🇧🇦 Study in Germany from Bosnia and Herzegovina
A two-hour flight, no tuition at public universities, and a degree the whole EU recognises.
Germany is close to Bosnia and Herzegovina in every way that matters for a student: you can fly home for a long weekend, the time zone is the same, and the university system reads your grades in the same ECTS credits your own universities use. The convertible mark is pegged to the euro (1 EUR ≈ 1.96 BAM), so budgeting for Germany is unusually predictable.
Three ways into Germany
Study
Admission to a German university, then a national (D) student visa. Public universities charge little or no tuition. You prove living costs with a blocked account of €11,904 a year (€992 a month in 2026), and may work 20 hours a week in term.
Work — the Western Balkans Regulation
Citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia can take any job in Germany with a job offer, without having their qualifications recognised. The quota has been 50,000 approvals a year since June 2024; the government has said it plans to halve it from 2027.
Look for work — the Opportunity Card
Up to a year in Germany to find a job, for people with a recognised degree or vocational qualification. Proof of funds is €1,091 a month. Points come from qualifications, German or English, experience and age.
The visa, from Sarajevo
Apply for the national (D) student visa at the German Embassy in Sarajevo. Appointments are released in batches — check weekly once you have your admission letter.
German
German is the most common second foreign language in Bosnian schools; many applicants start with A2 already.
Steps, in order
- Free call with a counsellor — we read your grades and shortlist programmes they open.
- Apply — directly or through uni-assist, depending on the university. Winter intake usually closes 15 July, summer 15 January.
- Blocked account — open it once you have an admission letter; it takes a few days.
- Visa appointment in Sarajevo — book the moment the admission letter arrives.
- Fly, register your address, enrol.
Prices on this site follow the country and currency in the header — choose Bosnia and Herzegovina and BAM or euros.
Questions we are asked
Can I study in Germany from Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa?
Short visits of up to 90 days in any 180 are visa-free. A degree programme is longer than that, so you need a national (D) student visa before you travel.
How much money do I need?
For the visa you show €11,904 for the first year, usually as a blocked account that pays you €992 a month. Tuition at public universities is free or close to it; you pay a semester contribution of roughly €150–€350.
Is the Western Balkans Regulation for students?
No — it is a work route that needs a job offer, and approvals count against an annual quota. Students apply for a student visa, which is outside that quota. Some families use both: one person studies, another works.
Do I need German if my course is in English?
Not for admission to an English-taught programme. Yes for part-time work, housing and staying after graduation — A2 before you fly and B1 in the first year is the pattern that works.
Is the call really free?
Yes. A thirty-minute call with a counsellor costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We read your grades and tell you which programmes they open.
Sources
- Study in Germany (DAAD) — proof of financing
- German Federal Foreign Office — blocked account
- Federal Employment Agency — Western Balkans Regulation
- Federal Employment Agency — press release 40/2026 on the quota
- Make it in Germany — Western Balkans Regulation (PDF)
Figures checked 1 November 2026. Rules change — a counsellor confirms the current position on your call.
Thirty minutes, free, no obligation.
Pick a time that suits you — our calls run in the morning, Central European Time.
Schedule a free call