Study in Germany from the Western Balkans
Close to home, no tuition at public universities, and a route to work afterwards.
For a student from Tirana, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Skopje, Podgorica or Pristina, Germany is a two-hour flight, not a twelve-hour one. Your bachelor already speaks ECTS, the time zone is yours, and Germany runs a work route written for your region alone.
Choose your country
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.
Questions we are asked
Which countries does the Western Balkans Regulation cover?
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Why Germany rather than further away?
It is close, in the same time zone, reads your degree in ECTS credits, and public universities charge little or no tuition. Family is a short flight away and so is home.
Does Glovels charge for the first call?
No. The call is free. You only pay if you choose one of our application packages afterwards.
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.
Not sure which route fits?
A free thirty-minute call with a counsellor. Study, work or both — we will tell you what your profile opens.
Schedule a free call