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Study abroad comparison

Australia vs UK vs Germany for Indian students

Visa rules and funds checked against official sources on 11 October 2026.

These three sit at very different price points and have very different routes to PR. Australia is the most expensive and has a points-based route, the UK is in the middle and its settlement rules are in flux, and Germany is the cheapest and ties PR to a qualified job.

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Side by side

Australia vs UK vs Germany: the numbers that decide it

All money is shown in rupees first, with the local amount underneath. Rates used: £1 = ₹127.9 · €1 = ₹108.4 · A$1 = ₹67.5 (ECB reference rates, 9 October 2026). Rates move daily, so treat rupee figures as a guide.

Side-by-side comparison of Australia, United Kingdom, Germany for Indian students
FactorAustraliaUnited KingdomGermany
Tuitionper year

₹20.3 lakh to ₹33.8 lakhA$30,000 to A$50,000 a year, bachelor's

₹21.6 lakh to ₹36.5 lakhA$32,000 to A$54,000 a year, master's

Estimates: each university sets fees by course, and the offer letter shows the exact amount.

₹20.5 lakh to ₹44.8 lakh£16,000 to £35,000 a year, bachelor's

₹21.7 lakh to ₹43.5 lakh£17,000 to £34,000 a year, master's

Estimates: each university sets its own fee. Glasgow's published 2026/27 undergraduate rate runs from £27,720 (arts) to £33,210 (science).

Most public universities charge no tuition. You pay a semester contribution of about €100 to €350 per semester.

₹3.3 lakh€3,000 a year at Baden-Württemberg public universities (€1,500 a semester)

₹8.7 lakh to ₹13 lakh€8,000 to €12,000 a year for new non-EU master's students at TUM (€4,000 or €6,000 a semester)

Private universities and some continuing-education master's courses charge tuition.

Living costsrealistic monthly budget

₹1.5 lakh to ₹1.8 lakhA$2,200 to A$2,650 a month, Adelaide to Sydney

Overseas Student Health Cover is compulsory and extra (about A$750 a year on our estimate).

₹1.8 lakh to ₹2.3 lakh£1,400 to £1,800 a month, Manchester to London

Immigration Health Surcharge for students: £776 a year.

₹1.2 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh€1,100 to €1,400 a month, smaller town to Munich

DAAD puts the average student's spending at about €842 a month.

Money to show for the visaofficial minimum

₹20.1 lakhA$29,710 a year for living costs, plus tuition and travel

Student visa charge from A$2,500 since 1 July 2026.

₹13.5 lakh to ₹17.6 lakh£10,539 to £13,761 for 9 months: £1,171 a month outside London, £1,529 in London

Plus any tuition you have not yet paid. Student visa fee £558.

₹12.9 lakh€11,904 in a blocked account for a 12-month visa (€992 a month), 2026

Main intakes

February/March and July are the main intakes. Some courses start in November.

September is the main intake. Many universities also take students in January.

Winter semester from about October is the main intake; summer semester from about April. Application deadlines are often months earlier.

Part-time workwhile studying

Up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session, and unlimited hours in scheduled course breaks.

Up to 20 hours a week in term time at degree level, full time in vacations. Self-employment is not allowed.

140 full days or 280 half days a year. Student assistant jobs at the university have no day limit (tell the foreigners' office). Mini-job earnings up to €556 a month are tax-free for students.

Post-study work visa

Temporary Graduate visa (485): 2 years after a bachelor's or coursework master's, 3 years after a research master's or PhD. Study in a regional area can add time. You must be 35 or under.

Application charge A$5,750 since 1 July 2026.

Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027 (3 years after a PhD).

No job offer or sponsor needed. Fee £937 plus £1,035 a year health surcharge.

Residence permit of up to 18 months after graduating to look for a job. You may take any job meanwhile. It cannot be renewed.

Route to PR

Points-tested skilled visas (189, 190, 491). 65 points is the minimum to lodge, but most invitations need more.

Australian study, regional study and work experience add points. PR is not automatic.

Switch from the Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa (usually a salary of at least £41,700, or £33,400 in some cases), then settle.

Settlement is currently 5 years on a work visa. Time on a Student or Graduate visa does not count. A 10-year "earned settlement" baseline is proposed but not in force, and no start date is confirmed (5 Oct 2026).

B2 English is needed for settlement applications from 26 March 2027.

Find a qualified job and move to the EU Blue Card (2026 salary: €50,700, or €45,934.20 for shortage occupations such as STEM and healthcare).

Settlement permit after 21 months on a Blue Card with B1 German, or 27 months with A1.

Citizenship after 5 years of residence. The 3-year fast track was abolished in October 2025.

Visa rules, work limits and visa-funds amounts come from the government pages listed at the bottom. Tuition and living costs are Kompass estimates because every university sets its own fees, so check the course page for the exact figure. Rules change often.

The verdict

Who each country suits

Bottom line: Choose Australia if you can afford the highest costs and want a points-based PR route you can plan against. Choose the UK if you want course variety and a post-study visa without a sponsor, and can accept changing settlement rules. Choose Germany if cost is the main limit and you are willing to learn German and find a qualified job.

