University in Germany for Ukrainians: admission from Ukraine, BAföG on §24, and the switch to a student permit

Study is the intent where Ukrainians split into two completely different situations, and most online advice ignores the split: applying from Ukraine (the classic international-student road, visa, blocked account and all) versus already in Germany on §24 (where the questions are the switch to a student permit and — unique to this group — BAföG eligibility, the state student funding that most international students cannot touch). This page covers both, with the 2026 state of the funding rules.

Applying from Ukraine: the standard chain

1. 01

   1. The admission check

   Your Ukrainian university's Anabin H+ status and the degree type open or close direct admission; a school certificate alone usually routes through Studienkolleg (foundation year with its entrance exam). Applications run through uni-assist at most public universities, with apostilled documents and certified translations.

2. 02

   2. The money

   The student visa asks for the blocked account: €11,904 for 2026 (€992/month) — or a scholarship or guarantor declaration. The figure is indexed; confirm it at file time.

3. 03

   3. The language gate

   German-taught programmes ask B2–C1 (TestDaF/DSH at the university's level); English-taught Master's ask IELTS/TOEFL. And the quiet gate underneath both: daily life, part-time work and every later permit road run on German — B1 is where the settlement mathematics change.

4. 04

   4. The visa

   The national (D) student visa through the German mission handling your region — appointment waits of several months are the norm (applicant reports, not official statistics). Book the moment admission is realistic; build the file during the wait.

Already in Germany on §24: the switch and the BAföG opening

For §24 holders, the student road skips the visa entirely: with university admission, the switch to the student residence permit runs at the local Ausländerbehörde — no mission, no blocked account in the general case (the funding question is assessed for the permit switch directly). What makes the Ukrainian case unique is the BAföG opening: since 1 June 2022, students with Ukrainian citizenship holding a residence permit under §24 can receive BAföG — the state student funding — if they meet the personal conditions (age limits with second-education-path exceptions, the first-degree rule). Two honest caveats: the funding depends on continuing eligibility (the status the permit rests on), and online study at a Ukrainian university from Germany does not qualify. Confirm the current text at the BAföG portal ↗ and your Studierendenwerk before building a plan on it.

While enrolled: the work rights

Students may work 140 full or 280 half days per year — the same budget every international student has. The language rule governs what the jobs pay: the English-only openings are few, and the Werkstudent roles in your field — the ones that build the post-study case — overwhelmingly ask German. B1 is the floor where the good part becomes reachable; the B1 kit is the timed-practice path there.