Germany is experiencing a housing shortage for quite a while now, there is just too much demand and not much offer out there. Germany’s student housing shortage affects many young people including international students.

If you are coming to Germany as an international student get ready to put your name on a 6 month waiting list to for a student dormitory, prepare yourself a good resume and your best outfit if you are going WG hunting or if your wallet allows it get in line to reserve an Airbnb for the first few months after your arrival.

Don’t forget besides all these difficulties of finding a place to stay, in most of the cases you will have to pay a deposit of 2-3 months of reant and go through all sorts of administrative steps.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a one stop solution provider that helps you find a place to live, offers you the service to open your bank account from abroad and guides you through all the German red tape? Welcome to HESTIA!

As a 35 years old company specialised in student exchange and cultural immersion, we partnered up with Fintiba – the leading blocked account provider for Germany – to create a unique one-stop-solutions for international students: the home away from home!

HESTIA is an ASTUR brand that has one principal objective and that is to help you come to Germany. We want to make your international relocation simple, enjoyable and most importantly possible.

Hestia is part of ASTUR Education Group which has been in the market since 1986. With dedication to international exchange we have created the largest host family network in Germany and are proud to say that we have welcomed more than 400,000 students.

Hestia benefits from the experience and infrastructure of ASTUR and we understand our students needs, challenges and problems perfectly well, because most of our team members came to Germany as an international student themselves.

HESTIA connects you with a German Host Family: the HESTIA Family, that will give you a place to stay and welcome you in Germany. You will live with the family in a private room of your own. You will feel at home from the very first minute of your time in Germany.

Here is how it works in three easy steps:

The first step will be your application to the HESTIA programme. Make sure you provide us with all the necessary info to match you with a HESTIA family and fill your Application Form.

With more than 6000 host families in 40+ cities in Germany we can cover a large number of popular study destinations. Once you have signed up, our local staff will take care of your application and find a suitable host family for you.

Of course we try to match you with a family with common interest and respect your choices.

After we matched you with a host family you will get in touch with them and prepare your arrival.

You can schedule a video call with your HESTIA family to get to know them before your journey and to introduce them to your family.

We are currently offering Homestay Accommodation for international students in the Cities of Berlin, Munich and surroundings, Aachen, Hannover, Wiesbaden, Leipzig, Dresden, Bonn, Erlangen, Mainz, Göttingen, Freiburg, Koblenz, Potsdam, Villingen-Schwenningen and Fulda.

There will be more destinations to choose from soon.

Staying with a HESTIA Host Family is an excellent experience for all international students. Not only will you be welcomed in an open minded family, but also you have the unique opportunity to get a head start and immerse in German culture.

All of our Host Families are thoroughly vetted and experienced with hosting international guests. Read more on our process of becoming a Host Family here.