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Tuition, 2026/27

Free and low-tuition countries for international students

In short: 25 of the countries in our guides publish public-university tuition for international students of EUR 3,000 a year or less at the low end, starting with Brazil, Germany, Italy, Slovakia. Low or free tuition usually comes with conditions (the national language, a region, or a cap on places), and living costs and the visa money still apply.

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25 countries, lowest tuition first

CountryPublic tuition a yearFirst year, all in, fromWhat to knowChecked
BrazilCost calculator · Visa None Living costs not published There is no job-search period: the two-year graduate residence requires a work contract in your field, and PEC-G students may not take jobs. 24 Sep 2026
GermanyCost calculator · Visa EUR 200 to 700 EUR 9,900 Baden-Wuerttemberg charges non-EU students EUR 1,500 a semester and TU Munich charges non-EU students EUR 2,000 to 6,000 a semester. 24 Sep 2026
ItalyCost calculator · Visa EUR 300 to 3,000 EUR 8,800 State university fees depend on family income via the ISEE Parificato, and students who miss the deadline pay the top bracket by default. 24 Sep 2026
SlovakiaCost calculator · Visa EUR 500 to 12,200 EUR 6,500 Slovak-taught degrees are free but foreign-language programmes charge fees, and the work limit is 80 hours a month rather than a weekly figure. 24 Sep 2026
TürkiyeCost calculator · Visa EUR 700 to 2,100 EUR 5,500 Fees and prices move with the lira, and the visa fee varies by nationality, so the figure given is the residence permit card fee. 24 Sep 2026
IcelandCost calculator · Visa EUR 700 EUR 23,000 Proof of funds is ISK 259,951 a month from 18 May 2026; the annual figure is our calculation for a one-year permit. visa_fee is the residence permit processing fee. Tuition is the University of Iceland registration fee; public universities may now charge non-EEA students tuition (law passed June 2026) but no amounts or start date are published. Work limit is 60% of full-time employment, not stated in hours. Post-study period cut from up to three years to up to 18 months on 8 July 2026. Living costs are Reykjavík’s minimum support level for one person, as the University of Iceland cites it. 26 Sep 2026
LuxembourgCost calculator · Visa EUR 800 EUR 19,100 Proof of funds is 80% of REVIS for one adult (EUR 1,944.40 a month from 1 June 2026), about EUR 1,556 a month; the annual figure is our calculation. Plus EUR 80 residence permit fee for all non-EU students. Tuition is the University of Luxembourg registration fee of EUR 400 a semester. The EU Immigration Portal still gives 9 months post-study; Guichet.lu gives 12. Uni.lu itemises costs (rent from EUR 450, meals EUR 360 a month) but gives no total besides the immigration minimum. Living costs are the minimum monthly resources immigration asks for, as the University of Luxembourg reports it. 26 Sep 2026
CroatiaCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,000 to 10,400 EUR 8,300 The monthly funds figure is reset every March and a separate EUR 869.40 for the return journey must also be shown. 24 Sep 2026
Bosnia and HerzegovinaCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,000 to 4,500 EUR 5,400 Proof of funds is 400 BAM a month in a bank account (annual figure is our calculation); a notarised guarantee or scholarship is accepted instead. Plus 150 BAM temporary residence fee. Tuition is the University of Banja Luka first-cycle range for foreign citizens, 2026/27; University of Sarajevo fees not verified. D visa fee as listed by BiH embassies in Berlin and Podgorica. Student work is governed by entity laws and was not confirmed. Living costs are the University of Sarajevo’s typical student budget. 26 Sep 2026
AustriaCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,500 EUR 17,300 The proof of funds nearly doubles at age 24 (EUR 15,700.68 a year) and rises further if rent exceeds EUR 386.43 a month. 24 Sep 2026
EstoniaCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,500 to 15,000 EUR 5,300 The EUR 880 a month proof of funds is far above the official EUR 300-500 living-cost estimate, and Tartu ended tuition waivers for new non-EU students. 24 Sep 2026
PolandCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,500 to 6,000 EUR 7,000 The funds test is assessed over a 15-month first permit and rent, travel and tuition must be shown on top of PLN 1,010 a month. 24 Sep 2026
SpainCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,500 to 8,200 EUR 10,000 Public fees depend on the region, with Madrid charging non-EU students six to eight times more, and the 24-month job search permit does not allow work. 24 Sep 2026
GhanaCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,600 to 4,800 Living costs not published Everyone studying longer than a trimester needs a student residence permit from the Ghana Immigration Service; ECOWAS citizens need no visa to enter. 7 Nov 2026
IndonesiaCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,600 to 6,400 EUR 9,200 Students may not work, there is no post-study route, and the visa must be sponsored and filed by your university. 24 Sep 2026
BangladeshCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,700 to 3,400 Living costs not published Fees are set by each institution in US dollars, with lower rates for SAARC students; your institution must declare that you are not working in Bangladesh. 7 Nov 2026
SwitzerlandCost calculator · Visa EUR 1,800 to 4,800 EUR 29,300 Funds and permit fees are set by each canton, and students cannot work at all in their first six months. 26 Sep 2026
SloveniaCost calculator · Visa EUR 2,000 to 15,000 EUR 10,500 Most bachelor's degrees are taught in Slovene and the permit process has no published processing time, so late applicants often start late. 24 Sep 2026
SerbiaCost calculator · Visa EUR 2,000 to 3,000 EUR 12,300 Proof of funds is a Serbian bank balance 'in the amount of minimum salary' for the year of application; no total or period is published (net minimum wage 2026: RSD 64,554 a month). Visa fee applies only to nationalities needing a visa; temporary residence costs RSD 430 plus RSD 23,450. Tuition range is the School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, 2025/2026. No dedicated post-study permit found. No official living cost figure. Living costs are Study in Serbia’s range for Belgrade; other cities are cheaper. 26 Sep 2026
BelgiumCost calculator · Visa EUR 2,300 to 7,100 EUR 17,100 The proof of funds rose to EUR 1,062 a month for 2026-2027 and is re-indexed every February, so older EUR 835 figures will be refused. 24 Sep 2026
RomaniaCost calculator · Visa EUR 2,400 to 2,700 EUR 9,900 A full year of tuition must be paid before the visa, and students may work up to six hours a day on a part-time contract. 24 Sep 2026
GeorgiaCost calculator · Visa EUR 2,700 to 7,200 Living costs not published Check recognition of a Georgian medical degree with your home regulator before enrolling, and note that work authorisation has been required since 1 March 2026. 24 Sep 2026
TaiwanCost calculator · Visa EUR 2,800 to 3,400 EUR 8,200 Proof of funds is set by each university for at least six months, with NTU asking for a balance of NT$200,000. 24 Sep 2026
FranceCost calculator · Visa EUR 2,900 to 4,000 EUR 11,400 Fee waivers for non-EU students are now capped at 30% of a university's foreign students, so budget for EUR 2,902 or EUR 3,950 a year. 24 Sep 2026
BulgariaCost calculator · Visa EUR 3,000 to 3,300 EUR 8,500 No annual proof of funds figure is published. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' general type D checklist asks for six monthly minimum wages, about EUR 3,721 at the 2026 minimum wage of EUR 620.20 (our calculation); confirm with the embassy. Tuition range is UNWE (Sofia) international student fees, academic year not stated; medicine costs more. Visa fee is EUR 200 for the one-year Article 15(2) visa. No official living cost figure. Living costs are the Medical University of Varna’s estimate for Varna. 26 Sep 2026

Last checked: 24 Sep 2026 to 7 Nov 2026. Tuition is the lowest published public-university fee for an international student, from each country's official sources (open a country for every source). Converted to EUR at the day's rate (2026-11-08). Rates by Exchange Rate API.

What to do next

  1. Check the language: free or low fees often apply only to degrees in the national language. See studying in English and studying without IELTS.
  2. Work out the whole first year with the cost calculator, or see which countries fit your budget.
  3. Check the visa money on the visa comparison: it is due before you travel.
  4. Compare two countries with the comparison tool.

Questions

Which countries have free university for international students?

In our guides, Brazil publish no tuition at public universities at the low end. Read each country's note: free study is often only in the national language.

Is studying in Germany free?

Mostly: public universities charge a semester contribution, about EUR 200 to EUR 700 a year. Baden-Wuerttemberg charges non-EU students EUR 1,500 a semester and TU Munich charges non-EU students EUR 2,000 to 6,000 a semester.

Does low tuition mean a cheap year?

Not always. The visa still asks you to show money for living costs, from about EUR 1,800 to 23,000 a year in the countries above that publish a figure, so the first-year column is the better guide.