TUM Admissions 2026: Fees, Deadlines, VPD & Competitive Programs

TUM is the German technical university international students apply to first, which is exactly why it is the hardest one to get into. The process has three traps: it charges tuition when most German universities do not, it closes applications months before the national deadline, and it judges your transcript module by module rather than by your final grade.

What non-EU students pay

Since WS 2024/25 TUM charges tuition to non-EU students: roughly 2,000 to 3,000 euros per semester for a bachelor's and 4,000 to 6,000 euros per semester for many master's programs. The semester fee sits on top of that, and so does Munich. Scholarships and fee waivers exist, but they are decided early in the cycle, so read the funding page while you are still writing the application. Confirm the current band on TUM's own fee page before you budget.

The deadline is not July 15

Plenty of applicants plan around the national July 15 date and lose the year. Many TUM programs run rolling or much earlier deadlines, in some fields January to April for winter entry. Open your specific program page and write the date down. Missing it is the most common avoidable rejection at this university. See how the winter and summer intakes differ and when German application deadlines actually fall.

Start the VPD before you need it

Several TUM master's require a VPD, the statement from uni-assist confirming how your degree compares to a German one. uni-assist processing takes weeks, and it takes longer in the peak months when everyone else has also left it late. Order it as soon as you have your transcripts, not once the program page reminds you. The mechanics are in how a uni-assist application works step by step.

Module equivalence outranks your GPA

This is the part applicants underestimate. Two candidates with identical grades get opposite answers from TUM because one has the exact prerequisite modules listed for the program and the other does not. The grade gets you considered. The module list decides.

So before you pay for the VPD and the application, open the curriculum requirements for your target program and compare them against your transcript line by line. It takes an afternoon and it will remove two or three programs from your shortlist where you never had a chance. Honest odds are in how competitive German master's admission really is.

Which programs are hardest

Computer science, data science, AI and robotics, mechanical engineering and the management master's. Low acceptance, deep applicant pools, and no shortage of people with the right modules. The less-branded engineering programs and the interdisciplinary ones are competitive too, just not saturated in the same way, and they are worth a place on the list if TUM is where you want to be.

What you have to submit

• A relevant bachelor's with strong grades. 2.5 or better on the German scale puts you in reasonable shape.
• A VPD where the program asks for one, and an APS certificate if you studied in India, China, Vietnam or Mongolia: see how the APS certificate works for Indian applicants.
• English proof, IELTS 6.5 or above, or TOEFL. German-taught programs want DSH-2 or TestDaF instead.
• CV, statement, and for many programs a letter of motivation written for that program rather than recycled.

What Munich costs on top of tuition

Munich is one of the most expensive cities in Germany. Budget 1,000 to 1,400 euros a month to live, and expect the rental search to be harder than the admission. You also need 11,904 euros in a blocked account for the visa. See what a year in Germany actually costs an Indian student and how to open a blocked account.

After graduation

The TUM name does real work in the German job market, particularly with the engineering employers around Munich. You can work part-time as a student, and after graduating the 18-month job-seeker visa gives you room to find a role, convert it to a work permit and move toward permanent residence. See the rules on working during your studies and what the 18-month job-seeker visa lets you do.

Sources

• TU Munich
• uni-assist
• DAAD

Applying to TUM this cycle? A free profile evaluation checks your module fit and sequences the VPD, APS and deadlines for you. For the wider context, see the TU9 technical universities compared.