Information for your arrival to Kiel

Quarantine measures due to Corona

Starting November 8, 2020, travelers entering Germany who have been a risk area in the past ten days must register online before arrival at www.einreiseanmeldung.de and carry the proof of registration with them when entering Germany. If it is not possible to complete the arrival registration online, travelers must instead fill out a paper hard copy substitute arrival registration form (in German). Further information about digital registration can be found here and general information about entering Germany during the Corona crisis is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health.

Please note: Starting January 25, 2021 the Robert Koch Institute distinguishes between high incidence areas/virus variant areas and risk areas

If you enter Germany from a high incidence area or a virus variant area, you must get a Corona test before arrival and you are subject to a 14 day quarantine upon arrival. The test must have been carried out less than 48 hours before your arrival in Germany. There is no longer a possbility to shorten the quarantine in Schleswig-Holstein.

As of January 25, 2021 the mandatory quarantine period for travelers entering Germany from a risk area/high incidence/virus variant area is 14 days. It is no longer possible to shorten the quarantine in Schleswig-Holstein.

If you enter Germany from a risk area, you must get a Corona test before or upon arrival and you are subject to a 14 day quarantine upon arrival. The test must have been carried out less than 48 hours before or directly after your arrival in Germany. There is no longer a possbility to shorten the quarantine in Schleswig-Holstein.

If you choose to get tested upon arrival, there are test centers at most airports (for example, at  Hamburg Airport) and a mobile station in Kiel at Bootshafen (on the Kaistraße side).

Please note that the 14 day quarantine cannot be carried out in an apartment with a shared bathroom or kitchen, such as most rooms in the dormitories of the Studentenwerk and the Kiel University guesthouses.

It is not easy to find a quarantine-suitable apartment / room in Kiel for the 14 days. It is also important to ensure that you have enough food during the 14 day period in an apartment. It would therefore be advisable to contact people you know in Kiel and to ensure that you are supplied with enough food that is allowed to import into Germany. The International Center offers a care package for students in quarantine living within the city limits of Kiel. More informationen about the care packages can be found  here. Researchers can ask for quarantine help from their host institute.

Shortening the 14 day quarantine - As of January 25, 2021 it is no longer possible to shorten the 14 day quarantine with a second test.

More information:

The following website has information in German and other languages about the rules regarding entering Schleswig-Holstein from a risk area. To find the Russian/English information, scroll down the section on "Einreise aus ausländischen Risikogebieten". There are information sheets in Russian and English. Information about entering Schleswig-Holstein (in German)

Information about quarantine measures in Schleswig-Holstein (in German)

For travelers departing Germany: If the airline requires a negative test result to board, you can have a test (PCR or Antigen test) done at your own cost in Kiel at the mobile test station at Bootshafen (on the Kaistraße side) or at Hamburg Airport. Please note that the negative test result must be available at the time of boarding and the test cannot be taken more than 48/72 hours before boarding. The best thing is to ask your airline about the exact rules.

General Information

Information about the bus system (including schedules and fares) is available from the Kiel Transit Company (KVG). Here you can use a computerized route finder function by filling in the Start (from) and Ziel (to) fields. For example, your Start might be Bahnhof and Ziel might be Universität (or the location of your housing). A few days after you enrol at Kiel University you will receive your »Semesterticket«. It will allow you to use public transportation in Kiel free of charge.

  • Information related to the location of faculties on campus and in the city of Kiel can be obtained here.
  • A town portrait of the city of Kiel you can find in this flyer.

Transport connections to Kiel University

...by car

Coming from the South:

Drive northwards as far as Hamburg and then follow the motorway A7 in northward direction. At the motorway junction Bordesholm switch to motorway A215 to Kiel. At the end of A215 please follow the road signs to Kiel University.

Coming from the North:

Drive southwards on the A7 and switch to the motorway A210 to Kiel at the junction Rendsburg. At the end of A215 please follow the road signs to Kiel University.

...arrival by airplane

The closest airport to Kiel is Hamburg Airport.

From Hamburg Airport you can take the airport bus »Kielius«, which makes the trip between Hamburg Airport and Kiel up to 19 times daily. Consider that on your return trip, you may be enrolled as a student, in which you pay less than the regular fee. The bus stops at a clearly marked location directly outside the airport terminal. The schedule and prices  can be found here.

Please note: The Kielius airport bus is currently not running between Kiel and Hamburg Airport due to the Corona pandemic.

There are a couple of airport shuttles running, among these:

Airport Service Kiel

You can also take the S-Bahn (rapid transit) from the Airport to Hamburg Main Station and transfer to a train to Kiel from there. You can buy one ticket for the complete trip.

...arrival by train

Kiel has a major railway station with modern transfer (in German, »Umsteiger«) services. The »Umsteiger« consists of a service center where you can get information from the staff of the Kiel public transit authority, the KVG.
Information about other services such as auto sharing, operated by the firm StattAuto (whose name is a nice play on the identical sound of the German words for ‘city’ and ‘instead’), is also available here.

There is also a bicycle station where Brücke SH operates a monitored bicycle park, repair service and rentals. You can find out more here (in German only).

From the railway station, you can take a bus or taxi to the University, your student dormitory or wherever you’re staying (taxi fare to the University is around € 8 - € 10). Taxis wait outside the north exit (straight ahead), and buses are outside the west exit (to the left).

...arrival by ferry

If you arrive on one of the Baltic Sea ferries (at either Norwegenkai, Schwedenkai or Ostuferhafen), you can take the bus or a taxi to your destination of choice. Taxis are usually waiting there; if you plan to take the bus, determine your route in advance. Information about the bus system (including schedules and fares) is available from the Kiel Transit Company (KVG). Here you can use a computerized route finder function by filling in the Start (from) and Ziel (to) fields.