Enquire Now

BSBI  

If you intend to visit the BSBI campus, for classes or administrative purposes, then you must adhere to the rules outlined in BSBI’s hygiene and protection policy.

In line with the regulations set out by the Berlin Senate, here are the new updates about rules for the BSBI campus:

  • Class will be held online. Exceptions are:
    1.     Mandatory classes that cannot be carried out digitally, such as laboratory or workshop internships, practical sports exercises or artistic lessons at art and music colleges as well as practical lessons in medical-clinical courses.
    2. Presence (face-to-face) teaching for introducing new students / freshmen and international students who are starting their studies in Berlin for the first time.
  • In these exceptional cases, the maximum number of participants of 25 students should not be exceeded.
  • It is compulsory to wear mouth and nose protection at all times, including in face-to-face classes and the use of workplaces such as the computer room. In the offices of the universities, it is still mandatory to wear mouth and nose protection at all times, except when seated at your desk.
  • Administrative and research operations on the campus can continue in compliance with the applicable hygiene and spacing requirements.
  • The college is closed to the public. Only university members (staff and students) are allowed on campus.
  • For test and trace purposes, when arriving on campus all students must sign in at reception providing their Student ID number, a contact telephone number, and the arrival and departure times. This documentation must be keep for four weeks then destroyed.

COVID-19 regulations in Berlin

Due to the drastic increase in the number of infections, the Berlin Senate, in coordination with the German government, decided to carry out a controlled and time-limited “partial lockdown” for four weeks starting Monday 2nd November 2020.

Here is an overview of the most up-to-date regulations you need to follow in Berlin to keep yourself and others safe.

General Social Distancing and Masks

  • Keep social distancing of at least 1.5 metres from anyone outside your own household, and practice basic hygiene like hand washing.
  • Wearing a mask is compulsory in shops, on public transport and in taxis, in schools (outside of lessons and other activities), in offices, in medical practices including hospitals and nursing homes, - pretty much anywhere where people gather for a longer period of time.

Workplace

  • Companies are urged to enable their employees to work from home or mobile work from home, wherever this is possible.

  •  Those who continue work in an office or administrative building, wearing a mask is  compulsory at all times, except when sitting at your desk.

Shopping

  • Shops continue to be open but one person per 10 sqm of sales area and customer must wear masks at all times.
  • Masks (or mouth-nose protection) must be worn in outdoor markets, busy shopping areas, and shopping malls.
  • Masks must also been worn on the following popular shopping streets: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Rosenthaler Platz, Alexanderplatz, Rathausstraße, Bebelplatz, Hackescher Markt, Lustgarten, Leipziger Platz, Pariser Platz, Unter den Linden, Karl- Liebknecht Straße, Potsdamer Platz, Washingtonplatz/Europaplatz, Turmstraße, Kottbusser Tor, Lausitzer Platz, Boxhagener Platz, Hermannplatz, Hermannstraße, Sonnenallee, Breitscheidplatz, Hardenbergplatz, Olympischer Platz, Wittenbergplatz, Tauentzienstraße, Wilmersdorfer Straße, Kurfürstendamm, Altstadt Spandau, Schloßstraße, Bergmannstraße, Karl-Marx-Straße, Bölschestraße, Friedrichstraße, and Alte Schönhauser Straße.

Bars and restaurants

  • Bars, restaurants, and pubs must close to the public.
  • Restaurants, snack bars and cafes can provide takeout and pick-up services only.
  • Spätis (late night kiosks) must be closed between 11pm to 6pm.
  • The operation of canteens is still allowed - a maximum of two people are allowed to sit at one table.

Socialising

  • Everyone is urged to avoid all non-essential contact with people outside of their own household.
  • A maximum of ten people or the members of two households can meet in public.
  • Private indoor events can be no bigger than the members of one household plus five other people.
  • Outdoor events can have maximum 100 participants.
  • An upper limit of 50 participants in events applies in closed rooms.

