Masters in Germany for Indian Students: 2027 Fees, Eligibility and Jobs

  • Last Updated on: November 2, 2026 by
  • Swapna Kanchikacherla
Masters in Germany for Indian Students
Masters In Germany For Indian Students

For a masters in Germany for Indian students, the main fee at a public university is usually not tuition. In 2026, it’s a semester contribution of EUR 70 to 430, though Baden-Wuerttemberg charges non-EU students EUR 1,500 a semester. TUM usually charges EUR 4,000 or 6,000 if you start by summer 2027, and EUR 4,600 or 6,800 for new students from winter 2027/28. As an Indian applicant, you also clear the APS document check and, in some degree fields, the new dMAT test. Several master’s deadlines fall in March or May, weeks or months before 15 July. Our study in Germany guide covers the other levels; the table after the takeaways shows where your own degree leaves you.

Written by
Swapna Kanchikacherla
Head of European Desk
Specialises in Germany and France student admissions and visa documentation, with a focus on Campus France, APS, blocked-account and proof-of-funds files.
9 Years, 1100 Visas
Reviewed by
Sridhar Kongara
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience

Key Takeaways

  • A four-year BTech or BE is treated at par with a German bachelor’s.
  • Deadlines can fall before 15 July: TUM Informatics closes on 31 May for winter.
  • Public universities usually charge a semester contribution of EUR 70 to 430 (₹7,465 to 45,855), not tuition.
  • Baden-Wuerttemberg charges non-EU students EUR 1,500 (₹1.60 lakh) a semester. TUM usually charges EUR 4,000 or 6,000 (₹4.27 or 6.40 lakh) if you start by summer 2027; EUR 4,600 or 6,800 (₹4.91 or 7.25 lakh) from winter 2027/28.
  • Engineering, Commerce, Accounting, Finance, Economics and Business or Management graduates need the dMAT from summer 2027, unless registered with APS before 29 June 2026.
  • The EUR 11,904 (₹12.69 lakh) blocked account is year-one living money, and parental income doesn’t count as proof.
Table of Contents
Masters in Germany Eligibility: Degree, CGPA, English and GMAT Scroll here ↓ APS and dMAT Before You Apply for a Master’s Scroll here ↓ How to Apply: uni-assist, Intakes and Real Deadlines Scroll here ↓ Top Universities in Germany for Masters, Ranked for 2027 Scroll here ↓ Masters in Germany Fees and Year-One Cost in INR Scroll here ↓ Visa and Proof of Funds That India Accepts Scroll here ↓ Scholarships and Funding for a German Master’s Scroll here ↓ Part-Time Work, Salaries and Staying On After Your Master’s Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

Find your degree below for your eligibility, dMAT status and first step.

Your profileCan you apply?dMAT needed?Your first step
Four-year BTech or BEYes, at parYes (Engineering is listed)Register for APS and the dMAT now, and plan for winter 2027/28
Three-year BCom, BBA, or BSc in Economics or FinanceOnly if the course coordinator confirmsYesEmail the course coordinator, then register for APS and the dMAT
Three-year BSc in another subject, or BCAOnly if the course coordinator confirmsNo, on the current listEmail the course coordinator before you pay any application fee
Four-year BBA aiming at a management master’sYes, at parYes (Business or Management is listed)Book the GMAT: TUM’s Master in Management and Technology asks Indian degree holders for the 65th percentile

With a CGPA around 6.0 to 7.0, add Universities of Applied Sciences to your shortlist, whatever your degree row says.

Masters in Germany Eligibility: Degree, CGPA, English and GMAT

A four-year Indian bachelor’s degree is treated at par with a German bachelor’s. Most universities treat its holders as eligible for a master’s if they meet the other criteria. A three-year degree holder should contact the course coordinator before applying.

