Important provisions from the University regarding the Coronavirus,

Dear researchers, family members and colleagues,

probably many of you are anxious to know how the present threat of the coronavirus will affect your daily life. While the rectorate has decided to implement home-office work for the administrative staff in the next weeks as a preventive step, be assured that you will remain assisted via digital channels! You can contact us at the following email addresses: visiting.academics@uni-muenster.de and karin.hoof@uni-muenster.de for matters related to the guest houses and audrey.busch@uni-muenster.de for formalities and other questions. In the meantime, take note of the following information:

Updated information on university measures regarding the coronavirus
For updated information on the measures taken by the university regarding the corona virus, check here. For provisions of the City of Münster consult this link and for health indications from the German government the site of the Ministry of Health (both unfortunately only in German), as well as the Robert-Koch institute. 

Health
If you feel ill beyond the normal flu symptoms, i.e. have high fever and strong coughing or other health concerns and cannot reach your own medical doctor, you can refer to the UKM hotline (+49) 251 83-45512 or the local medical emergency service (+49) 251 116 117.

Residence permits
The Foreigners Registration Office in Münster informed us that all appointments regarding the regular application for new residence permits or extensions are cancelled until further notice. The persons affected are notified via mail and will either receive a temporary permit (the so-called “Fiktionsbescheinigung”) or a request to send their documentation via mail for the further processing of their case. Existing work permits are included in the temporary extensions. Fingerprints and biometric photos will be acquired once the offices are open again. For clarifications in urgent cases, please send a mail to auslaenderamt@stadt-muenster.de or call the hotline (+49) 251 3636.

Suspension of open reception hours and cancellation of events
Following the indications of the rectorate direct consultations have been suspended until further communication. Therefore, the open reception hours in the guest house office and with Ms Busch won´t take place and are substituted by mail communication. All events planned by the Welcome Centre (and the university as such) are cancelled until the end of May.

Public areas of the guest houses
In the public areas of the guesthouses, as the lounge and entrance area, at present collective gatherings are not allowed.

Repairs in guest houses
If repair of essential equipment (such as heating, sanitaries, the water boiler, fridge or stove) is necessary in your apartment, please refer to the emergency number (+49) 251 83-33333. From your fixed phones in the guest house apartments use the last 5 digits only.

Cleaning of guesthouse apartments and laundry service
The cleaning service of the apartments is suspended for the duration of the home-office directive. Vacuum cleaners and rubber drain cleaning devices are available in the laundry rooms, but have to be brought back immediately after use. Please continue to use the washing machines only in your set time-slot. The overview is visible on the tables in the laundry rooms.

Lease formalities for guesthouses
The payment of the rent for your apartment can be carried out via bank transfer, as indicated in your lease contract. In case you are not able to do so, please inform us with a short e-mail. If you didn´t receive your lease contract in paper yet, we will provide you with a digital copy and place the original in your mailbox, once this is possible. Same is true for the landlord´s confirmation of your moving into the apartment, the so-called “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung”, which is necessary to register your residence at the “Bürgerbüro” in Münster.

This said, please react with serenity regarding the current situation, as the measures taken by the public authorities are aiming at prevention and containment of COVID-19, which has been very successful so far! Kind regards from your Welcome Centre Team: Maria Homeyer, Carmen Fleischmann, Karin Hoof, Astrid Burgbacher, Philip Maurice, Audrey Busch and the student assistant.