Winter Intake in Germany 2027/28: Deadlines and Month-by-Month Timeline

  • Last Updated on: November 2, 2026 by
  • Swapna Kanchikacherla
Winter Intake in Germany
Winter Intake In Germany

The winter intake in Germany for 2027/28 is the Wintersemester (winter semester), which starts in October 2027. TUM’s semester dates (Technical University of Munich) run from 1 October 2027 to 31 March 2028, and dates elsewhere vary by a few days. For the winter semester 2027/28, DAAD says most universities close applications on 15 July. uni-assist is a service German universities use to check foreign applications. Many universities close master’s programmes earlier. RWTH Aachen closes its non-EU window for admission-free master’s (no cap on places) on 1 March 2027. Below you’ll find each university’s own rule and a plan worked back from your earliest deadline.

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

  • DAAD says most universities close winter applications on 15 July; many master’s programmes close earlier.
  • Stuttgart’s INFOTECH closes on 15 January 2027, and RWTH’s admission-free master’s close for non-EU applicants on 1 March 2027.
  • TU Berlin’s English-taught master’s with capped places close on 15 May 2027.
  • Master’s applicants with engineering, commerce or business degrees (current list) need the dMAT, EUR 150 (about INR 16,025), unless exempt. Take the mid-January test if a programme closes March to June; mid-March fits 15 July or later.
  • Send each uni-assist file at least 8 weeks before its deadline: by 20 May 2027 for a 15 July programme.
  • The visa may take several months, so apply through the Consular Services Portal (obligatory where available) once your admission letter arrives.
Table of Contents
Winter Intake Deadlines 2027/28 at 10 German Universities Scroll here ↓ Month-by-Month Plan for an October 2027 Start Scroll here ↓ Winter vs Summer Intake in Germany Scroll here ↓ Late and Open-Admission Routes If You Miss the Winter Deadline Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

Find your deadline group: it tells you when to send your uni-assist file and which dMAT test to sit.

Your earliest master’s deadlineExamplesSend uni-assist file bydMAT test, if you need it
15 January 2027Stuttgart INFOTECH (own C@mpus portal)Not via uni-assist: full file, APS certificate included, in C@mpus by 15 January 2027Too late for the 2027 tests unless you’re exempt or already hold your APS certificate
1 to 15 March 2027RWTH admission-free master’s (1 March); TU Berlin Computational Neuroscience (15 March, uni-assist VPD needed)18 January 2027 for the TU Berlin VPDMid-January; very tight
15 to 31 May 2027TU Berlin English-taught, TUM Informatics, FU Berlin NC (capped places)20 March to 5 April 2027Mid-January
15 JulyMany uni-assist universities; LMU and KIT use their own portals20 May 2027Mid-January or mid-March

You need the dMAT if you’re applying for a master’s with an engineering, commerce, accounting, finance, economics or business degree (the current list). Take the mid-January dMAT if any programme on your list closes between March and June; the mid-March test fits programmes closing on 15 July or later. For a 15 January deadline like INFOTECH’s, both tests come too late unless you’re exempt or already hold your APS certificate. APS India issues your APS certificate only after your dMAT certificate, and some universities want the finished APS certificate by their deadline: Bonn’s Physics master’s by 1 May. For a 1 March deadline, the APS plus dMAT route is very tight.

Applying for a bachelor’s after Class 12? The dMAT doesn’t apply, as it’s for master’s applicants; see our guide to studying in Germany after 12th.

Winter Intake Deadlines 2027/28 at 10 German Universities

Each German university sets its own winter master's deadlines. Among the 10 universities below, RWTH Aachen closes one of the earliest windows: 1 March 2027 for non-EU applicants to admission-free master's. KIT's admission-free master's and some Heidelberg programmes run to 30 September. Plan around 15 July alone and you'll miss RWTH's deadline and not know about the later KIT window.

