You live in the Netherlands and are going to study in Germany

If you have a non-German diploma or certificate, you can have it evaluated. A diploma evaluation explains which German diploma your diploma is equivalent to.

If you would like to further your studies or training in Germany or work in the Netherlands after you have finished, you will need to know the value of your diploma or the credits you have built up. In some cases, your diplomas will be automatically recognised. However, the rules can vary from one region to another, so it is important to check when a recognition is needed.

Europe has its own system: the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The ECTS helps make it possible for students to study outside their country of origin.

If you already know that you are going to follow a course of study or training in Germany and you need some help choosing the right course and the right employer or educational institution, you will find more information on the website of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesargentur für Arbeit), which is available in German and English.

If you want to follow a course of study or training in Germany, you need to apply at least a year before the starting date of your chosen course. For more information on the enrolment procedure and entry requirements, you should contact the educational institution concerned.

The enrolment procedure will vary depending on the type of course.

Enrolling for a secondary vocational course 

If you are going to be following a course at secondary vocational level (Berufsausbildung), you will need to look for an employer to intern with. You will not be regarded as a student, but as an employee.

Enrolling at a college or university

If you are going to be following a course at a college or university, you will need to enrol at the college or university concerned. For certain programmes, candidates are required to sit a compulsory entrance examination before they can enrol. Be sure to check the enrolment deadlines so you can start your course without any delays.

Check the entry requirements

The entry requirements for courses of study and training in Germany differ from entry requirements for courses in the Netherlands. You should ask your chosen educational institution about these requirements to make sure your diploma is sufficient for you to be admitted.

Many courses require certain mathematical skills or a sound grasp of written comprehension. The Studiencheck knowledge tests are a good way to find out whether you possess the requisite knowledge for your chosen course. When you have completed the test for your chosen course, you will receive a certificate showing your results, which you should submit with your application.

If you hold the nationality of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA ) or Switzerland, you do not need to apply for a work or residence permit in order to follow a course of study or training at secondary vocational, higher professional or university level in Germany. A valid passport or ID card is sufficient for you to travel to Germany and stay there.

If you do not hold the nationality of an EEA country or Switzerland, different rules may apply in your case. For more information, visit the website of the Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt).

Enrolling for a secondary vocational course

If the internship company appoints you, you will have to sign an internship agreement (Ausbildungsvertrag). In addition to signing the agreement, you will be asked to provide documentary evidence, such as your secondary school diploma and proof of identity . You will now be regarded as an employee and you will have to cancel your Dutch health insurance. The internship company will enrol you with the institution where you will get your theoretical education. 

Enrolling at a college or university

After you have applied for your chosen course of study or training, your educational institution will contact you once you can enrol. For your enrolment (Immatrikulation), your educational institution is likely to ask you to provide documentary evidence showing that, for example, you have had the right prior education and possess the requisite language skills.

The educational institution may require a particular language skill level as an entry requirement for a course. Contact the educational institution to ask whether you need to take a language test, and what the requirements are.

If you want to live close to your educational institution, you should contact your educational institution to ask how best to approach this. Student accommodation is available through local student service offices (Studierendenwerke), which also act as intermediaries between students and private landlords.

Unfortunately, Germany has little to offer in the way of affordable accommodation in major cities and university cities. Student accommodation is also scarce, particularly at the beginning of a semester . You should therefore start looking for accommodation as soon as possible. 

You may also be able to get rent benefit (Wohngeld) from the German government . Check whether you meet the qualifying conditions:

If you are going to follow a course of study or training outside the Netherlands, you can receive student finance from the Dutch Education Executive Agency (DUO), provided you meet the qualifying conditions. 

If you are doing a full course of study or training in Germany, you may be able to get student finance (BAföG) from the German government . BAföG can be paid for a first course of study or training, provided the student meets the qualifying conditions. Amongst other things, the course must be followed at a school for vocational education, a college, an academy or a university. One of the conditions is that applicants must be resident in Germany in accordance with the BAföG rules. 

In addition to student finance, you may be able to get a student grant, scholarship or subsidy. If you receive multiple allowances, contact the organisations concerned to find out whether this will affect your entitlements.

If you are entitled to student finance from the Dutch Education Executive Agency (DUO), you will also qualify for a travel allowance from them. You can choose either the student travel product , which is valid for public transport in the Netherlands, or a travel allowance that provides you with a fixed amount per month. 

If you receive German student finance (BAföG), BAföG includes a travel allowance. At some German universities, a public transport card is included in the tuition fees. This allows students to use public transport in all or part of Germany.

