<aside> 💡 Iscicle Tip: Curious to see what other students think you need before coming to the Germany as an international student? Create a post on iscicle.com to find out!

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Special thanks to Rebecca Fernandes for her efforts in putting together this guide.

Heading to Germany as an international student? You might be feeling a lot of different emotions: excited, nervous, confused, happy, nostalgic - whatever it may be, just know it’s totally normal for you to be feeling all sorts of things! We created this guide so you can at least not be stressed when it comes to figuring out how to navigate studying abroad in Germany

This guide includes information on the following topics (click to go directly to each section):

Terminologies

Words/Phrases You Should Know

| Additional Costs / Nebenkosten | In Housing: Additional costs apart from your rent. (For example: a Washing Machine / Dryer). In University (mostly private): Additional costs for books, facilities and campus fee. | | --- | --- | | BaföG | The most common form of education loan in Germany. It is a state-funded loan that is available to students based on their financial needs. | | Cold Rent and Warm Rent / Kaltmiete und Warmmiete | Cold Rent is basically your rent minus the heating and energy costs. Warm Rent is the final rent (in most cases) including heating and energy costs. When searching for apartments, always look out for the Warm Rent or Warmmiete, the difference is huge. | | Deposit / Kaution | The amount you pay upon signing a contract along with the rent. The deposit is usually 3x Cold Rent. Note: Never pay the deposit to anyone before actually viewing the apartment. | | NC or Numerus Clausus | You might come across this term when applying to universities. It basically means that the course has a restricted admission, meaning there are more applicants for the course than there are seats (applicants>seats). If your grades aren’t that great and don’t meet their minimum grading criteria for a course, you’re out of the application process. | | Preparatory College / Studienkolleg | A year long course for students who:

• Can’t attend university directly (CBSE Curriculum).
• Only completed 12 years of education in school.
• Wish improve their language skills. | | University Entrance Qualification / Hochschulzugangsberechtigung (HZB) | A term for school and university certificates which qualify you to study at a university in Germany. Primarily, your high school leaving certificate (depends on your country) or Preparatory College Certificate (Studienkolleg). | | Shared Apartment / Wohngemeinschaft (WG) | A living arrangement in which several tenants share an apartment (utilities), but have separate rooms (in most cases). |

Pre-Visa Application

Preparing to Study in Germany

1. Language Barrier - It is advised to learn the language till B1/B2 in order to get around and it makes it easier to find a part-time job.

• Levels / Niveau

1. University System - German Universities are either private or public. Private universities have a semester fee of over €2000. Public universities are NOT FREE either, but they have a lower semester fee of around €400. You need to have a HZB Certificate in order to qualify for studying in Germany.

2. Different Types of Universities - The most common universities for international students are:

   • University / Universität The traditional academic university.
   • Technische Hochschule (TH) / Technische Universität (TU) These universities specialize in engineering, technology, and natural sciences.
   • University of Applied Sciences / Hochschule They offer engineering, management, social sciences, product design, also math with a focus on application.
   • Fachhochschule These are more practice-oriented institutions that emphasize professional education in fields like business, engineering, and social work.

   Most students go to University, TH / TU and University of Applied Sciences.

   Note: If you have only completed 12 years of education in school, you’ll have to attend a preparatory college first or complete a year of education in a university (outside Germany) before applying.

3. University Application Sites - Most universities use their own application portal, uni-assist or hochschulstart. Go through your university website in order to find out the application process. Uni-assist is a paid portal where you pay €75 euros for a single application and €35 (each) additionally for multiple applications. You can use this website to find universities you want to apply to, and then apply via the above portals.

4. University Application Documents - The documents you typically need to apply to a German university are:

   • Completed Application Form - You can find the application form on the university’s application portal or through uni-assist, depending on the university’s process.
   • Recognized Foreign School-Leaving Certificate - Click here to see if you meet the requirements (Note: You may need to notarize your documents)
   • Certificates from previous university studies (if applicable)
   • Proof of Language Proficiency - C1 level for German and an overall score of 6.5 for IELTS. A Studienkolleg certificate is widely accepted as an alternative to a C1 language certificate; however, please double-check with your university.
   • Copy of your passport and a passport/portrait photo
   • Letter of motivation & recommendation letters (if applicable)
   • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
   • Standardized tests (if applicable) - TestAS may be required for certain universities.
   • APS Certificate / Akademische Prüfstelle - The APS checks the authenticity of educational certificates, and issues certificates if the result is positive (mainly for applicants with qualifications from China, India, or Vietnam)

   Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Please find the exact list and details on your university’s website!

5. Scholarships - There are government and organization-funded scholarships. Keep researching websites and update yourself with the deadlines: https://www.studying-in-germany.org/scholarships/.