At German public universities you pay no tuition fees, regardless of nationality. The only mandatory cost is the semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) of 150 to 350 EUR, which usually also includes a public transport pass. In practice, a year of study costs you a few hundred euros in administrative fees. On top of that comes the cost of living, typically 900 to 1,200 EUR per month, higher in Munich and lower in cities such as Aachen, Freiburg or Tubingen.

The state of Baden-Wurttemberg (home to Heidelberg, KIT, Freiburg and Tubingen) introduced a fee of 1,500 EUR per semester for students from outside the European Union. As a Romanian citizen, you are an EU citizen, so you are completely exempt from this fee and study for free (just the Semesterbeitrag of a few hundred euros). This is a direct benefit of European citizenship: you get access to universities such as Heidelberg at a cost 3,000 EUR per year lower than a student from outside the EU.

Yes, but it depends on the program. The number of English-taught bachelor's degrees is growing (over 200 programs, especially at TUM and in technical fields), and at master's level there are over 2,000 programs in English. Still, many bachelor's programs are still in German and require a B2 or C1 level (TestDaF or DSH test). If you want an English-taught bachelor's, you have real options; if you are aiming for a German-taught program, plan your language courses well ahead.

uni-assist is the centralized platform through which many German universities process international applications: it checks your diploma, calculates grade equivalence and forwards your file further. Some universities accept direct applications on their own portal. In practice: you check whether your university uses uni-assist or direct applications, upload your Baccalaureate diploma and transcript, your language certificate and the required documents. Typical deadlines are 15 July for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer one.

Yes. The Baccalaureate diploma from Romania is recognized for admission to German universities. In many cases you get direct access to a bachelor's; for certain profile or grade combinations, some universities may require a year of Studienkolleg (a preparatory program) or a minimum Baccalaureate average. Grade equivalence is usually done through uni-assist. Besides the diploma, your language level matters (German B2/C1 or English, depending on the program).

For engineering, computer science and AI, the main choices are TUM (Technical University of Munich), number 1 in Germany with direct links to BMW, Siemens and SAP, RWTH Aachen and KIT, both members of the TU9 group of technical universities. For AI and Machine Learning, Tubingen hosts Cyber Valley, one of the largest AI research hubs in Europe. TUM also offers an English-taught bachelor's, which makes it accessible without advanced German.

Yes. After graduation, as an EU citizen you have the right to stay and work in Germany without a visa. Students from outside the EU receive an 18-month job-search visa; you, as a Romanian, have full access to the labor market from day one, with no restrictions. Germany has an acute need for graduates in engineering, IT and healthcare, and starting salaries for graduates from TUM or RWTH are among the highest in Europe.

The typical cost of living is 900 to 1,200 EUR per month, including accommodation, food, transport and health insurance. Munich is the most expensive city, while Aachen, Karlsruhe, Freiburg and Tubingen are noticeably more affordable. Health insurance for students costs around 120 EUR per month. As a student you have the right to work part-time, and the transport pass is often included in the semester contribution, which reduces costs.