The short answer: your Erasmus Berlin social life will probably start with ESN Berlin, the volunteer network that connects international and local students across the city’s universities, plus your own university’s welcome week and buddy or tandem schemes. Go to welcome events in your first fortnight, then build a weekly routine with two or three fixed points: a language tandem or exchange, a university sports course or club, and your class group. Berlin is huge and spread out, so routine matters more here than in smaller Erasmus cities.
Berlin is one of Europe’s most popular Erasmus destinations, and for good reason: world-class universities, a famous cultural scene, lakes and forests within reach, and a city that has room for everyone. It can also feel overwhelming. Friends who did Erasmus here describe the same first month: exciting, busy, but scattered, with new acquaintances spread across districts that are an hour apart. The students who built the strongest friendships were the ones who picked a few regular activities and stuck to them. This guide explains how the Erasmus network works in Berlin, suggests a weekly plan and covers the practical and safety basics.
Erasmus Berlin: ESN, buddies and tandems
ESN Berlin
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a non-profit, volunteer-run student organisation. In Berlin, its volunteers connect international and local students through events, trips and social activities, and Freie Universität Berlin points its incoming students to ESN Berlin’s website. Expect welcome events at the start of each semester, city tours, parties, cultural outings and trips. Sign up to the mailing list and social channels before you arrive so you do not miss the first events, which fill up fast.
University buddy and tandem schemes
Many Berlin universities and faculties run their own buddy or language-tandem programmes, often through the international office or language centre. Ask your international office in your first week what exists at your university and faculty; programmes and sign-up deadlines vary by semester.
Welcome week and orientation
Go to everything in orientation week: campus tours, info sessions, welcome breakfasts. It is the one time when everyone is new and actively looking for people. Swap numbers freely and join the group chats; you can filter later.
| Option | What it is | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESN Berlin | Volunteer network connecting international and local students: events, trips, socials | Varies by event | berlin.esn-germany.de |
| University buddy and tandem schemes | Pairing with local students, often via the international office or language centre | Usually free | Ask your international office |
| Language exchanges | Weekly exchange evenings in bars and cafés | Often free or a drink | our Berlin exchange guide |
| University sports | Courses and clubs organised by the universities’ sports centres | Usually low-cost per course | Your university’s sports centre |
Your first two weeks of Erasmus Berlin: a checklist
- Before you arrive: follow ESN Berlin, sign up for your university’s buddy or tandem scheme if it has one, and join any official incoming-student group chats.
- Days 1–3: register your address (Anmeldung) as soon as you can get an appointment, get a local SIM, sort out transport and find your supermarket.
- Week 1: go to orientation and at least two welcome events. Say yes to the group dinner afterwards.
- Week 1: sit next to different people in each class and swap numbers with two classmates.
- Week 2: sign up for one university sports course and try one language exchange. Note which you enjoyed: that becomes a weekly anchor.
- Week 2: suggest one small plan yourself: a walk at Tempelhofer Feld, a flea market on Sunday, a lake trip if the weather allows.
A weekly social plan for Erasmus in Berlin
| Day | Plan | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Mensa lunch with classmates | University canteens are cheap, social and full of people from your courses |
| Tuesday | Language exchange or tandem meeting | German practice plus new contacts |
| Wednesday | University sports course | Same group every week, many German students |
| Thursday | ESN or faculty event | Keep up with the wider Erasmus crowd |
| Friday | Dinner with a small group, then out if you want | Small groups make deeper conversations |
| Weekend | Flea market, museum, a run or a day trip to Potsdam or a lake | Shared adventures create shared stories |
Berlin also has free and low-cost weekly activities that mix students with residents: the Saturday parkrun in Hasenheide, free crew runs and community board-game nights. Our guides to running clubs in Berlin and board game cafés and game nights list verified options.
Meeting German students, not just other Erasmus
It is easy to spend a semester in Berlin entirely with other internationals. Many people later wish they had made more German friends. A few things help:
- Tandems. A weekly one-to-one with a German student learning your language is one of the most reliable ways into German circles.
- University sports. Sports courses are mostly attended by local students and meet weekly, with a natural “drink afterwards”.
- Group projects. Volunteer to work with German classmates; regular meetings and a shared goal build friendships.
- Student initiatives. Many universities have student-run groups for politics, sustainability, film, music and more. Joining one puts you in a local, recurring group.
- Be patient and specific. German students may be friendly but plan ahead. Suggest a specific day and activity rather than “let’s hang out sometime”.
