International

Plan­ning fi­nances for Berlin

Photo: Philipp Plum

Would you like to come to Humboldt-Universität to study, do a doctorate or research and are wondering how to fund this? On this page, you will find tips and useful resources for financial support.

Please also use the advisory resources of your home university to identify sources of funding. Applications often have to be submitted, documents collected and funding decisions made. It can take up to a year to get funding approval for your stay in Berlin.

Financing options for students and doctoral candidates

If you would like to research how you can finance your stay in Germany, we recommend searching the scholarship database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This is where you will find information about DAAD programs as well as other funding programmes and institutions.

DAAD scholarship database

Funding is also available through the Erasmus+ programme. If you are studying in an Erasmus+ Programme Country and would like to apply for Erasmus+ funding to come to Humboldt-Universität, please contact the Erasmus+ coordinators at your university or faculty. In this context, applications must always be sent to the sending university involved in the Erasmus+ programme. If you are studying in an Erasmus+ partner country, you can find more information on our web page for students and doctoral candidates from Erasmus+ Partner Country.

There are a large number of funding organisations that come from very different realms. These include, among others, political party foundations, religious foundations, environmental foundations and business-related foundations. There are also funding organisations that award scholarships based on personal circumstances and, for example, support young doctoral students with children. On the following page, you will find different types of funding and criteria:

Scholarship providers at a glance

In addition, university-linked scholarships are often available for doctoral students. At Humboldt-Universität, for example, the Jameel Foundation provides funding.

Please plan your stay in Berlin well in advance. Your visa and residence permit depend on it.

Funding opportunities for scientists

If you are planning an academic stay in Berlin, various funding options are available. There is a complex funding landscape in Germany with the major funding organisations Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) and German Research Foundation (DFG) as well as company-related foundations and environmental foundations, but also funding for research projects by internal and affiliated scientists. In order to receive this funding, personal requirements play just as large a role as academic experience. If you work at a university abroad and are planning a temporary stay at Humboldt-Universität, your university can advise you on how to finance your stay.

As part of EU projects and Erasmus+, stays for scientists and doctoral students can be funded if an application has been approved between the German university and the Erasmus+ region in which the home university is located (always outside the EU). Information about these options is usually available in the International Offices. If you work in an Erasmus+ Partner Country Partner Country, you can find more information on our web page for teachers and researchers from Erasmus+ partner countries.

Cost of living

In the European context, Germany is one of the medium-priced countries. However, it is still crucial to correctly assess the costs for a successful stay and to ensure secure financing.

Before you come to Germany, you must prove how you will finance your stay when applying for a visa. You must demonstrate that you can financially support your stay. The current amount is 992 euros per month or 11,904 euros per year. Students in particular may be required to set up a blocked account1.

The costs incurred to cover basic needs such as housing, food, clothing and leisure are known as the cost of living. In comparison to other European countries, the cost of living in Germany is roughly in the middle tier.

You can find a list of the average cost of living on the DAAD website:

  1. A blocked account is a bank account whose account holder can only use it with the approval of a third party.  ↩

Costs of education and living – DAAD

Contact

For students

Personal consultation for students

For researchers