Overview
Study routes follow one honest pattern: admission first, then proof of funds and a residence title for study. Tuition ranges from free to full international fees, and every country sets a funds test for the first year. This page compares the headline study facts in 11 countries, with the post-study routes that can lead to work.
Eligibility
A confirmed place on a qualifying programme, funds for your stay, and the language level the programme requires. Recognition of previous education may also be needed; the country pages give the exact tests.
Requirements
Choose a programme, secure admission, arrange funds and accommodation, then apply for the study residence title through the official channel. Country specifics are in the detail sections below.
Required documents
- Passport
- admission confirmation
- funds proof for the first year
- accommodation evidence
- qualification or recognition documents where required. The exact list per country is on the country pages
Costs & fees
Tuition plus the first-year funds test, on top of travel and insurance. The cards below give the headline tuition and funds figure per country; the country pages give the exact budget.
Language requirements
Your language of study changes the cost in some countries: Czechia and Slovakia teach tuition free in the national language at public universities, and Germany charges no tuition at public universities in most federal states. Programmes set their own language entry levels.
Work rights
Students may usually work part time, commonly up to 20 hours a week, with more in holidays. Work rights support your studies; they are not a substitute for a work permit.
Family information
Study titles are generally for the student alone; dependant rules are narrow and differ per country. The country pages give the exact rules.
Application process
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The pattern is the same everywhere: admission first, funds evidence next, application through the official channel, then travel, register and study full time. Start from the country cards below.
Study routes follow one honest pattern everywhere: admission first, then proof of funds, then a residence title for study. Tuition ranges from free to full international fees, and every country sets a funds test for the first year. This page compares the headline study facts in 11 countries, plus the post-study routes that can lead to work.
Choose your country
Eleven countries, eleven sets of rules. Compare tuition, funds tests and work rights, then open a country page for the full detail.
Austria
Public university study
- Tuition: EUR 726.72/semester for third-country nationals
- Funds: EUR 777.58/month under 24, EUR 1,308.39/month at 24+
- Work: up to 20 hours/week; graduates get 12 months of job search
Canada
Study permit with PAL
- Funds: CAD 23,448 for one year outside Quebec, on top of tuition
- PAL: a provincial attestation letter, needed for most applicants
- Work: up to 24 hours/week off campus in term; PGWP up to 3 years, issued once only
Czechia
Czech-taught public degrees tuition free
- Tuition: degree programmes taught in Czech at public universities are tuition free
- Route: long-term residence for the purpose of study
- Work: students may work part time alongside their studies
France
Differentiated fees EUR 2,902 / 3,950
- Fees 2026-27: EUR 2,902/year Bachelor, EUR 3,950/year Master
- Funds: EUR 877.50/month for applications from 1 August 2026
- Deadline: Campus France Pakistan campaign closes 18 November 2026
Germany
No tuition at state institutions
- Tuition: none at public universities in most federal states
- Blocked account: EUR 11,904 for 2026
- Work and stay: 140 full days or 280 half days a year; graduates stay up to 18 months
Ireland
Student route with Stamp 1G stay back
- Funds: at least EUR 10,000 for the first year
- Work: 20 hours/week in term, 40 in holidays
- After: Stamp 1G graduate stay back, 12 months (24 for master’s)
Italy
2026/27 closed, prepare for 2027/28
- Admissions: 2026/27 Universitaly round closed; prepare for 2027/28
- Funds: EUR 10,179.85/year in traceable means
- Fees and work: public fees income based, can be zero; work 20 hours/week
Slovakia
Slovak-taught study free
- Tuition: full-time Slovak-taught study at public universities free within standard length
- Next cycle: applications open February 2027
- Work: students may work up to 20 hours/week
Spain
Student residence
- Funds: at least 100% of IPREM, EUR 600/month in 2026
- Work: higher education students up to 30 hours/week
- After: graduates can get a 24-month job search residence
United Kingdom
Student visa with Graduate route
- Living costs: GBP 1,529/month in London, GBP 1,171/month outside London, on top of fees
- After: Graduate visa, an unsponsored post-study route that cannot be extended
USA
F-1 at SEVP certified schools
- Funds: must show the costs stated on Form I-20
- Work: on-campus work up to 20 hours/week
- After: OPT 12 months, up to 3 years total for STEM graduates
How applications work
The order is the same everywhere: choose a programme, secure admission, arrange recognition of your previous education where it is needed, prepare funds and accommodation evidence, then apply for the study residence title through the official channel. After approval you travel, register, attend biometrics where required, and study full time.