UniversityWinter master’s window (non-EU applicants)How you apply or what to watch
RWTH Aachen1 December 2026 to 1 March 2027 (admission-free); 1 May to 15 July (NC, capped places)German and EU applicants get the later 1 May to 15 July window
TUMTUM sets each master’s deadline per programme; for example M.Sc. Informatics: 1 February to 31 MayTUMonline, plus a uni-assist VPD, generally needed for a bachelor’s from outside Germany. Non-EU tuition for new master’s students from winter 2027/28: EUR 4,600 (about INR 4.91 lakh) or EUR 6,800 (about INR 7.26 lakh) per semester
LMU Munich15 July (International Office, receipt by LMU); programme deadline may differTwo applications at once: to the programme and through the LMU portal
KIT15 July (NC programmes); 30 September (admission-free); exceptions per programmeKIT portals usually open 15 May; deadlines are cut-off dates
Heidelberg University1 April to 30 September (entry requirements but no cap on places); Biochemistry and Data and Computer Science: 1 February to 15 MarchSame dates for German and international applicants
University of StuttgartUsually 15 May to 15 July (most German-taught master’s); INFOTECH: 15 November 2026 to 15 January 2027English-taught and international master’s set special deadlines
TU Berlin1 April to 15 May 2027 (English-taught, capped places); 1 April to 15 June 2027 (German-taught, capped places); 1 June to 31 August 2027 (open admission)uni-assist VPD needed with international credentials; Computational Neuroscience: 1 February to 15 March 2027
FU Berlin15 April to 31 May (NC programmes); 15 April to 15 August (no NC)Exact dates published each March; uni-assist VPD needed with non-German qualifications
Universität Hamburg1 May to 15 June (master’s); 15 February to 31 March (listed international master’s)Check whether your programme is on the international list
University of Bonn (Physics and Astrophysics M.Sc.)1 May 2027 (non-EU); 1 December 2026 (scholarship programme, with proof of APS registration)Portal opens only 3-4 weeks before; completed APS certificate needed by 1 May

Your earliest deadline sets your whole plan, not the 15 July line. Six universities on this list close at least one master’s route by the end of March 2027. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin hadn’t posted its 2027/28 deadlines by mid-October 2026, so check its page again before you apply. Apply in two waves: early-closing programmes first, 15 July programmes second. To compare these campuses on more than dates, see our guide to universities in Germany.

From our counselling desk: The most common reason we see an Indian student miss a winter intake isn't a weak profile. It's an APS file started too late. Now that engineering, commerce and business graduates also need the dMAT first, start APS before you finish your shortlist.

Some programmes also ask for a VPD (Vorprüfungsdokumentation, uni-assist’s review of your foreign degree). If yours does, you must send the VPD to the university yourself before its deadline, so request it from uni-assist early.

Month-by-Month Plan for an October 2027 Start

Work back from your deadline in three stages.

October 2026 to March 2027: APS, dMAT and Your English Test

Start with the APS certificate (APS India’s check of your Indian degree). In 2026, registration with APS India costs INR 18,000, non-refundable whatever the outcome, and processing takes at least two weeks and may run longer. There’s no fixed processing time, according to the APS India FAQs.

  • dMAT (Digital Master Test): under APS India’s dMAT rules, master’s applicants in the affected fields need it for winter 2027/28.
  • You’re exempt if you registered with APS, or shipped your complete APS documents, before 29 June 2026. If APS India already issued your certificate, that completed procedure needs no dMAT.
  • Fields on the g.a.s.t. dMAT list for India: engineering; commerce, accounting, finance and economics; business or management. An updated list is due shortly.
  • 2027 tests fall in mid-January and mid-March; the fee is EUR 150.

Book IELTS or another recognised test now. The German visa section in India generally wants C1 (an advanced level) in your study language, even for English-taught degrees. For English it accepts certificates such as IELTS or ALTE members’ tests, but not Duolingo, Pearson PTE or TOEFL Home Edition.

January to July 2027: Applications and uni-assist

Upload your full file to My assist (uni-assist’s applicant portal) at least 8 weeks before the deadline, as uni-assist advises. You can upload only after the university opens applications there. As of 12 October 2026, certificates from Asia take 2-3 weeks to evaluate, sometimes longer.

Gather your documents, from transcripts to the SOP (statement of purpose) many programmes ask for, using our application process guide.

After the Admission Letter: Funds, Visa and Arrival

Your Zulassungsbescheid (admission letter) must be for a full-time degree programme and must name any condition you still have to meet, such as a language level. In 2026, the student visa checklist lists these ways to prove your funds:

  • a Sperrkonto (blocked account) with EUR 11,904 for the first year, releasing no more than EUR 992 a month;
  • a Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation letter) from a sponsor living in Germany;
  • a German or EU scholarship that pays at least EUR 992 a month, per the German Missions in India visa FAQ.

An education loan comes on top of the blocked account, not instead of it, and needs its own proof. Parental income is not on the list. See our blocked account guide.

Apply through the Consular Services Portal as soon as your admission letter arrives; where the portal is available, it’s obligatory. In 2026, the fee for the Germany student visa is EUR 75 if you’re over 18, paid in rupees, not refunded, plus the provider’s fee. You also need health insurance from your arrival date. The same FAQ says processing may take several months, with no status replies for three months. Other year-one costs, such as the semester contribution and Baden-Württemberg tuition (EUR 1,500 a semester for international students, per KIT’s tuition fee page), are in our cost of studying in Germany guide.

