Special Circumstances

Study opportunities for refugees

General InfoFinancesSupport SevicesGerman

Short & Sweet

As a refugee, the same conditions apply to you as to other international students in order to be allowed to study at a German university.

Nevertheless, there are some points to consider concerning your status and possibly your asylum procedure.

General information 

As a rule, refugees are allowed to study at German universities. Normally you won’t encounter any problems if your status is recognised (entitled to asylum, granted refugee protection etc.). The same applies if your application for asylum is still being processed or if you only hold a “tolerated” status.

Links

On the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) you will find general information on the topic of asylum. You can find further information on various other websites.

Four students sitting outdoors talking
Students talking © DAAD/Hagenguth

Advising services

You can get more information about studying in Germany at the at the university in your city. The staff at the International Office can help you choose a suitable degree programme, evaluate your certificates and plan your next steps. Some universities have counsellors specifically responsible for refugees. Inquire about them at your nearest International Office. You can find a  on the DAAD website.

The Academic Advising Office at the  helps young immigrants continue or commence studies in Germany. The counselling sessions on location are free of charge. There are 21 advising offices throughout Germany. You can make an appointment on their website.

Initiated by German law students, Refugee Law Clinics offer free legal counselling to refugees.

Four students sitting in discussion
A group of students © DAAD/Hagenguth

Info

Please contact the International Office at the university where you would like to study to find out about the exact regulations. You can find contact details for the International Offices on the DAAD website.

No or incomplete documents

Even if you have no or incomplete records of your previous education, there are opportunities to study at a German university. There are different regulations depending on the federal state and the university:

  • step-by-step process e.g. by interview
  • Entrance examination and/or assessment examination and/or placement examination
  • Case-by-case evaluation
  • Affirmation „in lieu of an oath“

Your questions – our answers! 

No matter what you’d like to know about studying in Germany, we will tell you! In our FAQs for refugees you can find answers to the most frequently asked questions. And if you cannot find a specific question, just contact us via the contact form and we will be happy to help you!

Link

You’ll find a lot of information and support offers for students and academics from Ukraine on the .

Russia’s attack on Ukraine: Important information for students and researchers

The DAAD will closely monitor the situation and developments on the ground and, in close consultation with the Federal Government and in exchange with the German Rectors‘ Conference and the German universities, will assess in the coming days and weeks how academic cooperation with Ukraine can be shaped.