We are pleased that you decided upon a research stay at the University of Passau, one of the top ten percent of young universities worldwide according to the THE World Ranking, and welcome you at our University and in the city of Passau!
Whether you are a visiting scholar, a lecturer or researcher on a regular employment contract with the University or an international graduate looking to start your doctoral studies in Passau – the Welcome Centre is here to help you with all non-academic issues.
We wish you a good stay and hope that you feel comfortable in Passau!
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We would like to invite you to join us on a trip which will take us to the Pflasterspektakel Linz. The international street performance festival is one of the largest and most diverse ones in Europe. For three days, artists from all over the world transform the city into a large open stage featuring music, acrobatics, theatre, comedy, and many other performances. The programme is not availble yet, but you can already check out the website.
Before joining the festival, we would like have lunch together in a restaurant in Linz. For those who want to join us from Passau, we will take the train at 11:40 from Passau Main Station (Hauptbahnhof) and travel to Linz together. The train ride takes about 1,5 hours. We kindly ask you to book your ticket in advance, for example online via the Austrian railway company ÖBB. ÖBB offers day-tickets (including all regional public transport), for example the Freizeit-Ticket OÖ for two adults and two children (under the age of 15) or the "Einfach-Raus Ticket" for two to five persons. As we are travelling to Austria, the Deutschlandticket (Germanyticket) is not valid for the trip.
The festival entrance is for free. However, as the interaction with the audience is essential to street performing and the artists receive no general salary, it is essential showing appreciation not only by applause but also by rewarding artists with a little money. Having coins with you is therefore recommended.
If you want to participate, please register for the event by sending an email to researchmobility@uni-passau.de. Please also mention if you are joining our lunch so that we can make a reservation.
Date: Friday, 24 July 2026
Time: 11:30 on Platform 5 at Passau Main Station (Hauptbahnhof). We are taking train R50 with direction Linz, departure at 11:40. Please check the notice boards at the Main Station (Hauptbahnhof)
Dear international academics,
There are many ways to learn German. We have curated a list of options where you can start or continue your learning journey. You can also choose between them based on your way of learning.
For enroled doctoral students, the Language Centre at the University of Passau also offers free language courses in many different languages every semester.
Researchers and staff can also attend the courses offered by the Language Centre of the University of Passau, provided there are still available spots. If you are interested, please contact the respective course instructor directly. For any questions, feel free to get in touch with the Welcome Centre.
The Goethe Institute offers a variety of courses. To determine how you would like to learn German—whether in-person, online, or by taking exams—and to find the best course for you, please see here.
If you want to practice German for free, there is an online platform where you can improve your skills at no cost.
Situated in the city centre, VHS offers many courses ranging from beginner to advanced. The courses are offered in different time slots to fit your weekly schedule. For more information on the prices and the type of course you'd like to sign up for, see here.
VHB offers many different types of courses that are easily accessible:
OPEN: Free courses available to everyone, with no ECTS credits awarded. For more information, see here.
CLASSIC: Free for students (including registered doctoral students), with ECTS credits awarded for these courses. Others can register as external users and attend the courses at very reasonable prices. For more information, see here.
Register here: VHB Portal Registration.
If you're a beginner and unsure where to start, we have the perfect course for you in Passau! ESG Passau offers beginner classes ranging from A1.1 to A2.2 in the upcoming summer semester. For more information and to register, see here.
The language school Deutsch AKTIV offers a range of German courses for different proficiency levels and with different formats. These include intensive German courses, evening classes, private tuition, online lessons, as well as preparation coures for the telc or TestDaF. For more information, see here.
If you are looking for an intensive course, the BAP's German courses offer an opportunity to learn German from level B2 onwards. Specific language courses tailored to the workplace are also avialable for employees. For more information, see here.
This course is designed for international academics and researchers at German universities who wish to improve their German language skills to levels B1/B2 and enhance their knowledge through practical exercises. The focus is on teaching relevant specialised vocabulary related to academic careers and labour market integration.
For more information on the course and to register, see here.
To practice conversing in German in an informal setting away from language courses, there is a language café at Café Lopes (Theresienstraße 8). Please find more information here.
Feel free to try out the offers, alone or with friends and family. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their language level!
We would like to inform you about the possibilities of obtaining an official German language certificate for your residence permit etc. Officially suitable certificates are the Goethe-Zertifikat, the TestDaF and the telc.
We hope this overview helps you to find the certificate that's right for you. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Welcome Centre Team.
To practice conversing in German in an informal setting away from language courses, there are two regular language cafés in Passau.
Café Deutsch takes place every second Thursday from 17:00 to 19:00 in the common room of the Gemeinsam Leben und Lernen in Europa Association (Lederergasse 1). The exact dates are always published one month in advance in the flyer on the website.
There is also a language café every Thursday from 20:00 at RIO (Lederergasse 50). Various tables are opened there for several languages.
Feel free to try out the offers, alone or with friends and family. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their language level!
If you are a doctoral or postdoctoral student at our University and have questions related to academic matters, please contact the Graduate Centre.
The Welcome Centre does not cater to undergraduates or master's students. If you are an international bachelor's or master's student, visit the coming to Passau webpage or contact the International Office.
