Twenty study destinations, and what each government actually publishes. Four of the five columns below are rules set in law or in published immigration policy, so they can be checked against the authority that sets them, and every row links to that authority. The fifth column, tuition, is described by the mechanism that sets it rather than by an average, because no government publishes an average international tuition figure and we will not invent one. For a head to head view, use the interactive comparator.
Every figure on this page was read from the official source on 4 August 2026. Where we could not reach an official document, the cell says so rather than carrying a number forward. Nothing here is immigration advice, and the authority’s own page always wins over ours.
| Country | Tuition at public institutions, and how it is set | Funds you must show | Work while studying | Stay after study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany Make it in Germany, federal portal |
No tuition at most public universities. Each institution charges a semester contribution set by itself. | At least €11,904 in a blocked account, 2026 figure. | 140 full days or 280 half days a year, or up to 20 hours a week. | Residence permit for up to 18 months to find skilled employment. |
| United Kingdom GOV.UK, money · Immigration Rules, Appendix Student · Graduate visa |
Set by each institution. There is no statutory cap on international fees. | £1,171 a month outside London, £1,529 a month in London, for up to 9 months. | 20 hours a week in term time at degree level, 10 hours below degree level, rule ST 26.1. Full time outside term time. | Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, 3 years with a doctorate. |
| United States 8 CFR 214.2(f), eCFR |
Set by each institution. Your school certifies the figure it expects on your Form I-20. | No single national figure is published. The school certifies your costs on the Form I-20. | Not more than 20 hours a week on campus while school is in session, 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i). | Post completion Optional Practical Training, 12 months, 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii). A further extension exists for certain STEM fields; we did not read its length this pass. |
| Canada IRCC, work off campus · IRCC, post graduation work permit |
Set by each institution and each province. | CAD 22,895 for a single applicant for twelve months, in force from 1 September 2025, on top of tuition and travel. IRCC, proof of financial support. Read 5 August 2026. | Up to 24 hours a week off campus during study terms, unlimited during breaks scheduled by your institution. | Post Graduation Work Permit, up to 3 years, length tied to the level and length of your programme. |
| Australia Study Australia, Australian Trade and Investment Commission |
Set by each institution. | AUD 29,710 of living costs for twelve months, plus the first twelve months of course fees and your travel. A partner adds AUD 10,394 and a child AUD 4,449. Department of Home Affairs page last updated 1 July 2026. Read 5 August 2026. | Up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course of study is in session. | Temporary Graduate visa, subclass 485. Up to 18 months with an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification. Usually between 2 and 3 years after higher education, depending on the qualification. A second permit runs between 1 and 2 years. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay 5 years. You must be 35 or under when you apply. Department of Home Affairs. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Netherlands IND, student permit · IND, required amounts · IND, orientation year |
A statutory rate applies to EU and EEA students. Institutions set their own rate for everyone else. | €1,130.77 a month, the 2026 study norm. | Up to 16 hours a week, or full time during June, July and August. | Orientation year for highly educated persons, valid for 1 year, with free access to the labour market. |
| France Campus France, working while studying · Campus France, APS |
Set by ministerial order for public institutions. Differentiated rates apply to some students from outside the EEA. | At least EUR 877.50 a month. Service-Public, the French administration’s own guide. Read 5 August 2026. | 964 hours a year, which the state describes as 60 per cent of full time. It is an annual allowance, not a weekly cap. | APS, 1 year, but only for listed qualifications and for nationals of countries with a bilateral agreement with France. |
| Sweden Migrationsverket, study permit · Migrationsverket, seeking work |
Free for EU and EEA nationals. Institutions set their own fee for everyone else, and it must be paid before the permit is granted. | At least SEK 10,656 a month for applications made in 2026. | A maximum of 15 hours a week during semesters, for permits granted on or after 11 June 2026. Unlimited in June, July and August, and unlimited once two semesters are complete. | Up to 1 year after bachelor’s or master’s level study, between 1 year and 18 months after doctoral study. |
| Ireland Immigration Service Delivery |
Set by each institution. | EUR 10,000 for a course of a year or more, or EUR 833 a month for a shorter one, which is EUR 4,998 for six months and EUR 6,665 for eight. In force from 30 June 2025. Immigration Service Delivery. Read 5 August 2026. | 20 hours a week in term time, 40 hours a week from June to September and from 15 December to 15 January. | Third Level Graduate Programme: 12 months at Level 8, 24 months at Level 9 and above, given as two blocks of 12 months. |
| Japan Study in Japan, government portal |
Set by each institution. National universities share a standard fee set by ministerial rule. | Not published as an amount. Japan asks for evidence that the cost of study and living is covered and assesses it case by case. We could not find an official page stating a figure. Recorded as a gap on 5 August 2026. | Within 28 hours a week, and up to 8 hours a day during long school holidays, with Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted. | Designated Activities status for job hunting, granted for six months and extendable once, to a maximum of one year. Study in Japan, the Japanese government portal. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Spain Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones |
