Studying medicine abroad – costs and financing

☝️ The most important facts in brief

• Tuition fees abroad vary greatly, from free in some countries to €47,000 per year in the UK. The cost of living is lower in Eastern Europe than in Switzerland and England.
• Foreign student loans can be used for financing, depending on parental income, and are also valid in the EU and Switzerland.
• Options such as KfW student loans and the German government's education loan offer financial support with flexible repayment terms.
• Scholarships are difficult to obtain but offer non-repayable support. Education funds provide support during your studies and are repaid on a pro-rata basis after graduation.

If you are planning to study medicine abroad, you should consider the costs and financing of your stay abroad in good time. Depending on the city and university, studying medicine can be quite expensive. Fortunately, there are various options available to help you finance your medical studies.

The costs you will incur vary greatly between countries and consist of tuition fees and living expenses. Tuition fees per year vary greatly. Depending on the university and country, they range from €100 to €22,000. In some countries, such as Austria, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, studying can even be completely free of charge. 

Country of study: Average tuition fees per year

Denmark
No tuition fees

Finland
No tuition fees

Norway
No tuition fees

Sweden
No tuition fees

Malta
€100 to €35,000

France
€340 to €500

Italy
€600 to €6,000

Austria
€770 to €16,000

Luxembourg
approx. 800 euros

Belgium
€800 – €1,600

Poland
approx. €1,400

Netherlands
approx. €2,500

Spain
€2,800 – €25,000

Romania
€6,000 – €12,500

Bulgaria
€7,500 – €8,000

Ireland
€9,000 – €17,500

Bosnia and Herzegovina
€9,200 – €13,200

Latvia
€9,750 – €12,500

Czechia
€10,000 – €15,000

Turkey
€10,000 – €27,000

Slovakia
€10,500 – €10,900

United Kingdom
€11,500 – €47,000

Greece
€12,000 – €13,000

Croatia
€12,000 – €20,000

Lithuania
€12,500 – €13,000

Estonia
€13,200

Hungary
€14,800 – €16,600

Cyprus
€18,000 – €22,000

The cost of living depends on your lifestyle, the country, and the city. In some countries, such as Hungary, Romania, or Slovakia, you can find affordable apartments. Food prices there are low compared to other European countries. In cities in Switzerland, England, or Austria, you will need to budget significantly more for rent and your daily basic needs.

You have the option of applying for foreign BAföG for your medical studies abroad. The general conditions are the same as those that apply to BAföG funding in Germany. Here, too, the payment depends on your parents' income. Depending on your personal situation, you may also be eligible for parent-independent BAföG. In any case, if you would receive BAföG for studying in Germany, you can also apply for it for your medical studies in the EU or Switzerland. However, the assessment threshold for foreign degree programs is slightly higher than for domestic funding, so you may even receive BAföG support for your studies abroad if you would not have received it for studying in Germany. 

In addition to your parents' income, other requirements include having a permanent residence in Germany and ensuring that your medical education at the university abroad is of the same quality as that of a German university. 

If you are unable to apply for BAföG funding for studying abroad or are looking for an alternative, you can take out education and student loans to finance your medical studies abroad. First of all, you can ask your bank about student loans. In addition, the following options are available:

KfW student loan

One of the best-known and most widely used student loans is the KfW student loan. It is offered by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). 

To apply for the KfW loan, you must be enrolled at a German university. It is therefore not possible to finance an entire degree abroad from the outset with this loan. The payment amount is €300 per month for a maximum of two years. The total maximum amount is therefore €7,200. 

Applications can be made via the KfW website. Before you apply, you should calculate your monthly financial requirements. KfW offers a needs calculator on its website for this purpose. You also have the option of checking in advance whether you meet the requirements for a loan and whether the university in question is approved for KfW funding.  

Repayment of the student loan is individual. In most cases, it begins four years after the first payment and is repaid in monthly installments of approximately €120 over a period of ten years. 

Federal government education loan to finance medical studies abroad

Another option for financing your medical studies abroad is the Federal Government Education Loan. Borrowers can receive 24 monthly installments of €100, €200, or €300, or apply for a one-time payment of up to €3,600. The maximum amount is €7,200. This loan is also only granted to students in advanced stages of their education. 

You can apply for the education loan online at the Federal Administrative Office in Cologne.

Education funds can also help you finance your medical studies abroad. These are usually investment funds that support students during their studies. You receive a fixed amount to cover your living expenses, as well as additional support such as networking, career preparation courses, or soft skills development.

You can finance your entire studies abroad through education funds. Once you have completed your studies, a certain percentage of the fund must be repaid. This repayment may be dependent or independent of your future earnings. The basic requirement for receiving an education fund is usually the prospect of a well-paid job after graduation. This is often evaluated in a personal interview.

Financing your medical studies abroad with a scholarship has the great advantage that you receive money without having to pay it back later. There are grants for living expenses, travel costs, tuition fees, and insurance. These range from €400 to over €2,000 per month, depending on the scholarship provider. 

However, obtaining a scholarship is not that easy. There are countless applicants for the few scholarships available. It is therefore important to make your application stand out and score points with social engagement, volunteer work, or previous experience, for example.