Ways to the HSWT

When applying for a visa for Germany, applicants must prove that they can afford to study and live in Germany. To do this, they must have at least 992 euros/month or 11,904 euros/year at their disposal.

We recommend budgeting an amount of this amount for your stay (e.g. for housing, food, clothing, insurance, learning materials and leisure activities), even if no proof of financial means is required.

The following costs are incurred per semester for studying at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (as of summer semester 2026):

• Weihenstephan campus: semester fee of 97 euros
• Triesdorf campus: student union fee of 72 euros

Tuition fees at the HSWT are only charged for students from non-EU countries on the International Master of Landscape Architecture (IMLA) programme. These students pay 750 euros per semester.

Students from EU or EEA countries or Switzerland may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the lecture period. This limit may be exceeded in exceptional cases, for example if you only work at weekends, in the evenings, at night or during lecture-free periods.

If you come from another country, you may work a maximum of 140 full days or 280 half days per year in Germany. Working days on which you work more than 4 hours count as full days. Alternatively, you can also work up to 20 hours per week. If you would like to work more, you must obtain prior authorisation from the immigration authority.

The restriction to 140 full days / 280 half days does not apply to part-time student jobs at the University of applied sciences (e.g. as a research assistant or at the student union).

For compulsory internships, which are a mandatory part of the degree programme in Germany, the approval of the Foreigners' Registration Office is also not required. The 140 working days can be utilised additionally and independently of this.

Please note the information in your residence permit and contact the relevant immigration office if in doubt.

The Career Service will support you with any questions you may have about finding a job and starting your career.

If you would like to obtain a degree from our University of applied sciences, you can find information on scholarships here.

All students in Germany must provide proof of health insurance. This covers the costs of medical treatment and medicines in the event of an accident or illness, so that these do not have to be paid for privately.

When you enrol at our University of applied sciences, your insurance status must be confirmed by a German statutory health insurance provider. This certifies that you are either

• are insured with a German statutory health insurance company or
• that you do not have to take out statutory health insurance in Germany because you have private health insurance or you have health insurance abroad.

Regardless of where or how you are insured - when enrolling, you should always contact a German statutory health insurance company and ask them to notify our University of applied sciences of your insurance status electronically. Enrolment is not possible without electronic notification of your insurance status. The insurance contract or the insurance card are not sufficient for enrolment. HSWT's company number for the submission of the electronic notification is H0001685. 

• If you come from a country with which Germany has concluded a social security agreement in the area of health insurance (e.g. EU/EEA and Switzerland):
  In this case, please send an international health insurance certificate or a copy of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to a statutory health insurance company in Germany. They will inform our University of applied sciences electronically that you are exempt from compulsory health insurance in Germany. There are no costs involved.
• What about a country with which there is no social security agreement?
  The first thing to check is whether the benefits provided by your health insurance in your home country are comparable to those of German health insurance. To do this, you send an English version or an officially recognised translation of the insurance contract to a statutory health insurance fund in Germany. The insurance company will then inform you whether the insurance cover is sufficient for studying in Germany. If this is the case, the health insurance company can inform our University of applied sciences electronically that you are exempt from compulsory health insurance in Germany.

If the health insurance benefits in your home country are not comparable to those of German health insurance, you must take out new statutory or private health insurance.

The student tariff of around €135/month (including long-term care insurance) applies to statutory health insurance until the end of the 30th year of life or the 14th semester. The exact amount of the contribution varies because each health insurance company charges small individual additional contributions. After signing the contract, please inform the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences electronically that you are insured there.

The tariff of a statutory health insurance fund for students aged 30 and over starts at around €190/month. For older students, insurance with a private health insurance company may therefore be the more favourable option.

If you decide in favour of private health insurance, you should clarify whether the chosen tariff offers sufficient protection before concluding the contract. After signing the contract, you must contact a statutory health insurance company in Germany. They will inform our University of applied sciences electronically that you are exempt from statutory health insurance in Germany.

Liability insurance covers the costs of damage that you have caused unintentionally, for example if you hit someone on your bike. An accident in which people are injured can cost several million euros. Without private liability insurance, you have to pay for the damage yourself. In the worst case scenario, you will be paying off the debt for the rest of your life - even if you return to your home country.

Private liability insurance is highly recommended and not expensive.

Students are insured against accidents during study-related activities at the University of applied sciences and on the way there. The insurance applies, for example, to accidents that occur while attending lectures or university facilities (such as the university library), on excursions or during university sports.

If you have an accident, you can find the relevant accident report forms and further information here.

After moving into your new home, you have two weeks to officially register at your new place of residence (e.g. at the Freising Citizens' Registration Office or in Triesdorf at the Weidenbach Residents' Registration Office). You will need your identity card or passport and a certificate of moving in ("Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung").

If you are moving abroad, you will need a certificate from your landlord confirming that you have moved out in order to deregister at the Residents' Registration Office.

If you are not from an EU or EEA country, you must apply for a residence permit at the Foreigners' Registration Office (e.g. Freising Foreigners' Registration Office, Ansbach District Foreigners' Registration Office). This is only possible once you have registered your place of residence. It takes several weeks to issue the residence permit. Therefore, apply for it in good time beforeyour visa expires or before the end of your visa-free stay.

When applying, you must prove that you have health insurance and sufficient financial means, among other things. We have compiled information on proof of financial means for you here.

If you come from Switzerland, you do not need to apply for a residence permit even if you are staying for a longer period of time.

A German bank account makes sense for students whose home country does not participate in the SEPA scheme for cross-border transfers and direct debits. Regular payments, for example for rent or electricity, are often debited directly from the bank account in Germany by direct debit. Smaller expenses are usually paid by cash or EC card, and contactless payments are also possible. The use of credit cards is less common; you should enquire in good time whether these are accepted.

Bank accounts for students are often free of charge and usually include a debit card. It is important to know at which ATMs you can withdraw money free of charge - this is not the case at all machines.

To open a bank account, you will need an identity document, a registration certificate and a tax identification number (IdNr). You will receive the latter two by post when you register your place of residence or afterwards. If you have to wait for the identification number, it is best to ask whether it is possible to submit it later. As a student, you must also submit a certificate of enrolment.