Make sure DUO has your current email address

You can arrange your affairs with DUO easily from Germany through My DUO (Mijn DUO). To do so, you should check whether DUO has your current email address. To avoid missing any messages, we would recommend that you choose to receive your post digitally.

If you are going to be following a secondary vocational course, you will not need to pay tuition fees.

If you study at a private university, you will usually have to pay tuition fees.

All universities charge tuition fees for every semester . In most cases, students have to pay these fees when they first enrol or when they enrol for the forthcoming semester. Tuition fees vary from one university to another, and include administration fees and a social contribution. The social contribution is paid to the student association, which funds services like the canteen or student accommodation.  

At some universities, a public transport card is included in the tuition fees. This allows students to use public transport in all or part of Germany.

If you are going to be following a course of study or training in Germany for longer than 8 months of each year, deregistering from your municipality in the Netherlands is compulsory. 

Registering with your municipality in Germany is compulsory if you are going to be staying in Germany for longer than 3 months. You are required to register at the Residents’ Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) of your municipality in Germany within 2 weeks of moving there. The same applies if you move elsewhere in Germany or leave Germany.

Many of the online services of government agencies in Germany can also be accessed using your Dutch DigiD . This is referred to as European login or eIDAS.

If you are living in Germany, you will not qualify for rent benefit from the Netherlands because this applies only to rented accommodation in the Netherlands.

If you are renting accommodation in the Netherlands in addition to your accommodation in Germany, you should enquire as to whether you qualify for rent benefit from Dienst Toeslagen. If you live in student accommodation with shared facilities, you will usually not qualify for rent benefit.

You may be able to get German rent benefit (Wohngeld) unless you qualify for student finance from the German government (BAföG); if you qualify for BAföG, you are unlikely to qualify for Germany rent benefit.

If you are studying in Germany but not working there, you will remain insured in the Netherlands. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will cover you for any urgent, unexpected healthcare you may need during your stay in Germany, as well as any healthcare you may require for a chronic illness. 

If you are working alongside your course of study or training in Germany, you will need to cancel your Dutch health insurance. 

If you are doing an internship, you should ask the internship company whether the internship is regarded as work. If your internship is regarded as work, you will need to cancel your Dutch health insurance. 

To be absolutely certain what the requirements are in your situation, you should contact your health insurer in the Netherlands.

If you have Dutch health insurance, you can apply to Dienst Toeslagen for healthcare benefit. Healthcare benefit is a financial contribution towards the fixed monthly premium you pay to your health insurer. The amount of healthcare benefit you can get depends on your income.

If you live in the Netherlands and you are going to study or do an internship in Germany, this may affect your entitlement to healthcare benefit. If your circumstances change (for example, your income or benefit), you will need to have the benefit adjusted or cancelled in a timely manner to avoid you having to make any repayments.

If you receive any other income, it is important to check whether your entitlement to it will be affected. Checking this will give you a clear picture of your financial situation and avoid you having to make any repayments. Contact the organisations concerned to find out whether the payments can continue.

Students who have a disability or suffer from a psychological condition or chronic illness are entitled to adapted learning to give them the same learning experience as others.

If you will be working or doing an internship in Germany alongside your course of study or training, you will need to file an income tax return in Germany in the next calendar year. If you are regarded as a resident of the Netherlands, you must also file an income tax return there.

There is a tax treaty in place between the Netherlands and Germany to prevent double taxation, i.e. having to pay tax in 2 countries on the same income. If you have any questions about this, call the Dutch Tax Information Line for Non-resident Tax Issues or the or the German Tax Office (Finanzamt). You should check whether your study costs are tax-deductible (Werbungskosten).

During your stay in Germany, you may find yourself needing medical care from a general practitioner or dentist, or in a hospital, for example. How you should declare your medical expenses depends on where you are insured. 

If you have Dutch health insurance, you should contact your health insurer. 

If you do not have Dutch health insurance, you should contact your German health insurance fund (Krankenkasse).

Pension is of course something for later in life, but later always comes sooner than you think.

If the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) regards you as a resident of the Netherlands and you are not working or doing an internship in Germany, you will build up rights to an AOW pension in the Netherlands.

If you are going to work or do an internship in Germany, you will not build up rights to an AOW pension in the Netherlands. Under these circumstances, you will usually not build up rights to a German state pension (Deutsche Rente) with the German Pension Insurance Office (Deutsche Rentenversicherung; DRV).

If you are doing an internship in Germany, ask whether your internship company regards you as an intern or an employee. If you are an intern, you will continue to build up rights to an AOW pension. As an employee, you will build up rights to a German state pension (Altersrente). This means you must also take out German health insurance and cancel your Dutch health insurance.