Tuition Fees for Students from Non-EU Countries

Source: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees/tuition

At the Technical University of Munich (TUM), tuition fees are charged for international students from third countries who newly enroll in a degree program starting in the winter semester of 2024/25.

On this page, you can find out who these tuition fees apply to and how TUM uses them to improve studying and teaching for all students.

The most important facts in brief

• Studying at TUM is free of tuition for
• students from Germany, the European Economic Area (EEA, includes the member states of the EU + Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or equivalent states as well as from states with corresponding agreements.
• students who have acquired their higher education entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur) or an undergraduate degree (e.g. Bachelor) in the German education system.
• students who are already enrolled at TUM prior to the winter semester 2024/25 and are continuing their degree program.
• doctoral students and guest students
• degree programs leading to a state examination, as well as modular and other studies.
• persons who are enrolled at TUM as part of their participation in the Studienkolleg.\ Please note: Participation in the Studienkolleg does not exempt from the obligation to pay tuition fees for a subsequent Bachelor’s degree program.
• the other groups of persons in the section “Who has to pay the tuition fees?”
• Based on the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG) (PDF, 1.08MB), TUM will charge tuition fees for international students from third countries from the winter semester 2024/25.
• The tuition fee for a program is based on the field of study and will be announced in November 2023 for each Bachelor’s and Master’s program. The tuition fee per semester will usually be 2,000 or 3,000 euros for Bachelor’s programs and 4,000 or 6,000 euros for Master’s programs. You can find a list with the tuition fees for each program here.
• The tuition fees will be used primarily to improve study conditions, such as the further development of teaching, the expansion of advising and support services, and the improvement of student infrastructure.
• The introduction of tuition fees for international students will be structured in a socially responsible manner by creating opportunities for waivers and scholarship programs.
• To get an initial assessment of whether you are subject to tuition fees, you can use the tuition navigator.

What type of program are you applying for?

From the winter semester 2024/25, tuition fees for international students from third countries will only be charged for newly enrolled students in Bachelor's and Master's degree programs.

Please choose ... Bachelor's or Master's degree Doctorate, guest studies, preparatory studies (Studienkolleg), exchange studies, other

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Why are tuition fees charged?

As a leading international university, the Technical University of Munich is committed to offering our talented students the best possible conditions to develop their skills and personalities. Every year, more and more young people from all over the world place their trust in the opportunities that TUM offers them for their future. We want to continue to live up to this trust and give our students access to outstanding education and training.

To achieve this, it is essential to offer not only outstanding personalities in research and teaching, but also the highest standards of infrastructure, equipment, study areas, management, and support for our students. Within Germany and the EU, there are mechanisms and agreements in place that allow the financing of studies from public funds. In order to enable international students from third countries who are not part of this education system to study at TUM, we charge fees for international students from third countries. These fees benefit all students by ensuring sustainable and excellent study and learning conditions.

Who has to pay tuition fees?

All international students from third countries must pay tuition fees if they enroll in a new degree program at TUM. This also applies to third-country nationals who have obtained a European Abitur, an International Baccalaureate, or a mixed-language International Baccalaureate outside Germany.

The following groups are exempt from tuition fees:

• Students who are already enrolled in their degree program at TUM before winter semester 2024/25. They do not have to pay tuition fees for their further studies in their current degree program.
• Students who have acquired their higher education entrance qualification within the German education system (e.g. Abitur) or via a degree program with a standard duration of study of at least 6 semesters, which they have successfully completed at a German university. The final examination at the Studienkolleg does not count as a German higher education entrance qualification. Students who qualify to study at TUM via the Studienkolleg are subject to tuition fees.
• Students with citizenship from the following countries or regions do not have to pay tuition fees to study at TUM:
• Germany
• All EEA countries (EU + Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway)
• All countries with corresponding agreements.
• Family members of EU citizens with the right of permanent residence

• Persons with an established domestic connection, regardless of their citizenship. Established domestic connection means

• You have lived in Germany for a total of at least 5 years before starting your studies and were regularly employed or

• at least one parent has been in Germany for a total of at least 3 years during the last 6 years and was regularly employed.
• Students with disabilities
• Foreign nationals with a permanent residence permit
• Students seeking asylum who are nationals of a country with a special protection quota can have their tuition fees for international students from third countries waived on application. Further information can be found on the site on scholarships and waivers.\ \ Please note: Persons entitled to asylum and recognized refugees are not automatically exempt from the obligation to pay tuition fees based on this status. However, if they are not exempt from the obligation to pay fees due to an established domestic connection, you can apply for a waiver due to social reaseons, which will be considered favorably. Further information can be found on the site on scholarships and waivers.\
• Students who are entitled to receive educational support for other reasons in accordance with § 8 BAföG

Students in the following programs are also exempt from tuition fees:

• Doctoral students
• Auditors
• Students attending the Studienkolleg.
• Students in exchange programs that are based on a corresponding regulation
• Students enrolled in degree programs leading to a state examination, or in modular studies or other studies.

