IT Center Help

You are located in service: Identity Management

Guide for new students

Anleitung

Welcome to RWTH Aachen University!

This guide facilitates your introduction to RWTH’s basic IT services and will lead you step by step through all required registrations.
For a smooth process, we recommend following the sequence provided. We wish you every success with the setup.

1. Registration in the Identity Management

After your enrollment, you will receive an email with the subject "Willkommen an der RWTH - Welcome to RWTH Aachen University". This email contains a link with a ConnectMe coupon. Please use this link to register in Identity Management, the central user administration system of RWTH Aachen:

First, redeem the coupon.
At the end of the process, you will receive a username in the format ab123456 and a password. Keep those credential close, you will need them very frequently using the central login method RWTH Single Sign-On.
You will also be assigned the status student (RWTH).

Should you already have a username, connect your existing username when you redeem the ConnectMe coupon.
If you were previously enrolled at RWTH Aachen and still have an existing username, you will automatically be assigned the status RWTH student and do not need to redeem a code.

A synchronization process will then start, which may take up to 48 hours. During this time, you will not be able to access RWTH IT services.

Please wait the full 48 hours before continuing with the next step.

For Senior Citizens: Redeeming a coupon (German)

2. IdM Selfservice

After 48 hours, the system should have completed your registration. Login to IdM Selfservice and carry out the following actions:

Check that your personal data is correct.
If you wish, you can change your contact email address and your preferred name in IdM Selfservice.
Set passwords for your accounts.

3. Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA is mandatory at RWTH and protects the RWTH Single Sign-On as well as VPN access from unauthorized use.

With MFA, you verify your identity using two factors:

The first factor is your password.
The second factor is a so-called token that generates a one-time code.

We recommend setting up the following two tokens:

First token: TAN list - serves only as a backup token
Second token: Authenticator app - token for daily use

Please note: After setting up the first token, you will only be able to log in using your username, password, and a one-time code. Please make sure to set up the second token as well, as the TAN list contains only a limited number of one-time codes.

If you no longer have access to your tokens, your MFA needs to be reset.

For Senior Citizens: Setting up MFA (German)

4. RWTH email address

Students are automatically assigned a personal email address in the format firstname.lastname@rwth-aachen.de after redeeming the ConnectMe coupon. To access your mailbox, please proceed as follows:

If you have not already done so, change your password for the Service/Account RWTH-E-Mail in IdM Selfservice.
Log in using the RWTH MailApp.
Use your username in the format ab123456@rwth-aachen.de

Access to your mailbox is also possible via email clients. Configuration instructions are available for all supported applications (e.g., Outlook).

If you were previously enrolled at RWTH and still have an active RWTH email address, you may continue to use it.
If you were previously enrolled at RWTH but no longer have an active RWTH email address, a corresponding notice will be displayed in IdM Selfservice. You can then generate a new email address using the link provided there.

For Senior Citizens: Setting up RWTH email (German)

5. Student ID card (BlueCard)

You can now apply for your BlueCard.

The RWTH BlueCard is used:

as student ID card
as payment card int the canteens and cafeterias
as library card
for authentication during examd
for admission checks to university sports
for internal university elections

You can find further information and FAQs on the RWTH BlueCard website.
If you have any questions regarding the BlueCard, please contact the RWTH BlueCard Service Point directly.

6. Semester ticket

A few days after redeeming the ConnectMe coupon, you will automatically receive a linking code from ASEAG sent to your RWTH email address. This code is required for registration in the naveo app.

The codes are only sent weekly at the end of the week before the start of the semester (September/April). Only one week before the semester begins, the schedule switches to daily dispatch (Mon–Fri).

Please check your RWTH email inbox regularly, including your spam/junk folder.

You can find all information about the semester ticket and how to set it up in naveo on the semester ticket information page, which also includes an FAQ.
If you have further questions, please contact the semester ticket support team directly via email.

7. RWTHonline

RWTHonline is RWTH Aachen University’s central portal for managing studies and examinations. It is here where you organize your academic activities and access all study-related documents, such as certificates and your semester fee status.

Under Documents, you will find your enrollment certificate.
Under Courses, you can register for your classes.
Under My Courses, you can check the status of your registrations.

You can only access the course materials in RWTHmoodle if you have the status Assigned confirmed place in a course. Many courses consist of multiple types of events, such as lectures, tutorials and seminars. In such case, you need to register for each of these events.

A user guide for students and a documentation on RWTHonline are available. These resources are only accessible from within the RWTH network (via VPN or eduroam, see below).

For Senior Citizens: Introduction to RWTHonline (German)

8. RWTHmoodle

RWTHmoodle is RWTH Aachen University’s teaching and learning platform, through which students gain access to the digital learning spaces of their courses.

Some courses do not have their own course room (e.g. tutorials even if the lecture associated with them has a course room in RWTHonline). If a course room is missing even though you have been assigned a confirmed place, please check whether you are registered for all course rooms associated with the lecture.

A Quick Guide and an FAQ on RWTHmoodle are available.

For Senior Citizens: Introduction to RWTHmoodle (German)

9. VPN (Virtual Private Netzwork)

You can use VPN to obtain a secure, encrypted connection to the RWTH network. This enables you to access services that are only reachable from within the RWTH network, even when they are off campus (e.g., at home).

You automatically receive a VPN account after redeeming the ConnectMe coupon. To make use of this account, please complete the following steps:

If you have not already done so, change your password for the Service/Account VPN in IdM Selfservice.
Install the Cisco Secure Client (AnyConnect), e.g., for Windows or macOS.
For the connection, enter the following information:
- Server: vpn.rwth-aachen.de
- Tunnel: Full Tunnel (all traffic routed through the RWTH network) or Split Tunnel (only RWTH internal addresses routed via VPN)
- Username: your username in the format ab123456
- Password for VPN
- Answer: one-time code from your token

10. eduroam (Wi-Fi)

eduroam is the Wi-Fi network that is available throughout the campus of RWTH Aachen University. To access eduroam, follow the steps below:

Configure your device automatically.
Generate eduroam login credentials in the eduroam device manager.

11. Microsoft 365

RWTH students can use Microsoft 365 (Office) free of charge. Two steps are required for this:

Activation in IdM Selfservice
Login

last changed on 12/10/2025

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike 3.0 Germany License