Public universities charge per credit at rates set by each autonomous community. | 100 per cent of the IPREM a month for your own maintenance, unless you have paid for accommodation for the whole stay in advance. The IPREM is a national index reset each year in the state budget law and published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado, so the euro figure moves with it. Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, sheet 1. Read 5 August 2026. | Up to 30 hours a week. The work must be compatible with the study authorisation, and exceeding the limit is grounds for cancelling it. | A residence authorisation to look for work or start a business, granted for 24 months and not extendable, for graduates at level 6 or above of the European Qualifications Framework. Royal Decree 1155/2024. Ministerio de Inclusión, sheet 20. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Italy Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale |
Set by each public university within national rules, and commonly assessed against family income. | €6,079.45 a year, the figure the ministry publishes for university enrolment. | Up to 20 hours a week, and up to 1,040 hours across the whole year. | A job search residence permit of no less than 9 and no more than 12 months, for holders of an Italian doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s or higher technical diploma, under legislative decree 71 of 2018. Integrazione Migranti, Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Austria studyinaustria.at, OeAD federal agency |
€751.92 a semester for most students from outside the EU and EEA. €363.36 a semester for EU students who pass the tolerance period. A compulsory students union fee of €25.20 a semester applies to everyone. | EUR 722.58 a month if you are under 24, EUR 1,308.39 a month if you are 24 or over, at the 2026 rates. OeAD, the Austrian agency for education and internationalisation. Read 5 August 2026. | Up to 20 hours a week, and the employer must hold a work permit for you. OeAD, the Austrian agency for education and internationalisation. Read 5 August 2026. | A student who finishes a course while holding the Student residence permit may renew it for a further 12 months to look for a job or start a business. OeAD, the Austrian agency for education and internationalisation. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Denmark New to Denmark, Danish Immigration Service |
Free for EU and EEA nationals. Institutions set their own fee for everyone else. | DKK 7,426 a month at 2026 level, and at most DKK 89,112 for studies longer than a year. | 90 hours a month from September to May, and full time through June, July and August. It is a monthly allowance, not a weekly cap. | Either a 6 month or a 3 year residence permit to look for employment, depending on the programme completed. |
| Norway UDI, study permit |
Free for EEA and Swiss nationals. Tuition fees apply to everyone else, at rates each institution sets. | At least NOK 15,488 a month, or NOK 170,368 for the whole academic year. | Up to 20 hours a week part time, including remote work, and full time during holidays. | A job seeker residence permit of at most one year after you complete the education. You must show at least NOK 28,448 a month, which is NOK 341,373 a year. UDI, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Finland Migri, Finnish Immigration Service |
Free for EU and EEA nationals. Institutions set their own fee for everyone else. | €9,600 in your bank account when you submit the application, covering the first year. | An average of 30 hours a week, in paid employment in any field. | A residence permit to look for work, granted for at most two years, for someone who has completed a degree or research in Finland. You must have at least EUR 800 a month available. Migri, the Finnish Immigration Service. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Switzerland | Set by each cantonal or federal institution. Rates are low by international comparison but living costs are among the highest here. | No federal amount is published. The ordinance names the evidence instead: a declaration of support with proof of income and assets from a solvent person resident in Switzerland, a confirmation from a Swiss bank that you hold sufficient assets, or a binding award of a scholarship or study loan. Cantons set their own thresholds. Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Employment, article 23, with article 27 of the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act. Fedlex, the official compilation of Swiss federal law. Read 5 August 2026. | At most 15 hours a week outside the holidays, and no earlier than six months after the course begins. The employer must apply and the school must confirm the work will not delay your qualification. Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Employment, article 38. Fedlex. Read 5 August 2026. | Six months after you complete the Swiss qualification, to find work of high scientific or economic interest. Foreign Nationals and Integration Act, article 21 paragraph 3. The Canton of Zurich migration office publishes the same six months. Fedlex and Canton of Zurich. Read 5 August 2026. |
| New Zealand Immigration New Zealand, working · Immigration New Zealand, funds |
Set by each institution. | NZD 20,000 for each year of study of a year or more, or NZD 1,667 for each month if the study is shorter. | Up to 25 hours a week during study, and full time during scheduled breaks if the other conditions are met. | Post Study Work Visa. Up to 3 years, depending on the level of your qualification and how long you spent studying for it. Immigration New Zealand. Read 5 August 2026. |