Admission is the gate. Without a genuine place on a qualifying programme there is no study route, and meeting the programme’s language requirements is part of being admitted in the first place.
Costs and proof of funds in general
Budget two things: tuition and the first-year funds test. Tuition ranges from zero, for Czech-taught and Slovak-taught programmes at public universities and at German public universities in most federal states, to differentiated fees such as France at EUR 2,902 a year for a Bachelor and EUR 3,950 for a Master, and income based fees in Italy that can be zero.
Every country sets a funds test for the first year, on top of tuition: Germany’s blocked account at EUR 11,904 for 2026, Ireland at EUR 10,000, France at EUR 877.50 a month, Italy at EUR 10,179.85 a year, Canada at CAD 23,448 outside Quebec, Spain at 100 percent of IPREM (EUR 600 a month), and Austria at EUR 777.58 or EUR 1,308.39 a month depending on age. The money must be shown before you travel.
Work rights in general
Students may usually work part time while they study, commonly up to 20 hours a week: Ireland allows 20 hours in term and 40 in holidays, the USA allows 20 hours on campus, Canada allows 24 hours off campus in term, and Slovakia caps at 20 hours. Some systems count differently: Germany allows 140 full days or 280 half days a year, France up to 964 hours a year, Italy caps at 1,040 hours a year, and Spain allows up to 30 hours a week for higher education students.
Work rights support your studies; they are not a substitute for a work permit, and full-time work on a study title is unauthorised work.
Post-study options in general
Most of these countries let graduates stay on to look for qualifying work: Germany up to 18 months, Ireland’s Stamp 1G for 12 months (24 for master’s graduates), Austria 12 months of job search, Spain a 24-month job search residence, France the APS card for one year, Canada the PGWP for up to 3 years issued once only, the UK Graduate visa as an unsponsored post-study route, and the USA’s OPT for 12 months with up to 3 years total for STEM graduates.
Each route has its own conditions and deadlines; the country pages give the exact rules.
Who this is for
This page is for you if you have, or are working towards, an admission letter for a genuine programme, and you can show the funds for your stay. It is also for you if you want to compare tuition, funds tests and post-study routes across countries before you choose.
Who this is NOT for
- Anyone without a genuine programme or admission. Study titles are granted for study, not as a substitute for a work permit.
- Anyone mainly looking for full-time work abroad. Work rights on a study title are limited everywhere.
- Anyone who cannot show the funds or accommodation the route requires.
- Anyone expecting a guaranteed admission or visa from an agent. Universities and embassies decide every application.
FAQ
Q: Can I work while I study?
A: In general terms, yes, within limits that differ per country. Twenty hours a week is the common pattern, with more allowed in holidays in several countries. Work rights support your studies; they are not a substitute for a work permit.
Q: How much money do I need to show?
A: Every country sets a funds test for the first year, on top of tuition. The headline figures are on the cards above, from Germany’s blocked account at EUR 11,904 to Canada at CAD 23,448 outside Quebec. The country page gives the exact test.
Q: Can I stay after I graduate?
A: Most of these countries offer a post-study route so you can look for qualifying work without leaving, from 12 months up to 3 years. The conditions and deadlines differ; the country pages give the exact rules.
Q: Where can I study tuition free?
A: Programmes taught in Czech at Czech public universities and in Slovak at Slovak public universities are tuition free, and German public universities charge no tuition in most federal states. English-taught programmes usually charge fees.
Next step
If you have an admission letter and the funds for the first year, a study title can be the honest way in. If you are still choosing, compare tuition and funds tests above first. Book a free consultation and we will test your admission, funds and plan against the real rules before you spend anything.
NVConsult provides education and application guidance, not legal advice. No visa, job or outcome is guaranteed. Decisions rest solely with embassies, authorities and employers.
Official sources
Every figure on this page comes from the NVConsult country page linked on each card, which cites the official authority for that country. Always confirm the current figure on the official portal before you sign or apply.