TUM Tuition Fees 2026: EUR 2,000-6,000/Sem for Non-EU + Waivers

A two-year master's at TUM now costs a non-EU student roughly 16,000-24,000 euros in tuition alone, in the most expensive city in Germany to live in. TUM was the highest-profile German university to bring fees back for international students, and that single decision changes the maths for anyone weighing it against a fee-free TU9 university. Admissions, deadlines and the VPD are covered in the full TUM admissions guide.

What TUM charges, by degree

TUM's own fee page words it as a choice between two levels rather than a range. Bachelor's programmes are usually 2,000 or 3,000 euros per semester; master's programmes are usually 4,000 or 6,000 euros per semester. Which of the two your programme sits at is decided degree by degree, so the only number that matters is the one on your own programme page. Do not average the two and plan against the middle.

The semester fee sits on top and is much smaller than most people assume. For the summer semester 2026 TUM puts it at 97.00 euros at the Munich, Garching and Weihenstephan campuses and 82.00 euros at Straubing. TUM describes that amount as the basic Student Union fee, and unlike the semester fee at most German universities it does not have a public transport ticket itemised inside it, so budget Munich travel separately. The wider picture is in what the Semesterbeitrag pays for.

Who does not pay

The exemption list is longer than "EU citizens", and several entries catch people who assumed they were liable. TUM names doctoral candidates, students enrolled in the Studienkolleg, participants in exchange programmes with a corresponding agreement, students in state examination degree programmes, holders of a higher education entrance qualification obtained within the German education system, people with an established domestic connection under Section 8 of the federal student finance act, EU and EEA citizens, students on an approved leave of absence, citizens of Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom under special agreements, Ukrainian students holding a Section 24 residence permit, asylum applicants from countries with a high protection rate, and students holding a German disability ID card.

Two of those are worth reading twice. The state examination exemption means a Staatsexamen programme is treated differently from a bachelor's or master's. And the established-domestic-connection route is not a discretionary favour but a statutory test, so if you or a parent have lived or worked in Germany, check it against the wording before you accept an invoice.

The exemption covers tuition only. Everyone pays the semester fee.

The waivers, and the windows you have to hit

TUM runs its own waivers rather than leaving international students to external funding alone, and the deadlines are short and specific. The one that changes a budget most is the hardship waiver: for first-semester bachelor's and master's students who cannot cover the fees, TUM's page says the waiver runs for the standard duration of the degree programme, not for a single semester.

Notice what the bachelor's hardship window means in practice. It opens in May and closes on July 15, for the winter semester only. If your admission decision lands in August, that window has already shut, and you pay for at least one semester before you can apply again. Build the waiver application into your admissions timeline rather than treating it as something to sort out after you enrol.

Separately from the waivers, TUM offers a scholarship for international students of 500 to 1,500 euros per semester, awarded on academic performance and documented financial need. That is help with the bill rather than removal of it. DAAD scholarships are another route worth checking at the same time.

Pay on time, and know the refund rule

TUM ties enrolment to payment: enrolment or re-registration is only completed once the money has arrived. The dates are fixed. First-time enrolment payments are due March 15 for the summer semester and September 15 for the winter semester; re-registration is due February 15 and August 15 respectively.

If you paid and it turns out you were exempt, there is a refund, but it is time-limited: TUM requires the application within five weeks after the start of lectures. Miss that and you have paid a semester of fees you never owed. This is the practical reason to check the exemption list before your first payment rather than after it.

Add the living costs and the gap gets wide

Munich runs 1,000-1,400 euros a month, at the top of the German range. Put that next to the tuition and a TUM master's sits well above a no-fee TU9 programme in a cheaper city, by a margin most applicants underestimate until they write it down. Do the arithmetic in your own currency before you commit, using what a year in Germany costs in rupees.

Tuition does not replace the blocked account

The 11,904 euros you show for the student visa is a separate requirement. You need the tuition and the deposit, which makes the money you have to prove and pay higher at TUM than at a fee-free university. See how the blocked account works and what it costs.

So is TUM worth paying for?

For some engineering and tech careers, the name on the certificate opens doors that a less familiar university does not, and the fee buys you that. For plenty of other paths, a no-fee TU9 alternative delivers a near-identical degree and leaves thousands of euros in your account. Be honest about which of those two situations you are in, and compare the cities as well: where to study engineering in Germany.

After graduation

TUM graduates do well in the Munich job market, and the 18-month job-seeker visa gives you the runway to turn an offer into a work permit. See the rules on working while you study and the post-study job-seeker visa.

Sources

• TUM tuition fees for international students
• TUM scholarships and waivers
• TUM fees and payment deadlines
• TUM scholarships

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