Sports

  • Sports facilities, including gyms, dance studios, and swimming pools, must remain closed. 
  • Saunas and thermal baths are also not allowed to open to the public.
  • Individual sports may be practiced alone, in pairs or with members of your own household.
  • These restrictions do not apply to children under the age of twelve as long as they exercise outdoors and in fixed groups.

 Culture, leisure, and nightlife

  • Discos and night clubs must remain closed.
  • Theatres, operas, museums, concert halls, cinemas and amusement parks, amusement arcades, casinos, betting shops and similar facilities must be closed.
  • Cosmetic studios, massage practices, and tattoo studios must remain closed.
  • Medically necessary body-close treatments, such as physical therapy, may continue to be offered.
  • Hairdressers are also allowed to open in compliance with the hygiene regulations.

Hospitals

  • Patients can only be visited by one person for an hour per day (Exception: seriously ill and palliative patients).
  • Expectant mothers can select one person to attend the birth.
  • New mothers also have to pick a single person for a one-hour daily visit, though that person can bring the baby's under-16 siblings.

Travel from abroad

  • Anyone arriving in Berlin from a location on the Robert Koch Institute’s risk area list must self-quarantine for 14 days after entry - and inform the local Gesundheitsamt of their arrival.
  • Excluded from the quarantine requirement are people with both a medical certificate (doctor's note) and a negative test result. The test must be performed within 48 hours of departure or 72 hours within arriving in Germany – though you'll have to remain in quarantine until you have a negative result.

Please note: On 8th November this regulation will change. All travellers from a designated risk-area will be required to quarantine for 10 days but can take a test from the fifth day. If the test result is negative, their quarantine ends. 

Travel within Germany

  • All but non-essential travel is advised against, this includes for touristic purposes.
  • Ban on overnight stays for tourists: Hotels and accommodation providers are not allowed to offer overnight stays to tourists.

Fines

Anyone who does not comply with the applicable rules of the ordinance can be fined. Here is an overview of the relevant fines that could apply to you:

  • Not maintaining social distancing of at least 1.5 metres: €100 to €500
  • Not wearing a mask when required: €50 to €500
  • Quarantine not observed upon entry: €100 to €5000
  • Visitors received during quarantine: €500 to €5,000 (€300 to €1000 for the person visiting)
  • Noncompliance with duty to report to health authorities upon entry: €500 to €2500 euros
  • Being in public spaces between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. with persons other than those permitted: €50 to €500
  • Giving false, incorrect, or incomplete information for attendance documentation: €100 to €1000

In the case of repeated violations will result in severe fines.

If you are studying at our university and have tested positive for Covid-19, please take the following measures immediately:

  1. Inform the authorities 
    If you have not already, first inform your local health authority of your positive test result. Which health authority you need to contact depends on where you live. To find the right contact details quickly, use the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) database available here at tools.rki.de/PLZTool/
  2.  Inform BSBI
    Please inform BSBI by emailing by to our crisis management team at corona@berlinsbi.com. This information is treated with the utmost confidentiality. Reporting to us is important to ensure that we contact and trace any persons you may have come into contact with on the campus. We have to guarantee this traceability in order to be able to offer teaching and meetings in presence.
  3. We contact and trace 
    In consultation with the crisis management team, BSBI will take the next steps and first inform the respective group of your degree programme about a Covid 19 case - without mentioning your name, of course. In order to prevent Covid-19 from spreading throughout BSBI, the affected group must not enter the university premises for 14 days.
  4. Quarantine and get well 
    Please make sure you follow the instructions of your local health authority. This also applies to quarantine. Please stay at home and get well again! We are fully able to assist your online with your learning and administrative needs. We ask that you do not visit the campus until you have fully recovered.

If you have any questions related to COVID-19, please contact us by e-mail at corona@berlinsbi.com or studentservices@berlinsbi.com

Covid-19: What do I do if I think I might be infected?