Please note: Different regulations continue to apply for executive degree programs.

There are opportunities for particularly high-achieving or needy students to receive a scholarship or apply for a waiver of fees.

To get an initial assessment of whether you are subject to tuition fees, you can use the tuition compass.

What are the tuition fees for international students?

The tuition fees usually amount to

• 2,000 or 3,000 euros per semester for Bachelor's degree programs,
• 4,000 or 6,000 euros per semester for Master's degree programs.

You can find a list with the fees for each program here.

If you are enrolled in two degree programs at the same time (parallel studies), tuition fees apply for both programs.

Irrespective of the tuition fees, the semester fees must also be paid.

When do the tuition fees apply?

The tuition fees for international students from third countries will be charged from winter semester 2024/25 for new enrollment in a degree program at TUM.

All students who are already enrolled in a degree program at TUM before winter semester 2024/25 do not have to pay tuition fees for their further studies in this degree program.

When and how do I have to transfer the fees?

The payment deadline for first-time enrollment for the summer semester is March 15, for the winter semester September 15.

The payment deadline for re-enrollment for the summer semester is February 15, for the winter semester August 15.

Your transfer will appear in your TUMonline contribution account within approximately 5 business days. Your enrollment will not take place until payment has been received.

The total amount to be transferred is displayed in your TUMonline account, i.e. the sum of the semester fee and the tuition fees. Please pay this total amount in a single transfer to the following bank account:\

\ For payments from outside the SEPA area, please check with your bank if bank charges apply. Please indicate that all bank charges are to be paid by the remitter, including charges from intermediary institutions.  To do this, please inform your bank to select ‘OUR’ for the details of charges.

Please note: Payment in installments is not possible.

Do I have to pay tuition fees during a leave of absence?

International students who are subject to tuition fees are exempt from paying tuition fees during their leave of absence semester. The exemption is granted with the approval of the leave of absence.

Please apply for a leave of absence for the following semester as early as possible, i.e. by August 15 for the winter semester and by February 15 for the summer semester.

As soon as the leave of absence is approved, only the semester fee will be shown as outstanding in TUMonline and you can transfer it.

Here you can find all information on applying for a leave of absence.

In which cases can tuition fees be refunded?

If you disenroll within five weeks of the start of lectures, tuition fees already paid will be refunded. If you disenroll later, a refund is unfortunately not possible.

If you have already paid the tuition fees and then get awarded a waiver scholarship, the tuition fee will be reimbursed for the semester in which the waiver scholarship becomes effective.

What should I be aware of if I want to start a Master’s degree program at TUM after my Bachelor’s degree?

If you have completed a Bachelor’s degree at a German university, you are generally not required to pay tuition fees for international students from third countries for a Master’s degree. However, the Bachelor’s degree must be completed before the start of the Master’s program.

Please note: In order to avoid having to pay tuition fees, you must prove the successful completion of the Bachelor’s program before the enrollment deadline.

1. Please accept your study place, upload your signed application for enrollment in TUMonline, and transfer only the semester fee.
2. Please ask your departmental student advisor or the examination board of your degree program to ensure that your successful Bachelor’s degree is reported internally or that a preliminary certificate is issued.\ In this case, you do not have to submit anything by post apart from the application for enrollment.\ Alternatively, you can upload your preliminary certificate or your Bachelor’s certificate and your Bachelor’s diploma in TUMonline if you already have them.
3. You must disenroll from the completed Bachelor’s degree program no later than five weeks after the start of lectures  if you are paying tuition fees for this program. You can find the application form in your TUMonline account under “Documents”. All information on disenrollment can be found here.

After you have successfully completed your TUM Bachelor’s degree in due time, you will be permanently exempted from the tuition fees for international students from third countries the Master’s program. A retroactive exemption or refund after the enrollment deadline is not possible.

Please note: If you have not completed your Bachelor’s degree by this enrollment deadline (five weeks after the start of lectures), you must pay the tuition fees for the first Master’s semester or defer admission to your Master’s degree. You can defer admission by reapplying during the next possible application period.

