Public universities in Germany charge almost no tuition, and that holds for students from the United States and the United Kingdom just as it does for Germans. What changes with your passport is everything around it: whether your school-leaving qualification gets you in, how you get permission to stay, which loans follow you abroad, and, for British students, what Brexit took away. This guide covers those differences.
Where tuition is free for you
- Germany: no tuition at most public universities, among them RWTH Aachen, FU Berlin and Universität Hamburg. You pay a semester contribution instead, €376.80 at FU Berlin and €402 at Hamburg for 2026–27. The exceptions: the state of Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students €1,500 a semester, and TU Munich has charged them since winter 2024.
- Austria: €726.72 a semester for students from outside the EU at the University of Vienna and TU Wien, low enough to sit beside the free options.
- Czechia: public universities such as Charles University are free when you study in Czech. Degrees taught in English charge fees.
Two countries often named in "study in Europe for free" lists no longer fit: Norway ended free tuition for students from outside the EU and EEA in 2023, and Iceland's public universities begin charging them from autumn 2027. For semester fees, proof of funds and living costs country by country, see what "free tuition" in Europe still costs.
Getting into a German bachelor's with a US diploma
A US high school diploma on its own is not enough for direct admission to a German university, says the DAAD, Germany's academic exchange service. These are the usual ways to close the gap:
- AP exams: a diploma together with Advanced Placement exams, and your GPA, can open direct admission. The subjects that count depend on what you want to study.
- A year or two of US college: credits from a US university that Germany recognises may help you qualify.
- Studienkolleg: otherwise, a one-year preparatory course that ends in an exam, the Feststellungsprüfung. Passing it lets you apply for a degree.
- The IB diploma: may give direct admission on its own.
Check your own qualifications against the DAAD's admission requirements before you plan around a German bachelor's. Most bachelor's degrees there last three years.
Taught in English? Mostly at master's level
Most of Germany's English-taught degrees are master's. English-taught bachelor's exist, but there are fewer of them and the choice depends on the subject. Most bachelor's are taught in German and ask for a language test such as TestDaF or DSH, and even some English-taught programmes set a German requirement. That is why many Americans and Brits take the free route at master's level, after a first degree at home.
No visa before you fly
US and UK citizens can enter Germany without a visa and apply for their residence permit at the local immigration office, the Ausländerbehörde, after they arrive. Germany's Federal Foreign Office gives the same right to citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
- Register your address within two weeks of moving in.
- Apply for the residence permit within the first 90 days of your stay.
- You can work only once you hold a permit that allows it.
You will also need the same proof of funds as any international student, €11,904 a year, usually shown with a blocked account. Details are on the pages of the German Missions in the United States and the German Embassy in London. Fintiba is one blocked-account provider.
Paying for it from the US: federal loans abroad
US citizens can use federal Direct Loans (subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS) for a full degree at a foreign university, as long as that university takes part in the federal loan programme. Pell Grants and other federal grants do not go abroad.
- You must be enrolled for the degree itself, in a programme of at least one year.
- Programmes taught partly or wholly by distance or online do not qualify.
- The FAFSA school search lists the foreign universities that take part, country by country. A school marked "deferment only" lets you defer loans you already have, but not borrow new ones there.
The rules are in the US Department of Education's answers for students at foreign schools.
What Brexit changed for British students
- EU fees no longer apply. British students now count as non-EU in most of Europe. Leiden University, for example, states that from 1 January 2021 UK nationals pay the non-EU/EEA fee. The exception is for UK nationals who already lived in the Netherlands and kept their residence through the Brexit procedure.
- Germany's free tuition is unaffected, because most of its public universities charge no one. Where Germany does charge non-EU students, in Baden-Württemberg and at TU Munich, UK students now pay.
- Ireland is the exception. Under the Common Travel Area, UK students are treated as home students in Ireland, and Trinity College Dublin says they may be eligible for the EU free fees scheme. Confirm your fee status with the university you choose.
- Student Finance England pays only for courses in the UK, so it will not fund a full degree in Europe (see who qualifies).
Covering living costs
Free tuition still leaves rent. Erasmus Mundus scholarships are open to every nationality, Americans and Brits included, and pay €1,400 a month on top of tuition for a joint master's in two or more European countries. The scholarship board lets you filter every funded route by your nationality, and our guide to universities with no application fee shows where applying costs nothing too.
Common questions
Is university free in Germany for Americans?
At most public universities, yes. Students from the United States pay the same semester contribution as German students, a few hundred euros, and no tuition. Baden-Württemberg and TU Munich are the exceptions: both charge students from outside the EU.
Do I need a visa to study in Germany as a US or UK citizen?
Not before you travel. US and UK citizens can enter Germany without a visa and apply for a residence permit at the local immigration office within the first 90 days of their stay.
Can I use FAFSA loans to study in Europe?
Federal Direct Loans can pay for a full degree at a foreign university that takes part in the federal loan programme. Pell Grants cannot be used abroad, and programmes taught partly or wholly online do not qualify.
Do British students pay EU fees in Europe after Brexit?
Generally not. Dutch universities, for example, have charged UK nationals the non-EU fee since 1 January 2021. Ireland is the main exception: under the Common Travel Area, UK students are treated as home students there.