Germany vs UK
For Indian students — costs, work rights, visas and what we actually list, side by side.
| Germany | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgrad tuition / year | EUR 0 at public universities in almost every state (semester contribution EUR 150-350). Baden-Wuerttemberg: EUR 1,500/semester for non-EU. Private universities: EUR 10,000-30,000/yr | £12,000–£38,000/yr (higher for MBA/medicine) |
| Undergrad tuition / year | EUR 0 at public universities on the same terms; the semester contribution is the only compulsory charge | £11,000–£33,000/yr |
| Living cost / month | EUR 950-1,400/month (Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg at the top; Leipzig and Aachen well below) | £1,171/month outside London, £1,529/month in London (UKVI maintenance rates) |
| Work while studying | 140 full days or 280 half days per year without a permit; student assistant roles at the university are additional | Up to 20 hrs/week in term time (degree level), full-time during official holidays |
| Post-study work | 18-month residence permit to seek work after graduating, then an EU Blue Card or work permit. The Blue Card salary threshold is lower for shortage occupations such as IT and engineering | Graduate Route: 2 years for bachelor's/master's (if applying on/before 31 Dec 2026; 18 months from 1 Jan 2027), 3 years for PhD; no job offer needed |
| Main intakes | October (winter, the main intake) and April (summer, a smaller selection) | September/October (main); January/February (secondary) |
| English (typical) | IELTS 6.5 for most English-taught master's; German-taught programmes expect TestDaF 4 or DSH-2. An APS certificate is compulsory for Indian applicants | IELTS 6.0–7.0 overall (course-dependent) |
| Student visa | — | Student visa (the UK's points-based Student route, set out in Immigration Rules Appendix Student; it replaced the old Tier 4 (General) student visa) |
| Visa fee | — | £558 application fee, as published at gov.uk/student-visa — the same £558 applies whether you apply from outside the UK or extend/switch inside the UK, and £558 is also charged for each depe... |
| Visa processing | — | As published at gov.uk: "You'll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks" when applying from outside the UK (i.e. from India). If you are already in the UK and extending or switchi... |
| Funds to show | — | Two parts, as published at gov.uk/student-visa/money. (1) Course fees: enough to cover your course for 1 academic year (up to 9 months) — the exact amount is the figure stated on your CAS, m... |
| Universities we list | 4 | 103 |
| Programmes we list | 121 | 81 |
| Scholarships we list | 45 | 57 |
Costs and visa figures are the published ranges from official sources — your exact fee depends on the university and programme, and we confirm it free. Universities, programmes and scholarships are live counts of what we currently list, not the size of the country's whole sector.
Where UK comes out ahead
- More programmes with a fee we have checked against the university (45 vs 0).
- More universities live on Vibedu (103 vs 4).
- More scholarships we can point you at (57 vs 45).
- Post-study work: Graduate Route: 2 years for bachelor's/master's (if applying on/before 31 Dec 2026; 18 months from 1 Jan 2027)...
Germany vs UK — FAQs
5 questions
Compare the tuition and living rows above: Germany postgrad tuition is EUR 0 at public universities in almost every state (semester contribution EUR 150-350). Baden-Wuerttemberg: EUR 1,500/semester for non-EU. Private universities: EUR 10,000-30,000/yr. UK is £12,000–£38,000/yr (higher for MBA/medicine). Living costs and the funds you must show for the visa matter as much as tuition — we work out the all-in number for your city and course, free.
Germany: 18-month residence permit to seek work after graduating, then an EU Blue Card or work permit. The Blue Card salary threshold is lower for shortage occupations such as IT and engineering UK: Graduate Route: 2 years for bachelor's/master's (if applying on/before 31 Dec 2026; 18 months from 1 Jan 2027), 3 years for PhD; no job offer needed
Germany: 140 full days or 280 half days per year without a permit; student assistant roles at the university are additional UK: Up to 20 hrs/week in term time (degree level), full-time during official holidays
Neither is automatic. What actually decides it is documentation: funds held for the required period, a genuine study plan and a clean application. See our Germany and UK visa guides for each official process, fee and document list.
No. Shortlisting, applications, SOP/LOR/Resume and visa guidance are free — we are paid by partner universities, not by you.
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