English and test rules to plan for (two of them target Indian degrees directly):

Programme or universityRule for an applicant with an Indian degree
TUM Master in Management and TechnologyGMAT at the 65th percentile or higher; can’t be waived; GRE not accepted
TUM Science and Technology StudiesTOEFL at least 88, IELTS at least 6.5 or Cambridge CAE/CPE (grade A to C), or 12 English-taught credits in your bachelor’s with an official university letter
KIT, general ruleTOEFL iBT at least 90 or IELTS Academic at least 6.5 with no section below 5.5; some programmes set different scores
RWTH AachenEnglish test required; an English-taught Indian degree doesn’t earn the waiver
German-taught programmes at any universityVery good German, certified by TestDaF or DSH (German university entrance exams)

At RWTH, your English-medium college certificate won’t replace IELTS or TOEFL, so book the test early. If you’re applying to the TUM Master in Management and Technology, the closest thing to an MBA in this table, plan for GMAT prep, not GRE.

There’s no single minimum grade for masters in Germany for Indian students; each programme sets its own. Many programmes commonly look for around 60-70% (about 6.0-7.0 CGPA) or better, and competitive universities ask for more, so a 7.2 CGPA can be safe at one university and a long shot at another. If your CGPA is near the lower end, add Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW or FH, practice-oriented institutions with strong industry links) to your list. They teach mainly engineering, business administration, social sciences and design. They don’t award doctorates, though their master’s graduates can in principle apply for a PhD at a university.

Alongside transcripts and scores, universities usually ask for a statement of purpose or motivation letter, two letters of recommendation and a CV. In the files we handle, a rejection rarely comes from a low CGPA. It comes from a missing or weak document, most often a generic SOP that never names the programme’s own modules.

APS and dMAT Before You Apply for a Master’s

The dMAT (digital Master Test) is a compulsory aptitude test, from summer 2027 intakes, for Indian master's applicants whose bachelor's is in a field on the introductory-phase dMAT field list: Engineering; Commerce, Accounting, Finance or Economics; or Business or Management. An updated list of affected fields is due. In 2026, the test costs EUR 150 (₹15,996).

If your degree is on that list, you’ll need both the dMAT and the APS certificate (APS India’s check of your Indian academic documents). You can send APS documents before you sit the dMAT, but APS issues the certificate only after it has checked your dMAT result. The first dMAT certificates came out on 12 October 2026, which is why the test applies to summer 2027 intakes onward, not winter 2026/27.

Two groups don’t sit the dMAT:

  • Anyone who registered online with APS, or shipped complete APS documents, before 29 June 2026.
  • Students on an officially confirmed exchange, double-degree or university-partnership programme.

The next dMAT test dates are in mid-January and mid-March, and you register and pay with g.a.s.t., the organisation that runs the test. A summer deadline is often 15 January, so the January sitting leaves almost no slack. For most dMAT candidates, winter 2027/28 is the realistic target.

In 2026, APS document verification registration costs INR 18,000, and the fee isn’t refunded whatever the outcome. The APS India FAQs give no fixed processing time: it depends on how many applications APS has and how fast your school, board and university reply. The APS certificate is generally required for the German student visa, so it sits on the document list in our guide to requirements to study in Germany. APS India doesn’t decide on admission or on your visa, though.

From our counselling desk: the delay we see most often is an APS file sent late. Start APS registration the week your final-semester marksheet arrives, not after your admits come in. We also see queries when marksheets were attested at a notary office instead of by your university's controller of examinations, so get the university's own attestation first.

How to Apply: uni-assist, Intakes and Real Deadlines

Work back from the earliest deadline on your shortlist, not from 15 July. German universities have two intakes: the winter semester (October to March) and the summer semester (April to September).

If your university uses uni-assist (a central service that checks foreign certificates for German universities), you pay its fee to apply. In 2026, the uni-assist handling fee is EUR 75 for your first programme and EUR 30 for each extra one in the same semester, paid whatever the result. As of 12 October 2026, processing for Asia takes 2-3 weeks, sometimes longer, so apply at least 8 weeks before the deadline. For many courses, the application deadline is often 15 July for winter and often 15 January for summer, but many universities set earlier dates for master’s courses.

