BAföG for Study Abroad

The BAföG (German financial aid for students) for Study Abroad is a popular option among students for (partially) financing their stay abroad. Students can apply for this program for both a semester of study and a semester-long internship abroad. However, there is a restriction regarding internships abroad: under the BAföG (German financial aid for students) program, they are only eligible for funding if they are mandatory internships lasting at least 12 weeks; in other words, they must be explicitly mentioned in the degree programme’s Study and Examination Regulations. Unfortunately, voluntary internships abroad are not eligible for funding through the BAföG (German financial aid for students).

Even if you have not yet been eligible for BAföG in Germany, you still have the option of receiving BAföG for study abroad. So even if you have not yet received BAföG in Germany, you should still take advantage of this opportunity and submit an application for BAföG for study abroad.

Students who receive domestic BAföG often wonder whether receiving BAföG while studying abroad would shorten the maximum duration of their funding in Germany. The reassuring answer is: NO. If you apply for a vacation semester during your studies abroad, you will continue to pay the full semester tuition and remain officially enrolled at your home university. However, this means your semester abroad will not count as an academic semester and, consequently, will not be recognized as such toward your standard period of study. The time you spend during your semester abroad therefore does not affect the calculation of the maximum funding period for domestic BAföG. It is important, however, that you engage in study-related activities during your time abroad and that you can provide appropriate proof of these activities upon your return. On average, you will actually receive BAföG funding for a longer period with the “BAföG for studying abroad” than you would without a study-related period abroad.

In general, BAföG (German financial aid for students) is granted for a maximum of one year. It is important to note that the funding must be received in a single, uninterrupted period. However, if your stay abroad is mandatory—that is, if it is part of an integrated degree programme—and you are completing this degree programme in an EU country or Switzerland, you will receive BAföG funding for study abroad without a time limit, as long as the standard maximum duration of BAföG funding is not exceeded.

The grant amounts for the BAföG abroad are higher than those for the domestic BAföG: In addition to the basic allowance and the housing allowance—which also apply to the domestic BAföG—there are additional allowances to cover tuition fees incurred abroad, health insurance, and travel expenses to the host country. Furthermore, there are special overseas supplements calculated based on the cost of living in each destination country.

For all mothers and fathers who are embarking on the adventure of living abroad with their child, the good news is that childcare supplements are also paid. In general, just as with domestic BAföG, 50% of the BAföG for study abroad must be repaid in installments at a later date. The other 50% is granted to you as a grant from the government.

Yes. Take advantage of the opportunity to receive financial support through an ERASMUS+ scholarship in addition to the BAföG (German financial aid for students) for studying abroad. Scholarship amounts currently range from 180 to 300 euros, depending on the cost of living in the country of the partner university. An Erasmus grant of up to 300 euros is not counted toward your BAföG (German financial aid for students).

Depending on the destination country, different offices are responsible for processing BAföG funding for study abroad. For the Czech Republic, Poland, and Russia, for example, the International Office of the Chemnitz-Zwickau 'Studentenwerk' is responsible. Therefore, when submitting your application, please find out which BAföG office is responsible for your destination country. Please also note that the processing time for a BAföG application for study abroad can be much longer (up to 6 months) than for domestic BAföG. Therefore, it is recommended that you submit your application at least half a year before the start of your semester abroad.