According to Art. 48 of the Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHschG) and § 10 of the University's matriculation statute (ImmSa), you can request leave of absence exempting you from the obligations of the study requirements for a your degree programme. However, leave of absence will only be granted if you can provide a legitimate reason.
You will need to provide the relevant confirmation letters or certificates to prove the reason for requesting leave of absence.
| Reasons | Required documentary evidence |
|---|---|
| Foreign study | Confirmation letter from the university abroad in German or English or a confirmation of acceptance ("Annahmeerklärung") from the International Office of the University of Passau. |
| Internship at home or abroad | Confirmation letter from the internship employer or internship contract in German or English. This must state the duration of the internship, which should cover at least half of the semester teaching period. |
| Illness | Medical certificate confirming the inability to study (normally combined with the Inability to take part in examinations) during the semester applied for. |
| Maternity leave | Medical certificate of the expected date of birth. |
| Parental leave | Child's birth certificate. |
| Caring for a close relative | Confirmation related to caring for a close relative in accordance with the Pflegezeitgesetz (German care time act). |
| Starting a business (Gründerzeit) | Confirmation letter from the Transfer Centre of the University. |
Voluntary service | Voluntary service agreement. |
| Honorary office | Proof of performance of an exceptionally time-consuming voluntary activity. |
| Other reasons (of a serious and personal nature) | Proof of a particularly serious exceptional personal situation must be submitted in person to the head of the Student Registration Office. Financial difficulties are not recognised as a legitimate reason. |
Please send the completed and signed Leave of Absence Application Form to the Student Registration Office by post, e-mail or submit it in person with the relevant documents enclosed.
If the important reason for the leave of absence only occurs after the deadline and was unforeseeable, the application can be made later:
You cannot request leave of absence for past semesters.
Leave of absence can, in principle, only be withdrawn when the reason has ceased to exist. The cessation of the reason must be explicitly proven.
Please inform yourself in good time at the Examinations Office (information sheet [German content]).
During leave of absence due to maternity leave, parental leave and care leave, you are allowed to complete assessments.
Periods of maternity leave, parental leave or care leave are not added on top of the other two usually applicable types of leave of absence for other recognised reasons.
Please check the examination regulation for your degree programme for information about reducing your period of study.
Students who are in receipt of a BAföG loan/grant should enquire beforehand at the Student Services Association's Office for Educational Funding regarding the effect of a leave of absence on their eligibility for a BAföG loan or grant.
International students: Please note that leave of absence changes the purpose of your stay in Germany ("Aufenthaltszweck") indicated on your residence permit, and you may have to apply for a new residence permit!
Validation of the CampusCard starts 10 days before the start of the semester. If you are taking a leave semester for foreign study or to complete an internship, you can validate your CampusCard sooner, but your application for leave of absence must have already been approved before you can complete the CampusCard validation.
Student Registration Office
Innstrasse 41
94032 Passau
Germany
Phone: +49 851 509 1127
registry@uni-passau.de
