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Most German public universities charge no tuition fees — you pay only a small semester contribution — while offering world-leading engineering, science and business programs. Germany is Europe's largest economy, so internship and graduate job opportunities are excellent.

No — and this is a real advantage. Australia is one of a small group of countries, alongside Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United States, whose nationals may enter Germany and then apply for the residence permit after arriving, at the local Ausländerbehörde. Everyone else studying for more than 90 days must hold a national visa before they fly. If you live in Australia on a student or temporary visa but hold a passport from any other non-EU country, you are in that second group — your Australian visa does not change it.

For 2026 the figure is €11,904, normally held in a blocked account (Sperrkonto), which works out at about €992 a month. If you are coming on the visa for seeking a place in higher education instead, the requirement is €1,091 per month. A scholarship or a formal declaration of commitment from a sponsor can be used in place of the blocked account.

Tuition at public universities is free for most programmes, including for international students — you pay a semester contribution of roughly €150–350, which usually includes a local transport pass. Baden-Württemberg is the exception and charges non-EU students around €1,500 per semester. Your real budget is living costs, and Germany fixes the number you must prove at €11,904 for 2026.

There are well over 1,000 English-taught programmes, concentrated at masters level, and for those you will usually need IELTS 6.0–6.5 or an accepted alternative such as TOEFL or PTE. Many universities waive English testing altogether if your previous qualification was taught in English, which covers most applicants schooled in Australia. German-taught programmes require German instead, typically B2 on the CEFR scale, evidenced by TestDaF or DSH.

Yes — 140 full days or 280 half days per year, or up to 20 hours per week. Jobs at your own university as a student assistant generally sit outside that cap. If you are in Germany on the nine-month visa for seeking a place in higher education, you may work 20 hours a week and also do up to two weeks of trial work.

Germany has a visa specifically for this: the residence permit for seeking a place in higher education gives you up to nine months in the country to secure admission or complete a preparatory or language course. You will need a school-leaving qualification that entitles you to study in Germany, the relevant language ability, and proof of €1,091 per month. It cannot be renewed for the same purpose, so treat it as a single window rather than an open-ended stay.

You can apply for an 18-month jobseeker residence permit, and during that time you may work in any occupation while you look for skilled employment — so the search does not have to be unpaid. Once you find qualified work, you convert to a residence permit for skilled workers or an EU Blue Card. After more than two years of employment, graduates of German institutions can apply for a settlement permit.