Thanks to cooperation within the state programs and direct partnerships, regular tuition fees at the partner university are waived; however, students are still required to pay the general administrative fees charged by the respective partner university. However, various services often incur additional, specific fees (such as general administrative fees, meal plans, mandatory health insurance, etc.). Especially at U.S. and Canadian universities, students are often required to purchase health insurance locally. These and other costs—such as living expenses, travel, and insurance—are the responsibility of the students. Therefore, please be sure to review the relevant information provided by the partner universities (for example, search for “fees” or “costs for international students” or “exchange students”).

Information on funding and scholarship opportunities, as well as relevant scholarship databases, can be found here.

Be cautious when combining scholarships: Even a tuition-free exchange position is considered a scholarship. Any combinations must be coordinated with BOTH scholarship providers.

The exchange program allows for combination with one of the following common scholarships or funding options:

• BAföG for Study Abroad (The higher funding rates for studying abroad mean that many students are eligible for BAföG who would not receive funding in Germany because their parents’ income is too high. The application for funding for study abroad should be submitted at least half a year before departure.)
• BaWü Scholarship
• PROMOS
• For stays in Israel: State Parliament Scholarship for Israel

Other combinations are possible depending on the scholarship provider and the purpose of the scholarship. Please feel free to contact cornelia stoll ∂does-not-exist.kit edu. 

Under certain conditions, the costs of a semester or year abroad may be tax-deductible.

You can improve your language skills, for example, through the KIT Language Center’s language courses (in-person or Teletandem) or the Karlsruhe Student Services | International | Tandem (Tandem) program.

Buddy Program

Get paired with international first-semester students and gain firsthand insights into the opportunities and challenges that studying abroad can bring.

In preparation for your own stay abroad, expand your intercultural skills so you can calmly anticipate the culture shock that is sure to come.

Go all out and complete the full training program for local buddies, which can earn you not only ECTS credits but also buddy points that count toward a certificate of social engagement. You can find more information and the registration link here.

The House of Competence and General Studies offer seminars on the topic of intercultural competence, as well as those specifically designed to prepare you for stays abroad. Forum Science and Society (FORUM) For example:

• I Will Survive! How to Deal with Culture Shock (Priority registration for those preparing for a stay abroad, FORUM)
• At Home Anywhere – Basic Training in Global Competence (HoC)
• Deconstructing Unconscious Bias into Intercultural Competence: A Neurological Look into How Our Brain Constructs Reality (FORUM)

• Intercultural Communications: USA and Germany (FORUM)
• Intercultural Competence – China and Germany (FORUM)
• China—Where Do You Come From and Where Are You Going? (FORUM)
• Processes of Change in the Arab World. Socio- and Geopolitical Dynamics of the Arab Spring and Their International Impact (FORUM)

As a bonus, you can also earn a credit toward the Certificate in International Competence if everything works out.

Exchange students take a full-time course load. The specific requirements for this are defined by the host university.

Some of the accomplishments earned abroad may be transferred to KIT. Before you begin your stay abroad, find out about the credit transfer procedures for your degree program. The program coordinators serve as points of contact for incoming and outgoing students regarding academic matters such as the recognition of coursework and examinations earned abroad and learning agreements. In some cases, it may be advisable or even mandatory to coordinate the recognition of planned courses before your stay begins. Some departments provide credit transfer forms on their websites for this purpose. 

Feel free to consult the experience reports on the topic of credit recognition.

It is not possible to earn an academic degree from the host university as part of this exchange program.

In addition, depending on the country you choose, there are numerous factors to consider. For example, you should determine whether a visa is required for the host country in question, as well as how far in advance and through which channels—and with which documents—you need to apply for that visa.

The website of the Federal Foreign Office can be helpful and provides general information about the current situation in the respective country as well as visa matters.

Detailed information on entry and visa requirements is provided by the relevant diplomatic missions (embassy, consulate general). You are also welcome to use the information linked on the websites of the respective partner universities.

Health Insurance

Before studying abroad, you should carefully check whether your existing health insurance covers you for the entire duration of your one- or two-semester stay abroad. If not, you should take out appropriate supplemental insurance either in Germany or in your destination country. Some universities, particularly in North America, also offer their own health insurance plans for students. Some of these health plans are optional, while other universities require students to enroll in the university’s health insurance plan.

Since statutory health insurance does not cover the airfare or transportation costs incurred for repatriation to Germany in the event of illness or an accident, it is recommended that you purchase supplemental insurance for repatriation.

Please also check whether your health insurance covers treatment for COVID-19.

Liability Insurance

Before traveling abroad, you should verify whether your stay is covered by your existing liability insurance or through your host university and, if necessary, take out additional insurance.

You can find information on this topic on the website of the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe. Please contact them for advice if you have any questions.

Accident Insurance

Before traveling abroad, you should check whether your stay is covered by your existing accident insurance or by the host university and, if necessary, purchase additional insurance.

If you are going abroad through the overseas programs, accident insurance is not strictly necessary from a German perspective, but it is highly recommended.

You can find information on this topic on the Karlsruhe Student Services website. Please contact them for advice if you have any questions.

A combined health, accident, and personal liability insurance policy

is offered by the DAAD through the group policy “” for students, undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral candidates who are funded or supervised through DAAD programs, as well as for interns. Students who are placed by KIT at a partner institution for a stay abroad can also take out insurance through the DAAD. More information:

You may take a leave of absence from KIT for the duration of your stays abroad. However, the leave of absence should generally not exceed two semesters.

Semesters on leave count as semesters (at a German higher education institution) but are not included in the calculation of (subject-specific) semesters / terms. You may not attend KIT courses, complete accomplishments, or use various university facilities; however, you may take examinations at KIT (with the exception of theses or course-related examinations that require repeated use of resources). (As of Aug 2026)

The application for a leave of absence is submitted digitally to the Students Office. To do so, upload a confirmation from the IStO and—as soon as it is available—the admission letter or enrollment certificate from the partner university to Campus Management.

You can download the confirmation from the IStO directly in Mobility Online under the section “Before Your Stay – Nomination.”

Find out more about deadlines and procedures on the Students Office page linked above.