-isolation.

The Student Services Association (Studentenwerk Niederbayern/Oberpfalz) (STWNO) has revised and comprehensively supplemented its website with FAQs on BAföG student grants/loans in the covid-19 crisis.

You cannot apply for the stopgap assistance (or interim financial aid), as this BMBF programme, which provided financial support to students in pandemic-related emergency situations, ran out as scheduled on 30 September 2021.

Students from the first semester onwards can apply for the KfW student loan to finance their living expenses. Students in Germany can still apply for the interest-free KfW student loan until 31 December 2021.

The Welfare Office of the Student Services Association (Studentenwerk) is an authorised KfW partner, which means you can have your KfW student loan contract endorsed and your enrolment status confirmed every semester by your local welfare adviser.

Studying often brings many changes. Many of these are beautiful challenges, but sometimes they can overwhelm us. On top of that, the pandemic and its effects can also become a heavy burden – especially if the restrictions associated with the pandemic pose a risk to you or expose you to major economic, social and health uncertainties as a result.

We can help you get through this: professional and confidential counselling is offered by the University's Psychological Counselling Service and the Student Services Association's Psychological Counselling Service.