It certifies your status as a student. Your name, matriculation number, and photograph provide enough identity proof when required. You are required to have it with you when you take exams.

The VRN logo on the card allows you to travel in and around Kaiserslautern by bus and train free of charge. As a PhD student you do not have to be enrolled at the University. Thus, you will not be given a student card automatically. Therefore, you should apply for an employee's card / Bedienstetenausweis, which, in general, offers the same possibilities as the student card except free use of basic sports offers and free public transport. For further questions, never hesitate to ask the ISGS!

Please find more information about the area of validity of your student card as well as tips on reading the timetable and general information here.

The student card can be used as a prepaid card to pay for your food in the canteen  or refectory/Mensa. You can deposit a certain amount of money (EUR 5/EUR 10/EUR 20/EUR 50) onto your card and every time you visit the Mensa the appropriate amount will be deducted from your balance.

CANTEEN on Campus - How to Find One's Way around the Refectory 

• The refectory or canteen in building 30 is the most important place on campus for many students! Here, you can have a good, inexpensive meal or a quick snack, study together, or just take a break. On weekdays you can choose between different menus, the wok, the barbecue/Grill and the salad buffet. There is menu 1 (EUR 2.40 ) and menu 2 (EUR 2.15). They have some assigned symbols: (V) means 'vegetarian', (S) means pork, (R) means beef and (S/R) has pork and beef in the meal.
• Once you have decided which meal to have, you must line up for either meal 1 or 2, barbecue or wok. Pay your meal with your student card at the counter, the exact amount will be debited automatically.
• At the buffet or free-flow area various dishes are offered: barbecue, wok, salad, vegetables, soup, etc.  For these meals you have to pay a certain price for each 100 grams of serving, which usually costs between EUR 0.65 and EUR 0.85. Please use a separate plate for the different meals, otherwise you will have to pay the price of the most expensive meal for everything!
• The menus are available at lunchtime from 11:30 am to 1:45 pm, barbecue, wok and buffet from 11:15 am to 2:00 pm. During the regular work days of the university, (other than vacations and weekends) you can eat in the cafeteria "Atrium" in the Mensa-building in the evenings from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm (Mon-Thu).
• You can only pay for meals with your student ID which is a sort of debit card. You have to deposit money into the account, using the account crediting machines in the refectory. In case you lose your student ID, it can be blocked by specifying the card number. However, when a card is lost, it cannot be reimbursed! If you graduate or leave the University, you can return your student ID and get your remaining balance back.
• Apart from the main refectory, there are some other cafeterias and bistros on campus that offer food and beverages, where you can also pay with your student card, e.g., the "Bistro 36" (next to ISGS) and the "Cafeteria Atrium" on the ground floor of the Mensa.

• The RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau provides excellent computer facilities. With your student account you can log in to numerous computers (Building 34, Room 250) and you have access to the Internet and storage space for your files.
• You can also use this account from your computer or notebook at home if you have Internet access! Furthermore, you will receive emails within the university via your email address yourname(at)rhrk.uni-kl.de
• You can open an account at the RHRK-Service Point in building 34, room 250 (Mon - Fri: 1:00 pm  - 3:00 pm). Please bring your student ID and national identity card or passport for this. If you do not already have your student ID, please contact the ISGS!
• The University's computer center offers free lectures and extracurricular courses on the most important computer programs and applications. Just have a look on their homepage www.rhrk.uni-kl.de following 'Seminarprogramm'.

This card has a barcode on its reverse which is used for your library membership. The data about the books you have borrowed, the due date of return of the books and similar information can be retrieved from the databank of the library simply by using this barcode. The default password is your date of birth. With your student ID you can use the university's central library in building 32, which provides:

• an information center
• an overview of courses on how to use the library effectively
• a reading room with daily and weekly press
• general reference works, bibliographies, encyclopedias, and textbooks

Opening Hours:

Mon - Fri:     8:00 am - 11:00 pm
(borrowing of books and returning of books only until 6:00 pm!)

Libraries of Other Departments:

Architecture, Regional & Environmental Planning, Civil Engineering  (Building 2)
Biology  (Building 14)
Chemistry   (Building 54)
Electrical and Computer Engineering   (Building 12)
Computer Sciences   (Building 36)
Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management   (Building 42)
Mathematics and Physics   (Building 48)
Social Sciences   (Building 32)

With your student ID you receive a bank transfer form to pay the social fees (see 2.3) for the next semester. A specific time span (normally one month) for paying the social fees is clearly mentioned on the form:

• January for summer term
• June for winter term

Take care that you pay in time, otherwise you will have to pay a penalty of EUR 15!

The student ID offers a lot more amenities for student life on campus and in town:

• You need your student ID in order to participate in the University's sports activities(Hochschulsport HSSP). The student ID includes free use of many of the university's sports offers, e.g., Aikido, Badminton, or Cricket.
• It is a prerequisite for obtaining the International Student Identification Card (ISIC), with which you can get benefits outside of Germany. You can obtain this card from the Studierendenwerk, building 30, room 296 for about EUR 12.
• In addition, the card also entitles you to get a place for your children at the University's day-care center.
• You need the student ID to apply for an exemption from fees for public TV and radio (GEZ), this only applies to EU citizens.
• The student ID can be required in order to open a free bank account.
• It helps you obtain cheaper health insurance.
• It helps you to acquire special student subscriptions for magazines and newspapers.
• With this card you can also receive discounts in cinemas, public pools, and even at the hairdresser's!
• It provides benefits for cultural and social activities, so do not forget to ask for discounts.