There are six important requirements to check if you want to study at a good university in Germany. If you're new here, my name is Max. I'm a computer science and design student in Germany. And I make content about finances, university life and everything about studying in Germany. With that said, the first thing is academic performance and your track record. German universities do focus on academic performance. For most programs, you need a recognized higher education entrance qualification. Fancy word, I know. It means that you need to finish school to go to university. Examples will be the German abitur, the high school diploma here in Germany. Or in the case of international students, it's equivalent from other countries. Now, if you are an international student, it's really important that you check if your certificate meets the requirements that were set by the university. If your school living certificate is not recognized in Germany, you gotta attend a one-year prep course. This is known by the name "Studienkolleg". If you're someone from an EU country like Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, and your school certificate lets you go to uni there, it'll probably work for Germany too. But please always check. For students outside the EU, it's oftentimes not that straightforward. But sometimes a couple of semesters of study in your home country can be enough depending on where you're from. As a useful resource, there's a really good database on a DAAD website with information on 140 countries to see if Germany recognizes your education qualification. It'll show you if your qualifications let you study here and what kind of admission you might get, like for specific subjects or generally. I put the link in the video description. You can check it out if you want. I would say the requirements for bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies can be a bit different, but you always need proof of your academic track record. Like, they want to know if you went to school. But try to be as good as possible here and have solid grades. It is always good to be able to present a killer academic track record. One major requirement for studying in Germany is proficiency in the language of instruction. For most of the programs, it means that you need to speak some German. Most universities will ask you to hand in proof of language proficiency that you get from taking language exams, for example. However, if you study at a big university in Germany, for example, the Technical University of Munich, Germany's top-ranked university, there is a high chance that there are programs offered entirely in English. So it's always good to check the language requirements for your specific course. This information is usually on the university website. But hey, maybe you actually decide on an English taught program. In this case, they usually don't ask for any German proficiency. In the rare case, they do. It's something between A1 and B1 most of the time. Some universities do this because one, they want to filter out the more serious candidates and two, they want to have a better connection to the job market. If you graduate and can speak German, your job opportunities will also be substantially better. In my eyes, this is a good thing and I can understand why, because otherwise, many people will take advantage of the English taught programs and don't even want to integrate into the country and the culture. As a native German speaker, I can confidently say it's always a good idea to learn a little bit of German. It will help you out tremendously here. Whether it's in your career or private life. Yes, Germans can speak good English and if you are in bigger cities like Hamburg, Berlin or Frankfurt, you won't have any issues communicating with people. I'm living in Munich right now and this city is very international. But Germans will love you if you speak to them in their language. Let's move on to the next requirement. Now, this is not the case with all programs, but some degrees in Germany have restricted admission, known as Numerus Clausus. The NC. Fancy Latin word, I know. Basically, in Germany, universities use it to manage how many students can join certain courses. The NC is like a minimum score you need to hit to get into that course. In NC courses, the number of applicants is greater than the number of available places. So naturally, they need to filter out students. Because these programs are popular and have a limited number of spots. For example, psychology is a really popular major in Germany And the NC here is really strict. In most of the good universities, you need to have extremely good grades to get accepted. The selection process for NC programs can also go beyond the grades. They might focus on additional criteria like entrance exams, interviews or specific qualifications. So keep in mind, the degree you want to pursue might have restricted admission. The next requirement is health insurance. Health insurance is a big deal when you're studying in Germany. In this country, everyone needs health insurance, even students from other countries. There are two main types, one that's public and one that's private. Most students under 30 at a public university go for public health insurance. It's good coverage and not too expensive. But if you're older than 30 or have special things going on, you might pick the private one. Health insurance is super important for getting your student visa and making sure you can see a doctor while you're studying in Germany. Don't quote me on this, but if you are from an EU country, your home insurance might work here with a European health insurance card. So let's talk about finances. Tuition fees are relatively low in Germany or even non-existent for many public universities. They need to know if you can actually survive in Germany, have an apartment, get food, etc. It's important that you have the money to fund your studies and living expenses in Germany. If you're from a country that needs a student visa for Germany, you gotta show this when you apply. Starting in 2023, students from other countries need to prove they have 11,000 euros every year to pay for their stuff while studying in Germany. You can prove your finances in a lot of different ways, for example, through personal savings or money from your parents. Daddy's money. The easiest thing for students is to open a blocked account. You can put in a certain amount of money that depends on how long you stay in Germany. As an international student, you can also try for scholarships and loans to get financial help while you're studying here in Germany. A video about scholarships is definitely coming in the near future. To survive in a normal German city, you should have at least 850 euros per month. Big cities like Hamburg, Munich or Frankfurt are a bit more expensive. I'm currently living in Munich, Germany's most expensive city, and with only 850 euros per month, Ooof. That's gonna be tough. But most importantly, you need a student visa to stay and study in Germany. Without it, you cannot even really enter the country. And to get one, you usually need an acceptance letter from a German university or proof that you are in a prep course. Plus, you gotta show that you've got enough money to cover living and school expenses. The student visa lets you work part-time while you're studying and stick around in Germany for a long time. Usually as long as your studies. And when you finish, you might get to stay longer to find a job with a job seeker visa or switch to a work visa if you actually get a job offer. And if your country requires a student visa for Germany, you gotta apply for it at the German embassy or consulate in your home country. You'll need to get all the right papers together, go for an interview at the embassy and then wait for their answer. Sometimes getting a student visa takes a bit Normally, it takes about two weeks for them to process the application. So when you wanna apply to a German university and study there, timeliness is very important. German universities have specific application deadlines, and if you miss them, you unfortunately gotta wait until the next application period. In general, application periods for the winter semester start around May-June and end in July-August. For the summer semester, they are from December to January. So pay attention to the dates. Not these dates, these dates. From what I know, it's usually easier to get admission from private universities. Public universities are a bit stricter here in Germany. But for most people, I cannot recommend private universities because they are hella expensive and not that different from public universities when it comes to the curriculum and the overall quality of education. The beauty of German education is that it's free. All the courses at public universities are offered for free. For me and many Germans, it would be so crazy to think about a scenario where you take on massive loans, get your degree, then start your career, start to earn a bit of money, and then pay the loans off in like 10 years. No. Alright, let's quickly talk about the actual application. In Germany, applications are often made directly to the universities through an online platform called UniAssist or the university's own application portal. Yes, each university has its own specific admission requirements, but some documents are usually expected to submit an application. These are the documents that you typically need. And if you're not quite ready to meet all the requirements or you're still unsure about your study plans, you can sign up as a guest student. And this means you're not officially enrolled but can attend classes as a visitor. Guest students don't have to apply formally for a program but need to register and might have to pay a small fee. It's really handy if you want to explore the education system, work on your German or fill the gap before the next application round. And don't forget to join our massive Discord community. If you're struggling with picking a university, I recently made a video about most prestigious universities in Germany. Love you and stay focused.