Moving to Heidelberg

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the nearest international airport. From its long-distance station (Fernbahnhof), trains reach Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof in about an hour, usually with a change at Mannheim Hauptbahnhof.

rnv runs Heidelberg's trams and buses. The S-Bahn Rhein-Neckar connects the city with Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and the region. All use VRN tickets. Bismarckplatz, between the Hauptbahnhof and the Altstadt, is the main tram stop.

• The €63 Deutschlandticket covers the whole network.
• Heidelberg University has had no semester ticket since 2023. If you're under 27 and study or train in Baden-Württemberg, the D-Ticket JugendBW costs €44.42 a month and is valid wherever the Deutschlandticket is.
• Other universities in Heidelberg set their own ticket rules. Check yours before you buy a ticket.
• The city along the river is flat and cycling is common.

Register within two weeks of moving in, at any of Heidelberg's Bürgerämter. Book an appointment online or by phone on 06221 58-13333. Some offices take walk-ins on one set day a week. Registration is free.

Without a German ID card you can't register online, but you can register in person or by video call through Bürgeramt Virtuell.

Heidelberg's Ausländerbehörde is at Bergheimer Straße 147 (Landfriedgebäude). Submit your residence permit application online first. You can only book an appointment once a complete application is in, and the wait can be several weeks or months.

If you live outside the city limits, a different office handles your permit: the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district office or your own town's. Heidelberg University lists which office covers which town.

Heidelberg is one of Germany's more expensive student cities. Landlords commonly asked over €600 a month for a WG room in 2026. Mannheim and the towns along the S-Bahn are usually cheaper.

• Student halls are run by the Studierendenwerk Heidelberg. Apply as early as you can.
• Flats in the Altstadt are scarce and often go to people already living in the city.

The Welcome Center Rhein-Neckar has an office in Heidelberg. It gives free advice to international skilled workers and their families, including on visas and finding work in the region. Heidelberg University's international office supports incoming students and researchers.