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What is a semester leave/leave from studies/”vacation”semester and under which circumstances can I take one?

A leave from studies is a semester in which you stay an enrolled student (i.e. you re-register and pay the semester fee) but which doesn’t count as a regular semester (i.e. it counts as zero). It can/should be taken if you cannot study in a regular fashion in a given semester because:

  • you are seriously ill for a prolonged period of time and a medical doctor in Germany (not a psychologist!) certifies that you will be unfit to study for the whole semester
  • you are pregnant or on parental leave
  • you are doing a voluntary internship at a company which covers at least 7 weeks of the lecture period
  • you are studying abroad in the framework of an exchange program
  • you provide care for a sick family member who resides with you in Germany and can provide proof of the same.

You cannot get a leave from studies because

  • you want to visit your family in your home country
  • you need more time to work in order to finance your life in Germany
  • you are overwhelmed with your studies and need a time buffer to finish them
  • you want to extend your study visa.

Please note that you are not allowed to register any  first attempts for exams while you are on a leave from studies. You cannot register or submit your master’s thesis or give the thesis presentation either. You are allowed to take repeat exams, however.

In order to take a leave from studies, you need to re-register for the upcoming semester (in the first week of July or in the first week of February) and submit the respective form together with the relevant certificates to out Students Records Office before the lecture period of the new semester starts. Only exception: If the reason for the leave (severe illness, pregnany, care for a sick family member) occurs afte the lecture period has already begun, you can still apply for the leave from studies until two months after the beginning of the lecture period. You cannot take a leave from studies after this deadline or for semesters that have already passed.

The official legal guidelines for the leave from studies can be found here (in English).