International students that want to apply to study in Germany should normally apply direct to the International Office at the higher education institution of their choice. As soon as you have received notification of admission from the International Office and taken a language test, you can register as a student at the respective institution of higher education. Closing date for admissions applications at the Foreign Student Office are July, 15th for the following winter semester and January, 15th for the following summer semester.

The universities in Germany are open to students from all countries. Currently in Germany there are about two million enrolled students, 250,000 of them are international students. With over 10 % international students Germany is the world’s favorite place to study! The diversity of Germany’s higher education system may perhaps confuse you as your start, but it enables you to make the best choice for your future studies.

• For Postgraduate/Professional Courses : GRE, GMAT
• English proficiency tests : IELTS, TOEFL
• Anyone wanting to study in Germany needs an adequate knowledge of German. International applicants must complete a language test before enrolling.

*Tests: TestDaf (Test of German as a foreign language), DSH (German language test for admission to university for international applicants)

ERASMUS MUNDUS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IN GERMANY
German colleges and Universities participate in quite a number of study programs which are funded by Erasmus Mundus Scholarships. The scholarships allow international students to pursue a participating Erasmus Mundus study program for free.
GERMAN FOUNDATIONS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
A number of political and religious foundations in Germany offers scholarships to international students from various backgrounds, interests, and qualifications. Studentwerk-berlin.de outlines them in this list. Heinrich Boll Foundation Scholarships is an example of a scholarship offered by a German political foundation while KAAD Scholarships is an example of a scholarship offered by a religious foundation in Germany.

Anyone wanting to study in Germany needs health insurance – without this you won’t be able to enroll in a German university. To study in Germany you need health insurance. Many students will be able to use their health insurance from their home country. Germany has concluded social insurance agreements with some countries, including the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area. This means that anyone who has statutory health insurance in their home country can register this insurance cover with a statutory health insurer in Germany. To find out the best way of doing this you will need to contact your local health insurance company. You generally need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Private health insurers from other countries are sometimes also recognized in Germany. Your local insurer will be able to provide more information. In this case, you will need a confirmation certificate to enroll in the university. Anyone commencing their studies in Germany with private insurance is then not allowed to switch to a statutory health insurer for the entire duration of their course.

• Germany’s tradition of research and innovation is a huge factor for its favourable economic situation. The 33,000 patent applications are evidence of Germany being at the forefront of European Innovation.
• Although the biggest 30 corporations such as Volkswagen, BASF, Siemens and Allianz contribute significantly to Germany’s competitive advantage and innovation, there are thousands of SME’s across a diverse range of sectors, particularly from Mechanical Engineering as well as Nano and Biotechnology that have a substantial impact in advancing innovation and growth.
• Germany’s comparative advantage lies in designing and manufacturing complex high tech industrial goods that are largely used as capital goods and production technology.
• The biggest sectors by far are automotive manufacturing, mechanical engineering, electrical and chemical engineering employing over 3 million people and generating  revenues exceeding EURO 800 billion.
• Automotive manufacturing companies boast around 30% of internal spending on R&D, currently expanding expenditure on innovation in environmentally friendly vehicles, improving diesel efficiency and hybrid drives as well as the implementation of power trains.
• Like all other OECD countries, the service sector is the major contributor of GDP employing almost 30 million personnel in commerce, hospitality, transport, finance and corporate services.
• Banking and Insurance is the central pillar of the service sector and is the core supporting system of all manufacturing and development activities.
• The German economy is embracing all relevant megatrends to provide mobility and security as well as increasing technical efficiencies in bettering power generation as well as improving urbanized societies to be at optimal efficiency.
• The Energy Efficiency Sector, Energy Storage and Fuel Cell Industry, Nanotechnology as well as the Safety and Security Industries are amongst the anticipated areas indicating strong prospects for the future.

• As of October 2014, all of the Universities are free of charge; Germany has finally approved the abolition of tuition fees in the country. However before you get ahead of yourself, there’s no such thing as free lunch; yes all of the Universities are free of charge now but there is this thing called “Semesterbeitrag” considered a semester contribution that is mandatory and it ranges from 250 to several hundreds of Euros depending on the University. The benefits of this so-called contribution are the access to free public transport in and around the city area which long-term saves loads and loads of money.

  Public transport in Germany is comfortable, fast and efficient. For the ones who appreciate weekend getaways and wish to explore the country, there is the Bahn- Card purchased annually that offers discounts ranging from 25%, 50% and 100%, basically a free ticket.

  The annual price of this card varies from 57 EUR second-class to 114 EUR first-class under the 25% discount up to the 100% discount costing 4080 EUR second-class and 6400 EUR first-class.

  Assuming that, while new in town one wants to share the apartment with a roommate, split rents in the common student neighborhoods go up to 300 EUR even cheaper, tax included. If you’re lucky enough to find out that you share the same interests with the roommate so you end up being friends you may as well start using the apartment fridge after all, split the food supply expenses and do some cooking of your own. In the end of a month you will end up saving a fortune.

  Cheaper rents for the ones not able to afford this kind of a lifestyle are offered by dormitories and student residences meanwhile the student Mensa has always hot soup, meat and “karttofel” for less than nothing.

  On the contrary, if you are used to having the space to yourself and most importantly can afford renting a flat on your own prices may vary from 350-800 EUR. The outrageously expensive deal breaker about renting on your own is the acquired deposition of approximately 1500 EUR in case any damage is done.

  Shopping for groceries and essentials monthly won’t escalate a sum of 100 EUR and if you are sharing it with the roommate even less. Cooking in is healthier, make’s a perfect hobby and saves tons of money. This is another reason why sharing the apartment with roommates is much more fun, you get to cook for each other and dine together while cooking for one person is usually dull and kills the joy.