Coordination office KoBy
What does KoBy do?
KoBy is the coordinating office for practical study semesters at Bavarian universities. It was established by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and is based at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts (International Office).
KoBy...
- answers basic questions about the organization and implementation of practical semesters in Bavaria
- processes applications for consent for interns from non-EU countries in accordance with Section 15 No. 4 of the Employment Ordinance
German students doing an internship abroad are placed and supervised by Study and Work International and the Bavarian University Centers (e.g. BayCHINA, BayHOST, BayLAT).
Clarification of fundamental issues
The contact person for general inquiries until September 1 is:
Prof. Dr. Michael Steber
Starting September 1
It provides information on questions regarding the implementation of the practical semester, promotes the further development of the program, informs third parties (e.g. companies and the public), maintains and promotes supra-regional contacts and the exchange of experience at state level.
Legal basis for the practical semester:
Acceptance of foreign interns in Bavaria
KoBy handles the coordination with the Federal Employment Agency for interns from non-EU countries. You can find out which conditions apply and which internships require approval in Section 15 of the Regulation on the Employment of Foreign Nationals, No. 4 (BeschV).
New regulation
A new requirement is that the Federal Employment Agency (BA) must now also certify the agreement for internships involving third-country nationals who are eligible for visa-free entry for up to 90 days (e.g., Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova).
The reason for this change is that the Employment Regulation requires such approval, and its primary purpose is to protect interns from unfair compensation.
Procedure
- Student sends certificate of enrollment (copy) and passport copy to the applying university
- College/university submits all required documents to KoBy, see required documents
- KoBy checks the application for agreement with the BA and submits it to the International Placement Services of the Federal Employment Agency
- ZAV issues a confirmation of the agreement and sends an original to KoBy
- KoBy sends a copy to the employer, keeps a copy in its files and sends the original (for the student) and two copies (for the foreigners authority and for the university) to the university
- University hands over the original to the student, sends a copy to the responsible immigration office and keeps a copy in its files
- Student can start the internship
Documents required for the application to KoBy
Processing time: 9 weeks
Attention change!
As you know, students must be enrolled for the entire planned internship period.
If the internship lasts longer than six months, it cannot necessarily be assumed that students will enrol for the next semester.
For this reason, approvals will be issued for a maximum of six months effective immediately. Of course, an application for an extension may be submitted for up to an additional six months. A current certificate of enrollment must also be attached to the new application.
- ZAV form (application for consent)
- Application Form for an Internship for Continuing Education Purposes
Please note: This must be a full-time position (weekly working hours must not exceed 40 hours)
(The internship provider is not required to submit the attachments listed in the checklist) - Certificate of Enrollment (issued by the home institution)
- Please note: New as of January 2026: German Explanatory Note on the Certificate of Enrollment
English Explanatory Note on the Certificate of Enrollment_English (issued by the home institution) - For mandatory internships:
An excerpt from the Study Program Outline (SPO) showing that it is a mandatory internship
(the beginning of the SPO and the relevant passage are sufficient).
The excerpt must be submitted in either English or German. - Confirmation from the university that the internship is recognized as a mandatory internship
- Internship Plan: The connection to the student’s field of study must be evident from the job description, and the work must be clearly distinguishable from general support tasks.
- If the internship is not subject to the minimum wage requirement, interns must receive, on a monthly basis, at least the maximum BAföG grant amount in the form of compensation, a scholarship, a verified guarantee (letter of commitment), or proven personal funds.
- Photocopy of the student’s passport
- Application for graduates
- The degree must not have been obtained more than 18 months ago.
- Proof: Copy of the degree certificate/diploma or written confirmation from the university that the final examination has been passed.
All documents may be submitted in advance via email. The original copy of the “Application Form for an Internship for Continuing Education Purposes” must be submitted at a later date.
Please note: In principle, all internships lasting more than 3 months are subject to the minimum wage requirement.
Exceptions are (cf. § 22 MiLoG)
- Mandatory internships (Section 22 (1) No. 3 MiLoG)
- Voluntary internships that do not last longer than 3 months and are carried out as an orientation or (university) training internship (§ 22 Para. 1 No. 2 + 3 MiLoG)
There are no exceptions for graduates.
As of January 1, 2026, the statutory minimum wage is 13.90 euros gross per hour. The employment must be full-time. If the weekly working hours are less than 40 hours, it must be explicitly stated that the number of hours corresponds to full-time employment. Scholarships, commitment statements from third parties, and similar payments cannot be counted as a substitute for wages.
Contact persons
Christian Erkenbrecher