Earlier master’s dates:

  • RWTH Aachen, open-admission master’s (no cap on places), non-EU applicants: 1 March for winter, 1 September for summer.
  • RWTH Aachen, restricted-admission (NC) master’s, where places are capped: 15 July for winter, 15 January for summer.
  • TUM M.Sc. Informatics: 1 February to 31 May for winter, 1 October to 30 November for summer.
  • TUM Master in Management and Technology: 1 April to 31 May for winter.

For summer 2027, RWTH’s 1 September deadline has already passed, while TUM Informatics takes summer applications until 30 November 2026.

Take a BTech graduate in Hyderabad aiming at RWTH and TUM Informatics for October 2027. Engineering is a dMAT field, so APS can’t issue her certificate until it has checked her dMAT result, and the next test dates fall in mid-January and mid-March. If a university wants the APS certificate with the application, RWTH’s 1 March is probably out of reach. TUM Informatics, open until 31 May, is her realistic target, and our winter intake timeline sets out her months in order.

For an October 2027 start, work in this order:

  1. List each programme’s own deadline and note the earliest.
  2. Register for APS, and the dMAT if your field is listed.
  3. Take the English test, or GMAT, that your programme names.
  4. Submit through uni-assist or the university portal at least 8 weeks before that earliest date.
  5. As soon as your admission letter arrives, open the blocked account, arrange health insurance from your arrival date and apply for the visa.

Our Germany application process guide walks through each portal step.

Top Universities in Germany for Masters, Ranked for 2027

Choose by fee and department first, then by rank.

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, TUM places 25th and Bonn joint 209th; the table below lists all ten.

UniversityQS 2027 rankCityWhat a non-EU master’s student pays per semester
Technical University of Munich (TUM)25MunichTuition, usually EUR 4,000 or 6,000 (₹4.27 or 6.40 lakh) if you start by summer 2027; EUR 4,600 or 6,800 (₹4.91 or 7.25 lakh) for new students from winter 2027/28
LMU Munich61MunichNo tuition for regular degree programmes, as a general rule; Student Services fee EUR 97 (₹10,344) as of August 2026
Heidelberg University86HeidelbergTuition, EUR 1,500 (₹1.60 lakh)
Freie Universitaet Berlin=98BerlinNo tuition (continuing education excepted); semester fees and contributions
RWTH Aachen University104AachenNo tuition (except RWTH Academy, its continuing-education courses); contribution about EUR 300 (₹31,992)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)110KarlsruheTuition, EUR 1,500 (₹1.60 lakh) on new enrolment
Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin=140BerlinFees and contributions (not tuition) EUR 381.80 (₹40,715), winter 2026/27
TU Berlin=158BerlinNo tuition (continuing-education master’s excepted); semester fee
TU Dresden=185DresdenNo tuition for a first course of study; Saxony’s fee rules set out the exceptions
University of Bonn=209BonnNo tuition; social contribution

The three that charge tuition are TUM, Heidelberg and KIT. If you can’t pay tuition on top of the blocked account, look at the five that charge none for regular master’s programmes: LMU (as a general rule), FU Berlin, RWTH Aachen, TU Berlin and Bonn. TU Dresden charges none for a first course of study. Humboldt’s EUR 381.80 is fees and contributions, not tuition.

Computer science, data science, and electrical and mechanical engineering are among the fields Indian students pick most often, but rank won’t tell you whether a department teaches yours in English or hires in your field. To check that, search the database of all programmes taught in German and English at www.study-in-germany.de, linked from the DAAD India Master Studies page. Our list of public universities in Germany goes beyond these ten. Private universities sit outside this table and commonly charge roughly EUR 5,000 to 20,000 a year for a master’s, some programmes more.

Masters in Germany Fees and Year-One Cost in INR

A first year of a master's at a public university with no tuition costs EUR 12,294 to 13,014 (₹13.11 to 13.88 lakh) before flights. In 2026, EUR 11,904 (₹12.69 lakh) of that is the blocked account the German Missions in India require, released at no more than EUR 992 (₹1.06 lakh) a month. Any tuition sits on top.

