International Student ID Cards (ISIC)
Having a valid student ID while traveling allows you to gain access to a large number of discounts, ranging from restaurants, to museums, to accommodations, to travel, and more. While a number of student discounts will be accepted with most American student IDs, there are many cases in which a student ID won't be accepted. In Germany, and most other countries in Europe, it is standard to issue student IDs with start dates, specific semesters of matriculation, or issue a new ID each semester (the case here in Dresden). As such, a number of university and college IDs from the US will cause you trouble if you try to take advantage of student discounts. For anyone who is studying abroad as part of their degree from the US, the International Student Identification Card (ISIC) can help.
You'll need:
- A government issued ID (i.e. a driver's license or passport)
- Proof of your current full-time student status (i.e. tuition receipts, schedules, transcript that states the expected date of degree completion)
The card can be issued to anyone between the ages of 12-30, meaning that younger students (perhaps on a school trip), can purchase one, and receive all of the same discounts. They are also valid for 16 months from the date of issue, meaning that for someone taking a semester abroad, you can make use of the card before and after your trip.
At an additional cost, traveler's insurance can be purchased at two different tiers (Basic and Explorer), the former of which is a reasonable deal for those who need to provide proof of insurance to their university, but don't want to buy full insurance in Germany (the plan is in line with many plans offered by traveler's insurance companies).
Notes:
The card can also be used as a pre-paid debit card (through Mastercard), but you should look closely at the fees charged by your home bank or credit card company, in order to determine if using this function of the card is worthwhile, as your existing fees may turn out to be lower than those offered by the company.
The ISIC organization also offers pre-paid cell and data plans. While attractive compared to many offerings from US companies when you try to activate your plan to work overseas, you're much better off going ahead and purchasing either a pre-paid or pay-as-you-go SIM card in Germany itself. There are a number of major and smaller cellular carriers over here which offer them, at a range of prices and value, from as little as 5-10 Euros.
It's worthwhile to look up the different discounts that you can make use of prior, during, or after your time in Germany before you pick up the card, in order to factor it into your planning.