For German‑speaking bachelor's programs with restricted admission you register first at hochschulstart.de and later in the RWU application portal. For English‑taught bachelor's and master's programs (e.g., Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering & Embedded Systems) you apply directly through the RWU application portal, specifying in the form whether you also wish to apply for a room in the campus dormitories.

For the winter semester, the application period for English‑taught master's programs runs from 1 February to 15 April, while German‑taught bachelor's programs apply from 1 May to 15 July. For the summer semester, English‑taught bachelor's programs accept applications from 1 September to 15 November, and German‑taught bachelor's programs from 1 December to 15 January.

RWU does not award scholarships directly, but many external scholarship providers exist. You can check the DAAD scholarship database at www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/de/ or the nationwide scholarship portal at www.stipendienlotse.de. Foreign students at RWU may receive graduation grants from the Federal Foreign Office (AA) – an application form and a professor's recommendation are required.

International degree‑seeking students can apply directly for a limited number of rooms in several student dormitories: the "old Briach dormitory" (Briachstr. 10) with single rooms at €250/month, the "new Briach dormitory" (Briachstr. 2) with four‑room apartments at €325/month, as well as the Lazarettstraße and Eugen‑Bolz dormitories in Weingarten. Because the bus connection between Ravensburg and Weingarten is good, dormitories in Ravensburg (Weingartshof/Saumweg, Henri‑Dunant‑Straße) are also a good option. If you have not found a room by the semester start, you can book short‑term accommodation at the Ravensburg Youth Hostel or via AirBnB.

Within 14 days of your arrival, you must register at the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt). Since 1 November 2015, you need a "housing provider confirmation" from your dormitory – your housing provider must fill out this form before you register. You also need to apply for or renew your residence permit at the Foreigners' Registration Office; the permit is usually issued for one year and you must present renewed proof of financial means each year.

After completing your degree you must apply for a new residence permit. The residence permit is tied to the specific course of study at RWU, so it is lost when you finish your studies. To stay longer – for example to look for a job – you need to apply for a different type of residence permit, such as the job‑seeker permit for non‑EU graduates (generally allowing up to 18 months to find employment). The International Office can guide you through this process.

If you change your course of study or drop out, you lose the residence permit that was issued for that specific study program. In such a case you must immediately apply for a new residence permit if you wish to continue staying in Germany. The same applies if you change to a different university; the residence permit is tied to the original purpose and institution and does not automatically carry over.