Australia

Australia suits you if you can fund it and want a PR plan you can score

Good fit if

  • You can show A$29,710 a year for living costs on top of tuition, and have a budget for tuition of roughly A$30,000 to A$54,000.
  • You are studying a course tied to an occupation in demand, so that skills assessment and points are realistic.
  • You want a post-study visa of 2 to 3 years with unrestricted work rights, and are 35 or under.
  • You want more hours of student work: 48 hours a fortnight in session, and unlimited hours in breaks.

Think twice if

  • It is the most expensive of the three on every cost line.
  • 65 points is only the minimum to lodge. Invitations usually need more, and PR is not automatic.
  • Student visa rules changed on 2 October 2026: most new applicants can no longer include family members, and onshore student visa applications are restricted.

United Kingdom

The UK suits you if you want choice and a post-study visa with no sponsor

Good fit if

  • You want the widest choice of courses, including one-year taught master's programmes.
  • You want a post-study visa that does not need a job offer: 2 years for applications to 31 December 2026, 18 months after that.
  • You are comfortable working towards a Skilled Worker salary of £41,700 (or £33,400 in some cases) while you build UK experience.

Think twice if

  • A 10-year settlement baseline is proposed. It is not in force and no start date is confirmed, but it could reach people already in the UK without settlement.
  • London adds about £400 a month over cities such as Manchester or Leeds.
  • Time on a Student or Graduate visa does not count towards the 5 years for settlement.

Germany

Germany suits you if cost is the main limit and you will learn German

Good fit if

  • You want a low-cost degree. Most public universities charge no tuition, and the blocked account is €11,904.
  • You want 18 months after graduating to find a qualified job, with the right to take any job meanwhile.
  • You can reach B1 German, which gives a settlement permit after 21 months on a Blue Card.

Think twice if

  • Student work is limited to 140 full days a year, and there is no points-based shortcut: PR depends on a qualified job.
  • The Blue Card needs a salary of €50,700 (or €45,934.20 in shortage occupations).
  • Baden-Württemberg, TUM and private universities charge tuition.

Not sure which fits your profile?

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FAQs

Australia vs UK vs Germany: your questions answered

Which of the three is cheapest overall?
Germany, by a wide margin, if you choose a public university with no tuition. Our estimates for a realistic monthly budget are €1,100 to €1,400 in Germany (about ₹1.2 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh), £1,400 to £1,800 in the UK (about ₹1.8 lakh to ₹2.3 lakh) and A$2,200 to A$2,650 in Australia (about ₹1.5 lakh to ₹1.8 lakh). Add tuition, which is roughly A$30,000 to A$54,000 in Australia and £16,000 to £35,000 in the UK.
Which has the clearest route to PR?
Australia has the most explicit route: points-tested skilled visas where 65 points is the minimum to lodge, though most invitations need more. Germany is clear but job-led: a Blue Card holder can get a settlement permit after 21 months with B1 German or 27 months with A1. The UK is currently 5 years on a work visa, but a 10-year baseline is proposed and not yet in force. None of the three gives PR automatically after study.
How long can I stay and work after I graduate?
Australia's Temporary Graduate visa (485) gives 2 years after a bachelor's or coursework master's and 3 years after a research master's or PhD, with extra time possible for regional study, and you must be 35 or under. The UK Graduate visa gives 2 years for applications on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months from 1 January 2027 (3 years after a PhD). Germany gives up to 18 months to look for a job.
How much part-time work can I do?
Australia: up to 48 hours a fortnight in session and unlimited hours in scheduled breaks. UK: up to 20 hours a week in term time at degree level and full time in vacations. Germany: 140 full days or 280 half days a year, with unlimited student assistant jobs at the university. Treat part-time pay as support for living costs, not a way to pay tuition.
How much money do I have to show for the visa?
Australia: A$29,710 a year for living costs (about ₹20.1 lakh), plus tuition and travel. UK: £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London for up to 9 months, so £10,539 to £13,761 (about ₹13.5 lakh to ₹17.6 lakh), plus unpaid tuition. Germany: €11,904 in a blocked account (about ₹12.9 lakh). These are minimums, and your real budget will be higher.
Have any rules changed recently that I should know about?
Yes. Australia raised the Student visa charge to A$2,500 and the 485 charge to A$5,750 from 1 July 2026, and from 2 October 2026 most new student applicants cannot include family members. The UK Graduate visa shortens to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027, and B2 English is needed for settlement applications from 26 March 2027. Germany abolished its 3-year citizenship fast track in October 2025. Rules change often, so we confirm them again when you apply.
Can I move from a student visa to a work visa without leaving the country?
In general, yes in all three, but the route differs. In Australia you move to the Temporary Graduate visa and then to a skilled or employer-sponsored visa. In the UK you can switch from the Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa. In Germany you hold the job-search permit and then apply for a Blue Card or another work permit once you have a qualified job.
How do I decide between them?
Start with your budget, then your course and whether you want to stay long-term. If PR is the goal, the course you choose matters as much as the country, because it decides your occupation, your points or your salary. Book free counselling and we will compare the three against your profile and give you a written plan.

Sources

Where these figures come from

Checked on 11 October 2026. Pages marked as summaries are secondary sources that quote the official rule.

Information on this site is general guidance only and not legal, migration or investment advice. Rules, fees and occupation lists change frequently — always confirm current requirements with the relevant government authority before acting.

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