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Countries · Student guide

Germany

Complete guide for international students in Germany: bureaucracy, housing, budget, health, work, and finance.

Updated on Jul 28, 2026

Cost of living
Medium–high

Typical spending band for a student

Language
German

Main language to handle day to day

Currency
EUR

Local currency for banking and payments

Visas
Easy

Typical visa/permit process complexity

Overview

Germany offers low-fee public universities, but local bureaucracy (Anmeldung, health insurance, leases) is the real filter: plan your first documents early or delays stack up.

What really changes here

  • Anmeldung (residence registration) within days: without a registered address many steps stall.
  • Public health insurance (GKV) is almost mandatory for students under 30: fixed monthly premium.
  • Rent: Kaution up to three months, formal contracts, competitive WG market in university cities.
  • Transport: semester ticket often included in university fees — a car is rarely needed.
  • Payments: cash still common; Girocard/EC card essential for rent and groceries.
  • Bureaucracy varies by federal state (Land): same concepts, different timelines and forms.

Ideal if…

  • Low tuition at public universities and strong engineering/tech paths
  • Organised students with documents ready and patience for appointments
  • Those comfortable with written rules (leases, office hours, quiet hours)
  • Life in mid-size cities (Leipzig, Dresden) or campuses with guaranteed housing

Harder if…

  • Last-minute housing in Berlin/Munich without Schufa or references
  • You want to delay insurance and bank account before having an address
  • You expect fast email replies from public offices
  • Zero budget for deposit + first rent + insurance in the same month

Arrival checklist

First 7 days

  1. Temporary housing with a mailable address (even registerable sublet)
  2. Book Anmeldung at Bürgeramt / Einwohnermeldeamt
  3. Girokonto with German IBAN for Kaution and rent
  4. Enrol in student health insurance (TK, AOK, Barmer…)
  5. University registration + Studienbescheinigung
  6. German SIM or eSIM; save emergency numbers 112 / 110
  7. Activate semester ticket; map U-Bahn/S-Bahn to campus
Mistakes to avoid
  • Delaying Anmeldung past municipal deadlines — bank and permit slip
  • Signing a WG room without understanding Nebenkosten and house rules
  • Staying on travel insurance instead of GKV when GKV is required
  • Paying “agency fees” to unregistered intermediaries for housing

City guides

Cities in Germany

Neighborhoods, rent, universities, transport and safety: everything you need to choose where to move.

Berlino
  • from 550 EURroom/month
  • 5universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Berlin, the young and international German capital, is one of the great university cities in Europe with over 200,000 students between Humboldt, Freie Universität, TU and Charité. It has an excellent transport network, legendary nightlife and a unique startup and cultural scene; rents have grown a lot but remain lower than Monaco, Paris or London.

Open city guideMonaco di Baviera
  • from 600 EURroom/month
  • 5universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Munich, the capital of Bavaria and the richest and safest city in Germany, combines a very strong economy (BMW, Siemens, Allianz), a very high quality of life and proximity to the Alps. It is home to LMU and TUM, two of the best universities in Europe, with over 130,000 students; the downside is the cost of living, the highest in the country.

Open city guideFrancoforte
  • from 550 EURroom/month
  • 5universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Frankfurt, Germany's financial capital and home to the European Central Bank, is the most international and vertical city in the country (the "Mainhattan"). It hosts the large Goethe-Universität (~45,000 students) and a very strong job market between banks, consultancy and the largest German airport; However, the cost of living is among the highest in Germany.

Open city guideAmburgo
  • from 470 EURroom/month
  • 5universities
  • 7neighborhoods

Hamburg, a large port city in the north, is one of the richest and most liveable in Germany and an important university center (over 100,000 students between Universität Hamburg, TU Hamburg and HAW). Elegant and crossed by water (Alster, Elbe, canals), it offers one of the largest ports in Europe, the nightlife of the Reeperbahn and excellent transport; However, the cost of living is among the highest in the country.

Open city guideColonia
  • from 440 EURroom/month
  • 5universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Cologne, a lively metropolis on the Rhine, is one of the most open and young cities in Germany and a large university center (over 100,000 students, with one of the largest universities in the country). German media capital, famous for the Cathedral, Carnival and Kölsch beer, offers a good quality of life and more affordable rents than Munich or Frankfurt.

Open city guide
Move checklist Plan documents and deadlines step by step

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