# TUM, LMU, Heidelberg: Tuition Guide for International Students > Compare tuition fees, exemptions, and deadlines at TUM, LMU Munich, and Heidelberg University for non-EU international students in 2026. **URL:** https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/tum-lmu-heidelberg-tuition-guide-for-international-students **Last Updated:** 2026-05-26 **Tags:** resources, comparison, listicle --- Germany still offers some of the lowest tuition in Europe for international students, but the picture varies sharply between universities. At LMU Munich tuition remains effectively zero, Heidelberg charges €1,500 per semester for non-EU students, and TUM now charges per-program fees ranging from €2,000 to €6,000 per semester. Here is what each of the three actually costs in 2026 and how to apply. *Last updated: May 26, 2026* ## The Short Answer: What Each University Charges in 2026 The three universities sit at very different points on the cost spectrum. Use this table as a quick overview before reading the detailed breakdowns below. | University | Bachelor's (non-EU) | Master's (non-EU) | EU/EEA students | Admin/semester fee | |---|---|---|---|---| | TUM (Munich) | €2,000 or €3,000/semester | €4,000 or €6,000/semester | No tuition | Semester contribution via TUMonline | | LMU (Munich) | No tuition | No tuition (consecutive Master's) | No tuition | Basic Studierendenwerk fee only | | Heidelberg | €1,500/semester | €1,500/semester (consecutive) | No tuition | €161.10/semester | A few important notes on this table. TUM's fees only apply to non-EU/EEA students who enrolled from Winter Semester 2024/25 onward. Some TUM Master's programs (for example MSc Bioinformatics, Information Engineering, Land Management & Geospatial Science, Quantum Science & Technology, and Software Engineering) remain tuition-free for non-EU students, so always verify the figure on the specific program page. LMU has not charged general tuition since Winter Semester 2013/14, and its semester ticket fee was suspended in Winter Semester 2023/24 and has not been reinstated. ## TUM: The Outlier That Started Charging Tuition TUM (Technische Universität München) became the first Bavarian university to introduce tuition fees for non-EU/EEA international students under the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act of 2023. Fees apply only to students newly enrolling from Winter Semester 2024/25 onward. Who pays at TUM: - Non-EU/EEA international students in Bachelor's and Master's degree programs. - The exact amount depends on the program: Bachelor's are typically €2,000 or €3,000 per semester, Master's are €4,000 or €6,000 per semester. Who is exempt at TUM: - EU and EEA citizens. - International students holding a German higher education entrance qualification (such as the Abitur). - Students who already completed a German university degree of at least six semesters before starting a consecutive Master's. Proof must be submitted by the enrollment deadline (five weeks after the start of lectures). - Recipients of TUM's merit-based waiver scholarships or social hardship waivers. Key TUM deadlines (2026): - Master's applications for Winter Semester 2026/27: close May 31, 2026. - Bachelor's applications via uni-assist: by July 15, 2026. - Tuition payment deadline for first-time enrollment: March 15 (summer semester), September 15 (winter semester). - Re-enrollment payment: February 15 and August 15. TUM waiver scholarships: TUM offers merit-based waiver scholarships that cover tuition for two semesters and are renewable on re-application. The application windows are: - Master's, winter semester: January 1 to May 31. - Master's, summer semester: November 1 to January 15. - Bachelor's: May 15 to July 15 for the following winter semester. Need-based waivers also exist. These require documentation including up to 18 months of bank statements and household income proofs. Separate social hardship waivers are available for unexpected crises after enrollment. The exact additional semester contribution charged through TUMonline (covering student union services and similar items) is not published as a plain figure on TUM's public fees page. Check TUMonline (campus.tum.de) for the current figure before applying. ## LMU Munich: Effectively Free for International Students LMU (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) has not charged general tuition since Winter Semester 2013/14, and this applies to international students as well. There is no equivalent of the TUM non-EU fee. What LMU students actually pay: - No tuition for Bachelor's or consecutive Master's programs, regardless of nationality. - The basic Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern fee, charged per semester. The semester ticket fee was suspended in Winter Semester 2023/24 and remains discontinued, so the per-semester payment is meaningfully lower than at many other German universities. - Visiting students in the senior citizens' study program pay €100 (less than 5 hours per week), €200 (5 to 8 hours), or €300 (more than 8 hours) per semester. This does not apply to standard degree-seeking students. For the live figure on the basic Studierendenwerk fee, check the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern website, since LMU updates this amount each semester. What this means in practice: A non-EU Master's student at TUM could pay up to €12,000 per academic year in tuition, while a non-EU Master's student at LMU pays only the modest semester contribution. For programs offered at both universities, the financial gap is significant. Both are highly selective and both are based in Munich, so the cost-of-living component is identical. ## Heidelberg University: The €1,500 Baden-Württemberg Rule Heidelberg sits in the middle. Since Winter Semester 2017/18, all public universities in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg charge non-EU/EEA students €1,500 per semester. This is a state-level policy, not a Heidelberg-specific decision. Who pays at Heidelberg: - International students from non-EU/non-EEA countries holding a foreign university entrance qualification. - The fee covers Bachelor's, Staatsexamen, and consecutive Master's programs. Who is exempt at Heidelberg: - EU and EEA students. - International students who hold a German university entrance qualification (Abitur). - Students with a German Permanent Residence Permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) who have lived in Germany for 15 uninterrupted months. - DAAD EPOS-funded students from Least Developed Countries. - Under §6 of the state's Higher Education Fees Act (Landeshochschulgebührengesetz), Baden-Württemberg universities may exempt up to 5% of their international students. The criteria