United States
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Australia
Netherlands
Ireland
Japan
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Photo: Mira Kireeva on Unsplash
Cost of a year
What will a year really cost?
From the country guide: tuition, living costs and the visa fee, plus the money you must show. The part you lose if the visa is refused is marked.
First year, all in, from the lowest
Tuition at a public university for an international student, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee, in EUR. Choose one for the full breakdown and the money you must show.
How the number is built
Tuition is the published fee range for an international student at a public university, for one year. Where public universities charge nothing, it is zero, and the guide says what you still pay (semester fees, for example).
Living costs are the monthly range the government or the universities publish, times twelve.
The visa fee is the government fee for the student visa or permit. It is the part you lose if the visa is refused, so it is marked in the breakdown.
The money you must show is not a cost: it sits in your account before you apply and then pays your living costs. It is shown separately because you need it all at once.
The cheapest countries to study in, and what “no tuition” really means · Student visas compared · Which countries fit my budget
The ten destinations students compare most (2026/27)
Of the ten destinations students compare most, a first year (public tuition, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee) starts lowest in Italy and Germany. The money a visa asks you to see is a separate test, paid up front.
| Country | First year from | Money to show | Visa fee | Work in term | Stay after graduating | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United KingdomCost calculator · Visa | EUR 41,800 | EUR 12,600 | EUR 668 | 20 h a week | 2 years | GOV.UK Student visa: money checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| United StatesCost calculator · Visa | EUR 30,200 | No fixed sum | EUR 167 | 20 h a week | 1 year | checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| CanadaCost calculator · Visa | EUR 25,200 | EUR 14,900 | EUR 95 | 24 h a week | 3 years | canada.ca: Proof of financial support checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| AustraliaCost calculator · Visa | EUR 32,600 | EUR 18,300 | EUR 1,539 | 24 h a week | 2 years | checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| GermanyCost calculator · Visa | EUR 9,900 | EUR 11,900 | EUR 75 | 20 h a week | 18 months | Make it in Germany: Federal Government checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| FranceCost calculator · Visa | EUR 11,400 | EUR 10,500 | EUR 99 | 20 h a week | 1 year | checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| IrelandCost calculator · Visa | EUR 32,900 | EUR 10,000 | EUR 60 | 20 h a week | 1 year | checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| NetherlandsCost calculator · Visa | EUR 21,300 | EUR 13,600 | EUR 254 | 16 h a week | 1 year | checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| ItalyCost calculator · Visa | EUR 8,800 | EUR 10,200 | EUR 50 | 20 h a week | None | checked 24 Sep 2026 |
| SpainCost calculator · Visa | EUR 10,000 | EUR 7,200 | EUR 80 | 30 h a week | 2 years | checked 24 Sep 2026 |
Last checked: 24 Sep 2026. Figures in EUR at 2026-11-13 rates (Rates by Exchange Rate API), rounded. First year = the lowest public tuition for an international student, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee, from each country's official sources. United Kingdom: the money to show rises on 30 November 2026 and the Graduate Route falls to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027. Always confirm on the official page before you apply.
What to do next
- Work out your own first year: in your currency, with tuition, rent and the visa fee.
- Check the money the visa asks to see: it is a separate test, and often due before you travel.
- Find scholarships open to your nationality: government schemes with their next deadline.
- Put two countries side by side: cost, work rights and the stay after graduating.
- Check the school is real: on the official register before you pay a deposit.
Two countries side by side
What a first year costs, side by side: tuition, living costs and the visa fee, in your currency.
Leaves out flights, deposits and insurance unless the guide includes them. Currency: Rates by Exchange Rate API, 13 November 2026.
Questions
What is the cheapest country to study abroad for a year?
Of the 42 countries whose official figures give both tuition and living costs, a first year (tuition, twelve months of living and the visa fee) starts lowest in Estonia (from EUR 5,300), Bosnia and Herzegovina (from EUR 5,400), Türkiye (from EUR 5,500). The cheapest course in a country can be far below its usual one, so check the guide.
Which countries cost the most for a year of study?
At the top of the range: the United Kingdom (up to EUR 73,000), Ireland (up to EUR 60,800), Australia (up to EUR 63,200), counting tuition, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee.
Is the money I must show for the visa part of the cost?
No. It is money you must prove you have, usually in a bank account, before the visa is decided. You spend it on living costs once you arrive, so it is not an extra cost, but you need it up front.