If are displaying symptoms and think you may potentially have become infected with COVID-19, please follow the steps below

  1. Call your doctor
    Call your doctor and inform them of your symptoms. Either your doctor will offer you a test or they will inform you which testing centre you should call to arrange an appointment. If your doctor refers you to a testing centre, contact them and book an appointment. They may request you send them a copy of your health insurance card. They will give you an address, date and time for a corona virus test. Please do not go to a testing center or your doctor without an appointment.
  2. Inform BSBI
    Please inform BSBI by emailing by to our crisis management team at corona@berlinsbi.com.This information is treated with the utmost confidentiality. Reporting to us is important to ensure that we contact and trace any persons you may have come into contact with on the campus. We have to guarantee this traceability in order to be able to offer teaching and meetings in presence.
  3. Get tested 
    The test centre or your doctor will take a throat and/or nose swab to test for corona virus. This lasts only a few seconds. They will give you a piece of paper with a QR code you can scan in the Corona Warn app to receive your results. You must self- isolate at home until your receive your results.
  4. Report your result 
    Results are typically made available within 24 – 48 hours. If your result is negative, you will be notified via the Corona-Warn app, as long as you have scanned the QR code you were given. If you test is positive, please follow the steps outlined above in „Covid-19: What do I do in case of infection?“.

If you have any questions related to COVID-19, please contact us by e-mail at corona@berlinsbi.com or studentservices@berlinsbi.com

 

Click below to read about our Protection and Hygiene Concept

BSBI Protection And Hygiene Concept

Travel to Berlin from abroad

From 8th of November all travellers arriving in Berlin from a location on the Robert Koch Institute’s risk area list must:

1. Inform their local health authority (Gesundheitsamt) of their arrival

2. Quarantine for 10 days minimum

You can request a COVID-19 test from the fifth day of your quarantine. If the test result is negative, their quarantine ends.

To request a test, you will need to contact your local health authority again.

 

Travel within Germany

• All but non-essential travel is advised against, this includes for touristic purposes.

• Ban on overnight stays for tourists: Hotels and accommodation providers are not allowed to offer overnight stays to tourists, both domestic and international.

‘Corona Warning’ app launched

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s public health institute, has launched the Corona Warning app for Germany. The app will help the country in the fight against COVID-19, much like social distancing, hygiene measures and face masks. The aim is to quickly track and break through potential infection chains. 

How does the app work?

The app remembers your encounters with others and sends you a notification when you have had contact with anyone who is infected. However, at no time does it collect information on the identity of its users. User privacy is absolutely protected - who you are and where you are remains anonymous.

Download the app

Travel updates

The EU has named 14 countries whose citizens will be permitted to travel to the EU from Wednesday 1 July - these include: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.

China may be added to this list, but this is dependent on confirmation of reciprocity. This list of ‘safe’ countries will be reviewed and updated every two weeks by the German government.

Travel within EU member states and Schengen countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway* and Switzerland) as well as to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City is possible.

All non-essential travel to/from a non-EU country is strongly advised against until Monday 31 August 2020. For anyone who must travel prior to this date, it is highly likely that there will be quarantine measures you must adhere to upon arrival at your destination. BSBI strongly recommends that you check with both the Foreign Ministry of Germany and your country of destination/departure before booking any travel.

BSBI is fully operational and able to service students both in their home country and in Germany. You can join any of our three 2021 intakes: February, May, and October.

BSBI recognises that many countries have been impacted by lockdowns and restricted services to prevent the spread of the virus. This might mean you will not be able to obtain your visa or to fly to Germany. As such, our hybrid learning plan offers students the chance to start their studies online and fly to Germany at a later date once they have obtained their visa.

Alternatively, we offer all students the option to defer to a later intake if they are unable to obtain a visa due to the crisis.

BSBI is still encouraging prospective students to apply to courses as seats numbers are limited for the upcoming intakes. We have several measures in place including intake deferrals and the possibility to start the intake online with our live webinars and academic content. Once the borders are open again we will deliver face-to-face classes as usual.

BSBI regularly updates all students about COVID-19 measures on both the BSBI campus and in berlin via email and via our website to ensure everyone is aware of the actions we are taking. You can visit our website to keep up to date: https://www.berlinsbi.com/information-on-coronavirus-for-students/

BSBI trains its consultants and commercial partners in such as way that we always recommend you communicate with them first. In case further information is needed please contact info@berlinsbi.com.