I have studied for a Bachelor’s at a German university, but I do not yet have proof of the degree – do I have to pay tuition fees?

If you have completed a Bachelor’s degree at a German university, you are generally not required to pay tuition fees for international students from third countries for a Master’s degree. However, the Bachelor’s degree must be completed before the start of the Master’s program.

Please note: To avoid having to pay tuition fees, you must prove the successful completion of the Bachelor's program before the enrollment deadline.

1. Please accept your study place and transfer only the semester fee.
2. Upload your signed application for enrollment and authentic documents of your Bachelor’s certificate and Bachelor’s diploma in TUMonline before the enrollment deadline.\ \ Alternatively, If you do not yet have your final Bachelor’s certificate and your Bachelor’s diploma, you can upload your final transcript and a preliminary certificate as authentic documents. The preliminary certificate must prove that you have successfully completed the Bachelor’s program and have been awarded the Bachelor’s degree, including your final grade. The certificate must be issued by your university’s examination administration office with a seal and signature or be verifiable online. A so-called 4.0 certificate is not sufficient.

After you have successfully completed your Bachelor’s degree at a German university in due time, you will be permanently exempted from the tuition fees for international students from third countries in the Master’s program. A retroactive exemption or refund after the enrollment deadline is not possible.

Please note: If you have not completed your Bachelor’s degree by this enrollment deadline (five weeks after the start of lectures), you must pay the tuition fees for the first Master’s semester or defer admission to your Master’s degree. You can defer admission by reapplying during the next possible application period.

What should I be aware of if I want to change my TUM degree program?

If you want to change your degree program at TUM in the following semester, you should disenroll from your old degree program before the end of the semester; you can find the application form in your TUMonline account under “Documents”. All information on disenrollment can be found here.

If you do not disenroll in due time, the sum of the tuition fees for the old and the new degree program will be displayed in TUMonline, and you can only be enrolled in the new degree program if you transfer the full amount. A refund of the tuition fee is only possible if you disenroll from the old program no later than five weeks after the start of lectures. The application for a refund can be downloaded from the “Tuition Fees” section in yout TUMonline account.

What are the tuition fees used for?

The tuition fees for international students from third countries serve to further improve the quality and sustainable development of study and teaching for all TUM students. This includes:

• Teaching staff and persons for the supervision of our students
• Equipment and provision of teaching and study areas
• Teaching formats and materials
• Student services and advisory offers
• Expansion of the infrastructure required for students' residence

Will there be scholarships and waivers?

The Technical University of Munich already offers numerous scholarships for current and prospective students.

With the tuition fees for international students, new waiver scholarships are being created to enable as many committed and high-achieving students from all over the world as possible to study at TUM. Here you can find all information on scholarships and tuition fee waivers for international students from third countries.

What special regulations apply to students from Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom?

Due to intergovernmental agreements, the following special rules apply to students who are citizens of Switzerland, Turkey or the United Kingdom. These provisions always apply in addition to the other reasons for exemptions and waivers (established domestic connection, German Higher Education Entrance Qualification, etc.).

Students from Switzerland:

Students with Swiss citizenship are exempt from fees for international students if they have a sonstiges Aufenthaltsrecht – for example as an employee or self-employed person or as a member of their family. In this case, an exemption applies due to the established domestic connection.

Otherwise, studying a bachelor’s or master’s at TUM is subject to tuition fees for people with Swiss citizenship.

Students from Turkey:

Students with Turkish citizenship are exempt from the fees for international students if:

• at least one parent lives in Germany at the time of application and
• he parent living in Germany is or has been continuously and lawfully employed in Germany for at least one year or in the past for at least one year (self-employment is not considered employment in this case) and
• the applicant lives with their with the parent who meets the above criteria (main or secondary residence) at the time of application.

Otherwise, studying a bachelor’s or master’s at TUM is subject to tuition fees for people with Turkish citizenship.

Students from the UK:

Students with citizenship from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are exempt from the fees for international students if they were already resident in Germany before December 31, 2020 (“Brexit”).

Otherwise, studying a bachelor’s or master’s at TUM is subject to tuition fees for people with UK citizenship.​

Which rules apply to students who have fled Ukraine?

Ukrainian students are generally subject to tuition fees. However, if they can prove that they were resident in Ukraine on 24.02.2022 or later, and declare that they have left the country due to the war, they can apply for a waiver due to social reasons, which will be considered favorably. Further information can be found on the site on scholarships and waivers.