for these discretionary exemptions are set by each university. Additional fees at Heidelberg: All students pay a general semester administrative fee of €161.10 per semester. For non-EU students this is on top of the €1,500 tuition. For EU students it is the only mandatory charge. Annual cost example for a non-EU student at Heidelberg: - Tuition: €3,000 per year (€1,500 × 2 semesters). - Administrative fee: €322.20 per year. - Total to the university: roughly €3,322 per year, plus living expenses. ## Document Checklist for All Three Universities The core documents are similar across TUM, LMU, and Heidelberg, though each runs its own admissions portal. Bachelor's applicants from non-EU countries usually apply through uni-assist; Master's applicants often apply directly to the university. - Recognized secondary school leaving certificate (for Bachelor's) or Bachelor's degree certificate (for Master's), with certified translation if not in German or English. - Subject-specific transcripts and grading scale explanation. - Proof of German language proficiency (typically TestDaF or DSH) for German-taught programs, or English proof (IELTS, TOEFL) for English-taught programs. - Passport copy. - CV in tabular German or English format. - Motivation letter (especially for Master's programs). - Letters of recommendation (program-dependent). - Proof of financing for the student visa: a blocked account (Sperrkonto) holding at least €11,904 per year (€992 per month), as required for the 2026 student visa. - For tuition exemptions: documentation of German residence permit, Abitur certificate, or DAAD scholarship letter as applicable. ## Step-by-Step Application Timeline 1. 12 to 18 months before start: Confirm program eligibility, language requirements, and whether your home-country credentials are recognized. Use the DAAD database and each university's program finder. 2. 9 to 12 months before: Take required language tests and gather academic documents. Order certified translations early. 3. 6 to 9 months before: Submit applications. For Winter Semester 2026/27, TUM Master's applications closed May 31, 2026, and Bachelor's applications via uni-assist closed July 15, 2026. Heidelberg deadlines vary by program but typically fall in mid-July for winter intake. LMU deadlines also fall in July for most programs. 4. 3 to 6 months before: On receiving admission, open a blocked account, apply for the student visa at the German embassy in your country, and arrange health insurance. 5. Before lectures start: Pay the semester contribution and any applicable tuition. TUM's first-time enrollment payment deadlines are March 15 and September 15. 6. Within 5 weeks of start of lectures: Submit any tuition exemption documentation at TUM. After this window, exemptions for that semester are generally no longer granted. ## Common Pitfalls - Confusing TUM and LMU. Both are in Munich, but only TUM charges non-EU tuition. Applicants sometimes assume the Bavarian fee policy applies to LMU. It does not, at least as of 2026. - Missing the tuition exemption deadline at TUM. If you hold a qualifying German degree but submit proof after the five-week post-lecture deadline, you will be billed for that semester. - Underestimating the blocked account requirement. The €11,904 figure for 2026 is a minimum for visa purposes and does not include tuition. Non-EU TUM Master's students should plan for an additional €8,000 to €12,000 per year on top. - Assuming Heidelberg's €1,500 fee can be waived easily. The 5% exemption quota in Baden-Württemberg is small and the criteria are strict. - Forgetting the per-semester administrative fee. At Heidelberg this is €161.10 per semester for everyone. At LMU and TUM it varies and is published per semester. - Ignoring program-specific exceptions at TUM. Several Master's programs remain tuition-free for non-EU students. Always check the program page directly before deciding. If you are weighing options, it can help to compare with [studying at other European universities](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/studying-at-sapienza-university-of-rome-programs-tuition-timeline) and to look into [scholarships for international students](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/scholarships-for-international-students-in-italy-dsu-government-and-university-a) before committing. Budgeting also depends heavily on the city; for a benchmark on monthly costs in a comparable European student city, see this guide to the [cost of living for international students](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/cost-of-living-in-granada-for-international-students-2026). ## FAQs Is studying in Germany still free for international students? It depends on the state and university. LMU Munich and most universities outside Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria charge no general tuition, even for non-EU students. Baden-Württemberg charges €1,500 per semester for non-EU students. TUM in Bavaria charges €2,000 to €6,000 per semester for non-EU students who enrolled from Winter Semester 2024/25 onward. Can I avoid TUM's tuition fees? Yes, in specific cases: if you are an EU/EEA citizen, hold a German Abitur, completed a German university degree of at least six semesters before your consecutive Master's, are admitted to one of the still-tuition-free TUM programs, or receive a TUM waiver scholarship. Does Heidelberg waive the €1,500 fee for top students? Baden-Württemberg permits up to 5% of international students to be exempted under §6 of the Higher Education Fees Act, but the quota is small. Automatic exemptions exist only for specific groups (EU/EEA citizens, Abitur holders, certain Niederlassungserlaubnis holders, DAAD EPOS scholarship recipients from Least Developed Countries). How much should I budget per year as a non-EU student? Plan for tuition (zero at LMU, €3,000 at Heidelberg, up to €12,000 at TUM for chargeable Master's programs), plus the blocked account minimum of €11,904 for living expenses, plus health insurance and the semester administrative fee. Munich and Heidelberg are both relatively expensive German cities. When do I pay tuition? At TUM, by March 15 for summer semester and September 15 for winter semester (first-time enrollment), with re-enrollment by February 15 and August 15. Heidelberg invoices the €1,500 plus the €161.10 administrative fee per semester ahead of enrollment. If you are moving to Germany for your studies, comfort with German will affect everything from rental contracts to academic group work, even in English-taught programs. Migaku helps you learn German from native videos, shows, and articles, which makes the transition smoother once you arrive. [Try Migaku](https://migaku.com/signup).