Universität Hamburg: funding, eligibility and deadlines

What the funding covers

No tuition fees for international students on degree programmes.
A semester contribution of €402 for winter 2026/27, which includes the Studierendenwerk contribution and the semester transport ticket.
No living allowance from the university; for a visa, plan to prove €11,904 for your first year.

Open to all nationalities with qualifications recognised for the level you apply to.
Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German. Master's programmes vary — several are in English, each with its own language requirements.
Master's applicants must meet the programme's subject requirements, which are checked against your transcript.

Pick a programme and read its entry requirements and language rules.
Apply online through the university's application platform (STiNE). Upload documents only when asked; posted paper documents are discarded.
Winter-semester windows for 2026/27 were: master's 1 May – 15 June; bachelor's 1 June – 15 July. For a summer-semester bachelor's start, the window is 1 December – 15 January.
Check your programme page: some master's programmes set earlier deadlines for non-EU applicants (31 December in some cases).

Master's deadlines (mid-June) come a month before bachelor's deadlines — don't assume one date fits all.
Individual programmes can override the general dates. The programme page always wins.
Hamburg housing is expensive and competitive; start looking as soon as you apply.

Counting back from the next typical deadline (≈ Jan 15, 2027). Steps marked NOW are already due if you start today.

Oct 23, 2026Research the route in depth — confirm eligibility, costs and every required document

Nov 6, 2026Ask your referees (for a PhD, email potential supervisors with a short, specific pitch)

Nov 20, 2026Write the first full draft of your motivation letter or statement of purpose

Dec 4, 2026Order transcripts and certified translations · book any language test

Dec 18, 2026Second draft — get feedback from someone who reads critically

Jan 1, 2027Finalise every document and complete the online form

Jan 8, 2027Submit — never on the last day

Jan 15, 2027Typical deadline

Page reviewed Sep 24, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official source.