In our experience, visa slots get scarce from April to July, so book the day your letter arrives and line up a temporary room.

Winter vs Summer Intake in Germany

Winter is the bigger intake in Germany for English-taught master’s. In October 2026, the DAAD International Programmes database listed 1,589 English-only master’s: 1,535 offer a winter start and 675 a summer start, and some offer both. If your subject has only a few English-taught master’s, check the winter starts first: most begin then.

FeatureWinter 2027/28Summer 2027
Semester at TUM1 October 2027 to 31 March 20281 April to 30 September 2027
Vorlesungszeit (lecture period) at TUM18 October 2027 to 11 February 202812 April to 16 July 2027
Common deadline (DAAD: most universities)15 July15 January
English-only master’s with this start1,535675
Suits you ifYou need time for APS, dMAT and a C1 testYour APS and test are nearly done today

If you’re starting from scratch in October 2026, winter 2027/28 is the realistic target. Pick summer only if your documents are ready and your programme runs a summer start; our summer intake in Germany guide covers that route.

Funding can move your deadline earlier, as Bonn’s Physics scholarship route in the table shows. The general DAAD master’s Study Scholarship isn’t open to applicants from India, and the Deutschlandstipendium (EUR 300 a month) is awarded by your university. Other routes are in our Germany scholarships guide.

If you do win funding, check what it pays for. One that covers only tuition still leaves you needing a blocked account or a sponsor letter, according to the German Missions in India visa FAQ.

Engineering, computer science, data science and business or management are the fields most often listed as open for the winter intake, though that’s common guidance rather than an official list. Match your subject using our guide to courses to study in Germany.

Late and Open-Admission Routes If You Miss the Winter Deadline

Missing an early deadline doesn’t always end your winter plan. Programmes with open admission (no cap on places) stay open far longer:

  • KIT’s admission-free master’s: 30 September for non-EU applicants.
  • TU Berlin’s open-admission master’s: 1 June to 31 August 2027.
  • FU Berlin’s master’s without NC: mid-April to mid-August (exact dates posted each March).

Apply the day each window opens: FU Berlin from mid-April (exact dates posted each March), KIT portals usually from 15 May, TU Berlin open admission from 1 June.

A late admission letter can leave too little time for the visa. As the visa step above shows, processing can take months, and the visa section won’t move your appointment because term has started. A September letter can mean arriving after your semester begins.

If you’re still waiting on a letter, you can apply for a prospective student visa, valid for up to nine months, though any visa can take months to issue. The safer fallback is the summer semester, whose usual deadline falls in January. To plan the whole move, start from our study in Germany hub.

Get in Touch

Frequently Asked Questions

Two main ones: the winter semester, which starts in October, and the summer semester, which starts in April. At TUM, summer semester 2027 runs from 1 April to 30 September 2027. Winter is the larger intake for English-taught master’s, so that’s where most of your choice sits.

Winter, for most applicants starting now. Summer 2027 deadlines are often 15 January 2027, and the next dMAT is in mid-January. So if you need the dMAT, summer 2027 is very unlikely; plan on winter unless you’re exempt. Without the dMAT, try summer only if your file is nearly ready today.

No. The common 15 July deadline applies to many courses, not all, and master’s programmes often close earlier. Treat any date you find as a cut-off: KIT calls its deadlines Ausschlussfristen (cut-off deadlines), so a late file isn’t processed. Always read the deadline on your own programme’s page.

Not through the general DAAD master’s Study Scholarship: India isn’t on its list of eligible countries. DAAD EPOS pays graduates EUR 992 (about INR 1.06 lakh) a month. It needs at least two years’ work experience and a listed course. The Deutschlandstipendium, EUR 300 (about INR 32,049) a month, is a top-up, not full funding.

TUM’s winter semester 2027/28 runs from 1 October 2027 to 31 March 2028. At Universität Hamburg, winter semesters always begin on 1 October and end on 31 March. Other universities may differ by a few days, so check your university’s calendar before you book a flight.

Ardent Overseas counsels Indian students on Germany admissions from offices in Hyderabad and Tirupati. Our Germany desk handles APS and dMAT timing, uni-assist files, blocked accounts and visa appointments. We prepare complete files; we don’t promise admission or visa outcomes.

Sources

Official sources first: uni-assist and the universities, then APS India, the German Missions and DAAD.

Show 28 more sources

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