Parents: the blocked account isn’t a fee you lose; it’s your child’s living money for year one.

Cost itemNo-tuition public universityBaden-WuerttembergTUM, from winter 2027/28
Blocked account (2026 visa minimum)EUR 11,904 (₹12.69 lakh)EUR 11,904 (₹12.69 lakh)EUR 11,904 (₹12.69 lakh)
Tuition, two semestersEUR 0EUR 3,000 (₹3.20 lakh)EUR 9,200 or 13,600 (₹9.81 or 14.50 lakh)
Semester contribution, two semestersEUR 140 to 860 (₹14,930 to 91,710)EUR 140 to 860 (₹14,930 to 91,710)EUR 194 (₹20,688)
Visa, residence permit, uni-assist (first programme)EUR 250 (₹26,660)EUR 250 (₹26,660)EUR 250 (₹26,660)
Year-one totalEUR 12,294 to 13,014 (₹13.11 to 13.88 lakh)EUR 15,294 to 16,014 (₹16.31 to 17.08 lakh)EUR 21,548 or 25,948 (₹22.98 or 27.67 lakh)
Year two (living at the 2026 visa minimum)EUR 12,044 to 12,764 (₹12.84 to 13.61 lakh)EUR 15,044 to 15,764 (₹16.04 to 16.81 lakh)EUR 21,298 or 25,698 (₹22.71 or 27.40 lakh)
Two-year totalEUR 24,338 to 25,778 (₹25.95 to 27.49 lakh)EUR 30,338 to 31,778 (₹32.35 to 33.89 lakh)EUR 42,846 or 51,646 (₹45.69 or 55.08 lakh)

Size your loan on the two-year row. At DAAD India’s suggested EUR 1,150 a month, living costs alone come to EUR 13,800 in year one, so size it above the visa-minimum rows. Rent and utilities run about EUR 410 a month of that. APS, dMAT and extra uni-assist fees come on top.

From winter semester 2027/28, TUM tuition for non-EU master’s students rises to EUR 4,600 or 6,800 a semester. Students already enrolled keep their starting rate until they finish, so a summer 2027 start keeps the usual EUR 4,000 or 6,000 throughout. That start suits mainly applicants who don’t need the dMAT.

Living costs run EUR 900 to 1,200 a month depending on the city, so in a pricier city the EUR 992 monthly release falls short: plan savings or part-time income from month one. Our cost of studying in Germany guide breaks it down by city.

Visa and Proof of Funds That India Accepts

Parental income in India, however high, doesn’t count as proof of funds for a German student visa. The German Missions in India student visa checklist accepts one of three things:

  • A blocked account (Sperrkonto, a German account that releases a fixed sum each month).
  • A Verpflichtungserklaerung (formal obligation letter) from a sponsor who lives in Germany, signed at the local immigration office there.
  • Proof of a German or EU scholarship.

An education loan isn’t one of the three, and if you’ve taken one, you must show proof of the loan as well. In practice, a family with savings or a loan funds the blocked account, and our Germany blocked account guide compares the providers. The account itself is then the proof.

You apply on the Consular Services Portal (the online system for German national visas) and pay the national visa fee, EUR 75, in rupees at your appointment. The fee isn’t refunded if the visa is refused, and the external service provider charges its own fee on top. For a visa straight into a master’s, you generally need C1 (an advanced level) in the language you’ll study in, German or English, proven by a recognised certificate such as IELTS. Duolingo, Pearson PTE and TOEFL Home Edition aren’t recognised for applications in India. Your file also needs a certificate of compulsory health insurance, statutory or private, covering you from your planned arrival date. From 1 January 2026, statutory student cover at TK costs EUR 141.16 a month up to age 23 and EUR 146.29 from 23, for students without children.

Apply for the visa as soon as your admission letter arrives. Processing may take several months, the estimate in the German Missions’ National Visa FAQs, and status questions go unanswered for the first three months after you file. Once you’re in Germany, a residence permit costs EUR 100 to issue under Section 45 of the Residence Ordinance. Our Germany student visa guide lists every document for the appointment.