For more on German friendship culture, see our guide on how to make friends in Germany as a foreigner, which explains Vereine, Stammtische and why plans are made in advance.
A few German social customs for students
- Du is normal among students. Use the informal du with fellow students; use Sie with professors and officials unless invited otherwise.
- Punctuality. Being on time for plans and seminars matters. If you are running late, message.
- Directness. People often say what they think. It is not rudeness.
- Splitting the bill. Each person paying for their own share is common; waiters may ask “zusammen oder getrennt?” (together or separately?).
- Quiet hours. Many buildings have quiet hours in the evening and on Sundays. Keep house parties considerate.
Practical basics that make social life easier
- Transport. At Berlin’s universities, the semester contribution usually includes the Deutschlandsemesterticket, a discounted version of the national Deutschlandticket that covers local and regional public transport across Germany. Whether you pay it as an exchange student depends on your enrolment, so check your host university’s fee sheet; Humboldt-Universität, for example, publishes its fees for the 2026/27 winter semester.
- Distances. Berlin is large. Living near your campus or near your social hub saves hours each week and makes it easier to say yes to plans.
- Budget. Mensa lunches, flea markets, parks and free museum days keep costs down. Set a weekly budget for nights out and trips.
- Language. You can get by in English in much of Berlin, but German helps enormously with admin and with local friends. Take a course from your first month; universities’ language centres often offer courses for international students.
WG life: your flatmates as your first friends
Many students in Berlin live in a Wohngemeinschaft (WG), a shared flat with other students or young professionals. A WG can be the fastest route to friendship, or just a place to sleep, depending on its culture. When you look for a room, ask whether flatmates cook or eat together sometimes, and whether they see the flat as a shared home or just a practical arrangement. Once you move in, small gestures go a long way: cook something to share in your first week, join the WG for a drink in the kitchen, and invite flatmates along to an ESN event or a flea market. German flatmates are often the best people to explain everything from recycling rules to which Späti (late-night corner shop) is best, and many Erasmus students say their WG was where they practised German the most.
If you live in a student residence instead, use the common room and the residence’s events in the same way. Knock on a few doors in week one, suggest a group dinner, and start a residence group chat if there is not one already.
How Berlin compares with other Erasmus cities
Berlin offers a vast cultural scene and a very international student body, but it is spread out and can feel less intimate than smaller Erasmus cities. Lisbon is sunnier and more compact around its centre; Prague is cheaper and very social. If you are comparing, see our guide to Erasmus in Lisbon, and our Berlin friendship guide for groups beyond student life.
Safety box: Berlin nights and new people
Common Erasmus mistakes in Berlin
- Only going to big parties. Fun, but you rarely see the same people twice. Balance them with small, repeated plans.
- Living far from everything. Long commutes eat into social time.
- Waiting to be invited. Everyone is new. Suggest plans yourself.
- Skipping German entirely. Even basic German changes how locals respond to you.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web and works in your browser, starting in Malta. The Android app is on Google Play; the iPhone app is not in the App Store yet. Open MeetNow and see the plans posted in Malta. (MeetNow is our own app.)
FAQ: Erasmus Berlin
How do I make friends during Erasmus in Berlin?
Go to ESN Berlin and university welcome events in your first fortnight, then build a weekly routine: a tandem or language exchange, a university sports course and lunches with your class group. Seeing the same people regularly is what turns acquaintances into friends.
What is ESN Berlin?
ESN Berlin is the Berlin section of the Erasmus Student Network, a volunteer-run organisation that connects international and local students through events, trips and social activities.
Does the Berlin semester fee include public transport?
At Berlin’s universities, the semester contribution usually includes the Deutschlandsemesterticket, valid on local and regional transport across Germany. Whether exchange students pay it depends on enrolment, so check your host university’s fee information.
Do I need to speak German for Erasmus in Berlin?
You can get by in English in much of Berlin, but German makes admin and local friendships much easier. Take a course and find a tandem partner early.
Which Berlin neighbourhoods are popular with Erasmus students?
Friedrichshain, Neukölln, Kreuzberg, Wedding and Moabit are popular for their mix of affordable rooms, bars and good transport. The best choice depends on where your campus is: Freie Universität is in leafy Dahlem in the south-west, while Humboldt-Universität and Technische Universität are more central, so check commute times before you sign a contract.
How do I meet German students in Berlin?
Join a language tandem, a university sports course or a student initiative, and volunteer for group projects with German classmates. Suggest specific plans, as many German students plan ahead.
