International students > Going Back Home
Going Back Home
When your stay in Copenhagen is coming to an end, you do not need to come by the International Office to de-registre. However, you are welcome to stop by if you need paperwork signed for your home university. Please also read the information below carefully.
Learning Agreement
Erasmus students who need to complete a Learning Agreement for their home institution need to make sure the agreement is singed by their departemental coordinator at the University of Copenhagen before coming to The International Office to get our signature.
Housing
Private Accommodation
Students living in private homes are advised to clean their rooms and to arrange for inspection of the room with the sublessor. This should be done prior to departure in order to ensure the return of the deposit. This is a way of avoiding any misunderstandings regarding cleaning or decoration of your room, which might otherwise result in extra bills after your departure.
Hall of Residence
If you are living in a hall of residence or a shared student apartment, you must remember to leave your complete set of keys and laundry card with the office stated in your contract no later than the last day of the rental period. Otherwise you will be charged for the change of the lock. In order to get your deposit back, it is very important that you make sure to leave your contact and bank details with the administration office in question. In some halls of residence, you may have to fill in a form before leaving.
You must clean and prepare your room as instructed in your Housing move-out guidelines. Do not underestimate how long it takes to carry out a thorough cleaning. You should not expect to be able to do a satisfactory job in only a couple of hours but rather allocate a full day to carry this out.
Most students should expect the inspection to take place in bulk after you leave as this is the system in most places (but not all, please check your housing offer). This means that you usually cannot arrange for a personal inspection. This way the staff of the International Office can give you the service of inspecting your room for free and within a very short time. The alternative would be to hire an inspector and this would not only result in the extra cost for you of his/hers salary but since it would also take much longer, you would be charged rent for 2-3 working weeks after the end of your rental contract in order to make time for all the personal appointments and prolonged inspection time. As the system is now for international students in most of the halls of residence the International Office has access to, you only pay rent for 3-5 days extra (when you are one of our students).
Access to KUnet and Alumni Email
The alumni email address is yours forever, and you can access KUnet and your e-mail account after you have returned to your home country. However, 18 months from the formal end date of your study period, you can no longer access KUnet. You will be directed to another option; access by VIP-email. Guidelines will show you how. If this does not work, please write to our IT Department at IT-service@adm.ku.dk
Notify the Registration Office
You MUST also notify the Danish Civil Registration Office of your departure. Send an e-mail to borgerservice@kk.dk indicating your name; day of birth; your address in your home country and finally your date of departure. The health insurance card should be handed back to the civil registration office; if you are pressed for time, please hand it in at the International Office with the same contact details as mentioned above.
Re-entry Culture Shock
For some, going back home can be as big a challenge as going abroad. You may have changed more than you realise, and will see things differently when you return back home. It can take time to settle back in, and this is often a big surprise to most students, as they are looking forward to going home and seeing family and friends again.
Prepare your Return
It is a good idea to start preparing oneself for the return by saying goodbye to people and places that have been important to you during your stay abroad. Try to think about how you may have changed and what you have learned, and allow people back home to adjust to these changes in you. Again it may be a help to simply be aware of it, and also if times get tough, try to recognise what you have gained and which skills you have acquired. Give yourself credit for it!