Scholarships and Funding for a German Master’s

A funded master’s in Germany is rarer than many families hope, because funding there typically targets research, so PhD and above. Plan your budget as if you’ll win nothing, then treat any award as a bonus. The DAAD master’s scholarships open to Indian applicants include EPOS (development-related postgraduate courses) and the Helmut-Schmidt-Programme.

  • Deutschlandstipendium: in 2026, the Deutschlandstipendium pays EUR 300 a month, half from a private sponsor and half from the federal government. It’s open to students of all nationalities, you apply to your own university, and it normally runs for at least two semesters, so at least EUR 3,600 over a year.
  • Helmut-Schmidt-Programme: for the 2027 intake, this DAAD public policy and good governance master’s scholarship currently pays EUR 992 a month plus health insurance and travel allowances. Its courses run two to four semesters, after a mandatory German course in Germany of up to four months. Applicants from India need an APS certificate. The 2027 window ran from 1 June to 31 July 2026 and has closed. A German scholarship counts as proof of funds, so an award at this level can stand in for the blocked account in your visa file.

Erasmus Mundus joint master’s degrees and political foundations such as the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Heinrich Boell Foundation are also commonly suggested to Indian applicants. Each runs its own competition, so apply early and in parallel with admission. Many Indian families close the rest of the gap by combining savings with an education loan. Our list of scholarships to study in Germany covers the full set with dates.

Part-Time Work, Salaries and Staying On After Your Master’s

In 2026, a student residence permit lets you work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. Count days, not hours. Student assistant jobs (paid helper posts at a university) don’t count toward the 140 days under Section 16b of the Residence Act. Our guide to part-time jobs in Germany explains how to find one.

After graduation, the route to a German career runs in three stages:

  1. Job search: a job-search permit under Section 20 of the Residence Act lets you stay up to 18 months to find work, provided you can still support yourself. The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte, a separate job-seeker permit) is another route, and in 2026 it usually needs EUR 1,091 net a month in your own funds.
  2. First job: once you find a job that matches your degree, your permit converts to one for employment, a switch our post-study work visa guide covers step by step.
  3. EU Blue Card (the EU work permit for graduates in skilled jobs): in 2026, the EU Blue Card minimum salary is EUR 50,700 a year. In shortage jobs, and for new graduates whose degree is less than 3 years old, it’s EUR 45,934.20.

Employers that commonly hire master’s graduates include SAP, Siemens, Bosch and BMW. Start German classes in semester one, even on an English-taught master’s: better German also shortens the wait for permanent residence, as the FAQ below explains.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Not fully. State-funded universities typically charge low or no tuition, but every student pays a semester contribution of EUR 70 to 430 (₹7,465 to 45,855) each semester. Baden-Wuerttemberg and TUM charge non-EU students tuition. Outside TUM, your rent and food will cost more than these fees.

Possibly. The at-par rule is written for four-year degrees, so with a three-year degree, contact the course coordinator before you apply and ask whether your credits qualify. Ask before you pay uni-assist: its EUR 75 (₹7,998) fee for the first programme is charged whatever the result.

Only at some universities. Some ask for TOEFL, IELTS, GRE or GMAT scores, and a GMAT may be asked for in economics or law. Don’t assume a GRE can stand in for a GMAT: TUM’s Master in Management and Technology accepts only the GMAT.

Usually two years, or four semesters and 120 ECTS (European credits), as on TUM’s M.Sc. Informatics. Budget living money for both years: the blocked account covers only the first year of studies, so your loan or savings must carry year two as well.

Yes, through work. A new graduate’s Blue Card job must pay at least EUR 45,934.20 (₹48.98 lakh) a year in 2026. After 27 months of that work with pension contributions and basic German, or 21 with sufficient German, you can get a settlement permit if you meet other legal conditions. A German degree cuts the skilled-worker route to two years.

Sources

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