Primary residence
Some Thuringian university cities offer a financial incentive for students who register their primary residence there.
The city of Gera grants students who take up their primary residence in Gera, an allowance on application. Students are entitled to apply if the following applies to them:
- registered for the first time with primary residence or sole residence in Gera,
- still registered in Gera as of 31 December of the year for which the allowance is being applied for,
- and not yet completed the 35th year of age.
The city of Gera grants an allowance of € 100 per calendar year. You may apply for this grant for a maximum of three years in a row if you have continuously maintained your primary residence / sole place of residence in Gera.
Information about the allocation of an allowance and the application process is available on the website of the city of Gera.
The city of Ilmenau offers all students who study in Ilmenau and reside in Ilmenau on 31 December, an annual allowance of € 80. The application must be submitted by 31 December of each year at the latest. The application is online.
Based on a resolution of the Jena City Council, students of the Friedrich Schiller University and the UAS Ernst Abbe who have their primary residence in Jena can apply for payment of a main residence premium of € 60 per semester or a maximum of € 120.
All further conditions can be found in the application.
This is available at INFOtake Jena or online at this link.
Students in Schmalkalden can apply to have their semester fees paid. The basic semester fees of €50.00 are paid if students have registered their main residence in Schmalkalden. This also applies to those students who were already registered with their main residence in Schmalkalden prior to their studies and have decided to study at Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. The application must be submitted once when taking up studies. The basic semester fees are paid for a maximum of eight semesters and if the students have not yet reached the age of 30 at the beginning of the semester (01.04. or 01.10.).
Please email forms completed online to: stadt@schmalkalden.de.
If you have any questions, please contact the Schmalkalden municipality.
The city of Weimar grants students a bonus when they move their primary residence to Weimar (including districts) as of 01 January 2020 and provide proof of their primary residence on two consecutive reference dates, respectively on 31 December (1st reference date) and 31 December of the following year (2nd reference date).
This also includes international students who register their only place of residence in Germany in Weimar.
The amount of the one-time bonus is 300 euros.
The application (application form) must be submitted in writing by 31 March of the year following the 2nd deadline. Payment is made by 30 September of the year of application to a domestic bank account (cash payments or transfers to foreign accounts are not possible).
It will be possible to apply for the training bonus from January 2022. The application requirements are met when:
- you can prove your status as a student at an institution of higher education by means of a copy of a currently valid certificate of enrolment,
- your first primary residence in Weimar is on or after 01 January 2020 (1st reference date 31 December) and
- you have kept this registration at least until 31 December of the following year (2nd reference date). The proof is provided by an extended registration certificate as a copy. The extended registration certificate is issued by the citizens' registration office of the city of Weimar. The registration certificate is subject to a fee,
- you provide a valid identity card or passport,
- you have submitted the application by 31 March of the year following the 2nd reference date (in the case of applications received after 31 March, payment will be made in the following year).
Contact: INFOtake Weimar
Information on the registration of the primary residence:
Students are required to appear in person at the citizens' registration office of the city of Weimar to register for their primary residence. Due to the Corona pandemic, an appointment is necessary to be made in the citizens' office.
Please note
Before changing your registration to your primary residence, please note the following information:
- When you are insured in certain insurances taken out your parents, please check before re-registering whether these policies are still valid for you. This may concern, for example, liability, household contents or legal protection insurance, where the insurance cover is linked to the household membership. This can also be provided by the secondary residence with your parents.
- As a rule, you can apply for housing allowance at your primary residence (if you are entitled to do so).
- As a rule, you can only exercise the right to vote at your primary residence.
- For benefits according to BAföG, it is irrelevant where you live.
- The change of residence has no effect on child benefits, as the entitlement is not dependent on the place of residence.
- The re-registration does not usually apply to child allowance, home ownership subsidy and housing subsidy either, provided that your secondary residence remains with your parents.
- Your car can only be registered at your primary residence.
If you have any questions about the above-mentioned issues, please contact our information centres or the General Social Counselling Service.