Study opportunities for refugees
Table of contents
Access to university studies
Refugees can take up university studies regardless of their residence status. The prerequisite is a university entrance qualification and proof of the corresponding language skills required for the course of study. When examining the university entrance qualification, the TU Dresden follows the assessment proposals of the KMK-ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany).
You can find the range of studies offered by TU Dresden in our study information system (sins). Here you will find important information about the study program, degree, deadlines and admission criteria.
Whether you have a university entrance qualification in Germany depends on your previous education. You can check on the DAAD's admissions database whether you have a university entrance qualification or whether you still have to attend a preparatory college
The application at TU Dresden is done via uni-assist. Information on the application process and on documents to be submitted can be found on our website.
Yes, an application is also possible if proof of your academic career is incomplete or no longer available due to the circumstances in your home country. Please include this information in your application via uni-assist.
Further general information on the topic of university access for refugees can be found at the following link:
Access to a preparatory college
If only indirect access to studies can be granted due to your previous educational background, refugees - like other international students - can prepare for the so-called Feststellungsprüfung (assessment test) at a preparatory college (Studienkolleg). The application for a place at the preparatory college takes place with the application for a program at TUD Dresden University of Technology. It is not possible to apply directly to a preparatory college. Further information be found on our page on study preparation, as well as on our information page on the application process via uni-assist.
Tuition fees
Participation in the Studienkolleg Leipzig is generally free of charge.
The Studienkolleg TUDIAS offers free places for refugees through the DAAD-funded Integra project.
Prerequisites for receiving a free place are:
- refugee status
- conditional admission for TU Dresden
- passed entrance test in German (level B1+) and mathematics
You can find more information on the Website of TUDIAS or you can contact Ms. Andrea Strützel directly by e-mail or phone.
German language skills
In general, proof of language skills at C1 level is required for direct entry into a German-language degree program. Please refer to our information on the required language skills at the TU Dresden. For applicants with an already existing university degree, English-taught Master's programs can be considered as an alternative.
Currently, TUD Dresden University of Technology offers the following language courses :
TU Dresden offers free intensive German courses for refugees with a German level of B1 or higher. In the courses, the participants are linguistically prepared for taking the DSH examination.
Prerequisites for participation are:
- Valid residence status as a refugee in Germany or a residence permit (Aufenthaltsgestattung)
- intention to study
- Secondary school certificate
- German language skills / certificate for German language on at least B1 level
The language courses are conducted by the Chair of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies (LSK). Further information about the course and registration can be found on the faculty's website.
Thanks to a special allocation from the Free State of Saxony, the intensive German courses for refugees from Ukraine that began in April 2022 can be continued. The intensive courses serve as language preparation for studies and are aimed exclusively at refugee school graduates (with an 11-year school-leaving certificate) as well as refugee students, with or without Ukrainian citizenship, who wish to continue their studies in Germany.
Requirements for participation are:
- Status as a refugee from Ukraine.
- 11 years of school attendance/high school diploma from Ukraine or studies already started in Ukraine
- intention to study
- Residence in Dresden or in the surrounding area of Dresden
- Maximum age of 35 years
Starting in October, courses will be offered from B1 level. For questions about admission, please contact Ms. Kirsten Reuter-Skrypnik:
The TU Dresden offers its future international students the possibility to prepare for the DSH (German Language Proficiency Test for Admission to Higher Education) within the framework of a preparatory semester/ propaedeutic course (Propädeutikum).
Prerequesites for the participation are:
- direct university entrance qualification. (Please check here)
- B2 language certificate or B1 language certificate in combination with the proof of attendance of a B2 course
- successful application via uni-assist for a course of study at Dresden Technical University
Please find more information on our DSH-course on our website.
You can find more information about German course offerings for refugees here:
- Overview of offers by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf)
- Educational counseling through the Garantiefonds Hochschule
- Information page of the city of Dresden
Exchange Studies for refugees
If you are unable to continue your studies due to the situation in your home country, you have the option of enrolling as a refugee exchange student for a transitional period of one to a maximum of two semesters.
The following requirements apply:
- Proof of university entrance qualification
- Proof of the years of study already completed abroad
- Language skills of at least B2 level for the desired course of study (usually German or English)
- valid residence permission
You can use the bridge study program to complete individual courses of study and at the same time acquire the necessary language skills or other requirements for becoming a fulll-time student. Please note: Switching form exchange to full-time studies is only possibel if capacities are availabel in the desired course. An application via uni-assist is necessary.
If you are interested in the program, please contact:
Funding opportunities and scholarships
Hilde-Domin Program for students and doctoral candidates
The program supports students and doctoral candidates from all over the world who are formally or factually denied educational or other rights in their country of origin. It offers the possibility to start or complete a study or research degree at a university in Germany.
If you have any questions regarding the application, please contact the International Office.
The application deadline for the STIBET I scholarship - special funding Ukraine - has expired.
We will inform you on this website should there be a new call for applications in 2024.
Please also check our page for scholarships for applicants and students from abroad.
Guest Students
Asylum seekers have the chance to attend classes at TU Dresden as so called guest students if they do not yet fulfill all requirements for regular studies.
Information for Guest Students
Asylum seekers may also attend selected courses at the Biotechnology Center of TU Dresden (BIOTEC). Please contact the Center directly.
To schedule a consultation or if you have any questions about the special offers for refugees, please contact:
© Michael Kretzschmar
Counseling of international students
NameMs Franziska Strobach
Counseling for refugees
Send encrypted mail via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Visiting address:
Fritz Foerster Bau, Office 153 Mommsenstraße 6
01069 Dresden
Postal address:
TUD Dresden University of Technology International Office
01062 Dresden
Further information and interesting web pages
- Buddyprogramm for refugees from Ukraine
- Refugee Law Clinic Dresden
- Further information by the DAAD
- Information regarding recognition of foreign qualifications in Gemany, also available in Arabic
- WE-CARE Point of Contact