42 Heilbronn: the Piscine, visas and moving to Heilbronn

42 Heilbronn is a full-time coding school without teachers or tuition fees: you learn through projects and peer review. It is supported by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation and partner companies. The campus is at Weipertstraße 8–10, 74076 Heilbronn.

I came to 42 because my master’s degree wasn’t giving me the practical confidence and experience I wanted. A friend of mine was living in Heilbronn, which is how I came to the city.

Admission and the Piscine

According to 42 Heilbronn, admission has four steps:

Register online (about 5 minutes).
Solve two logic games on your computer (2–3 hours).
Join an online introduction (about 1 hour).
Take part in the Piscine: a 4-week, full-time selection course in C programming, on site in Heilbronn.

The only formal requirement is being at least 18 years old.

The Piscine was intensive. I spent 9 or more hours a day on it, weekends included: there were “rushes” (group projects) on the weekends and an exam every Thursday.

Visa and residence: read this first

This is the most important point for international applicants. 42 Heilbronn’s own FAQ says:

Getting a visa to study at 42 Heilbronn is challenging and in most cases not possible. The exception is the dual study programme with Hochschule Heilbronn (HHN).
42 gives no official degree; you get a certificate when you finish.
A work visa after 42 is not possible without a prior degree or relevant work experience.

So if you come from outside the EU, check your residence status before you apply, for example whether an existing permit (such as a student permit for a degree programme) allows it. This is general information, not visa advice: ask the foreigners’ office responsible for you.

Housing

During the Piscine, 42 Heilbronn offers subsidised prices at a nearby youth hostel. For the main programme, 42 says living in or close to Heilbronn can be helpful.

I live in a shared flat for three people (WG) in Böckingen, a district of Heilbronn, and pay €415 a month (October 2026). To the campus it takes me 18 minutes by bike, or 20–25 minutes by bus.

The main programme

After the Piscine, the main programme is self-paced. According to 42 Heilbronn, students finish on average in 18–24 months. Students can apply for a scholarship.

Now I spend 5 days a week at 42, at least 5 hours a day on average. At first I was surprised that this way of learning could work, but so far it has been a really good learning experience: we learn by doing.

Every project is evaluated by 2–3 peers with different experience, and each of them has their own expectations and questions. Sometimes you have to explain your work as if to a child, and sometimes as if to a software engineer.

Your first weeks in Heilbronn

Register your address within 14 days: registration guide.
Offices and opening hours in the town hall: Heilbronn.
Money: student budget calculator.

This is general information, not legal, visa or tax advice. Rules can change and your case may differ. Always check with the responsible office.