| South Korea | Set by each institution. | Not published as an amount. The Korea Visa Portal lists proof of financial ability among the documents for a D-2 application without stating a figure, and the pages that would carry one returned errors on 5 August 2026. Recorded as a gap. | Only with permission obtained in advance. A D-2 student who wants a part-time job must be granted permission to engage in activities not covered by the current status of stay. It is refused if the extra work takes more hours or earns more than the studies, and holders of a single-entry visa for under 90 days may not do it at all. No weekly hour figure appears on the English guide. HiKorea, the Korean government immigration portal. Read 5 August 2026. | Job Seeking status, D-10. A holder of D-2 or D-10 status may change to an employment status from E-1 to E-7. With a bachelor’s degree or higher the job need not match the subject studied; for a junior college graduate the link is read broadly. Study in Korea, run by the Korean government. Read 5 August 2026. |
| Singapore Ministry of Manpower |
Set by each institution. Tuition grants that carry a work bond are available. | Not published as an amount. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority sets Student’s Pass evidence through each institution rather than as a national sum, and no figure appears on its application pages. Recorded as a gap on 5 August 2026. | A maximum of 16 hours a week during term, without a work pass, for full time students at listed institutions. | The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority runs a Long Term Visit Pass for a graduate of an Institute of Higher Learning who is seeking employment in Singapore. The validity period is not stated on that page, so the length remains a gap. ICA. Read 5 August 2026. |
Four things this table got wrong before today
This page previously carried figures with no publisher and no date. Reading the sources turned up four errors, and we would rather show you what they were than quietly correct them.
- Sweden said there was no official limit on working hours. That stopped being true on 11 June 2026. Permits granted on or after that date carry a cap of 15 hours a week during semesters. Anyone who planned a budget on the old line would have planned it wrong.
- New Zealand said 20 hours a week. Immigration New Zealand states 25.
- The United Kingdom said two years after study, flat. Two years is right only if you apply on or before 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 it is 18 months.
- Austria showed a tuition range of roughly €730 to €1,500 a semester. The fee is fixed in law, not a range: €751.92 a semester for most non-EU students.
Two more entries were not wrong so much as misleading. Denmark’s rule is 90 hours a month, not 20 hours a week, and France’s is 964 hours a year, not roughly 19 a week. Both were shown as weekly caps, which is not how either country counts, and a reader who worked a heavy week in Denmark on the strength of our old wording would have been fine while a reader who spread it evenly would have been leaving hours unused.
Why there is no tuition average here
An average international tuition figure would be the easiest thing on this page to write and the hardest to defend. No government publishes one, because tuition is set institution by institution and, in several countries, programme by programme and income band by income band. The countries where a real number exists are the ones where the state fixes it, and in those cases the number is in the table: Austria’s €751.92 a semester, Germany’s semester contribution, Italy’s income assessed scales. Everywhere else the honest answer is the mechanism, and then the university’s own fee page for the course you actually want.
What this table gained on 5 August 2026
On 4 August 2026 this table carried twenty four cells that read “source not read this pass”, and two countries, Switzerland and South Korea, with no verified rows at all. Today twenty one of those cells were closed by reading the authority that sets the rule. Where the HTML page blocked us we read the law itself.
- Switzerland is now sourced in full, at the level of the statute. The 15 hour weekly cap, the six month wait before any work is allowed, and the six months a graduate gets to find a job are not policy pages that can move. They are article 38 of the Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Employment and article 21 paragraph 3 of the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act, read on Fedlex, the federal government’s own compilation of the law.
- Switzerland publishes no funds figure at all. Article 23 of the same ordinance names three kinds of evidence and no amount, and the cantons set their own thresholds. That is the honest answer, and it is more durable than any number we could have quoted.
- South Korea is now two thirds sourced. Part-time work is not a weekly allowance, it is a permission you must hold before you start, and it is refused if the job outgrows the studies. The job seeking route after graduation is the D-10 status. The funds figure is still not published anywhere we could reach, so it stays a gap.
- France’s requirement is EUR 877.50 a month, per the French administration’s own guide. Figures circulating elsewhere are older.
- Spain’s post-study route is 24 months, not 12. Royal Decree 1155/2024 grants a non-extendable 24 month authorisation to look for work or start a business to graduates at level 6 or above of the European Qualifications Framework.
- Italy’s job search permit has a floor as well as a ceiling, no less than 9 months and no more than 12.
What we still could not read
Three cells remain gaps: the funds figure for Japan, South Korea and Singapore. In each case the authority does not publish an amount on any page we could reach on 5 August 2026, and in each case the cell says so in the place where the number would have been. They are gaps, not estimates. They will be closed when a source states a figure.
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