BAfoG Abroad: How German Students Fund Study in Another European Country

What Auslandsbafög is

Auslandsbafög is the version of German student finance for time spent studying outside Germany. You can use it for a full degree at a foreign university or for a semester or year abroad as part of your German degree, including an Erasmus+ exchange or a self-arranged placement. It runs as a separate application track from domestic Bafög, with its own office and its own rules.

Why you might qualify abroad even without domestic Bafög

Studying abroad usually costs more than studying in Germany, so Auslandsbafög works from a higher basic need than the domestic rate. That means some students whose parents earn too much for regular Bafög still clear the income thresholds for the abroad version. If your family income put you just over the domestic limit, apply for Auslandsbafög anyway before you assume you get nothing (source: myStipendium ).

What it pays

Your monthly rate follows the same logic as domestic Bafög: it depends on your parents' income, your own income and assets, and whether you live with your parents or independently, adjusted upward for the higher cost basis abroad. On top of that, Auslandsbafög can cover your host institution's tuition fees, up to 5,600 EUR per academic year. This tuition portion is paid as a full grant and you never repay it.

The regular monthly rate keeps the same repayment structure as domestic Bafög: half comes as a grant you keep, and half comes as an interest-free state loan you start repaying after you finish studying. Only the tuition fee portion is fully non-repayable (source: myStipendium, as above).

Full degree abroad against a semester exchange

If you enroll in a complete degree program at a university abroad, Auslandsbafög works much like domestic Bafög but recalculated for your host country's cost of living, and you apply directly to the office responsible for that country. If you stay enrolled at your German university and go abroad for a semester or year as an exchange, you can often draw Auslandsbafög for that period even after you have used up your normal domestic Bafög funding period, since exchange semesters get a separate allowance in many cases. Ask the responsible office to confirm how this applies to your specific program.

Which office to apply to

Applications for Auslandsbafög go to a specific office assigned to your destination country, not automatically the Amt für Ausbildungsförderung at your home Studentenwerk. Responsibility for different host countries and regions is split across a small number of specialized offices. Check your host country on the Bafög portal or ask your international office which office covers it before you start your application.

Timing around your Erasmus+ nomination

Apply at least 6 months before your planned departure. Processing an Auslandsbafög application typically takes 3-5 months, sometimes longer, and a late application means you might only get paid after your stay abroad already ended (source: myStipendium, as above). Start your Auslandsbafög paperwork as soon as your Erasmus+ nomination or your own application to a host university is confirmed, rather than waiting for your final acceptance letter, since you can submit supporting documents afterward.

Fitting the timeline with your host university's deadlines

Most European host universities send final acceptance letters a few months before the semester starts, often later than the 6-month recommended Auslandsbafög deadline. Do not wait for that letter: submit your Auslandsbafög application with your nomination or provisional acceptance, then send the final confirmation as a follow-up document once you receive it. This keeps your file within the processing window and avoids a payment gap at the start of your stay.

Who can apply

You qualify for Auslandsbafög under the same personal eligibility rules as domestic Bafög: German citizenship, or a qualifying residence status if you are not a German citizen, plus normal age and progress requirements for your course. If you already receive domestic Bafög, switching to the abroad version for your exchange period is a formality handled through the responsible office, not a new eligibility check from scratch.

Documents to prepare

• Proof of admission or nomination to your host institution

• Confirmation of tuition fees from the host university, if it charges any

• Your parents' income documents, as for domestic Bafög

• Proof of health insurance valid in your host country

• A study plan or learning agreement showing the courses you plan to take

Applying alongside other funding

Auslandsbafög does not block you from also receiving an Erasmus+ grant for the same exchange. The 2 are calculated separately, and Erasmus+ money is not treated as income that reduces your Bafög award. Combining both is standard practice for German students on Erasmus+ exchanges.

Keep a copy of every document you submit and follow up if you have not heard back within the stated processing window. Auslandsbafög offices handle applications for many universities at once, and a missing signature or an unclear tuition confirmation is the most common reason for delay.