If you are studying in Freiburg, you pay a semester fee of €190 at the University of Freiburg for the winter semester 2026/27. The regional semester ticket of the RVF transport association for buses and trains costs €98 per semester. You can get a hall place through the Studierendenwerk Freiburg-Schwarzwald, which manages more than 6,400 places at several sites. If Freiburg is your secondary residence, you pay second-home tax there of 20% of the annual net basic rent.
Studying in Freiburg in figures
| Topic | Figure for Freiburg |
|---|---|
| Semester fee University (WS 2026/27) | €190 |
| Regional semester ticket RVF | €98 per semester |
| Hall places of the Studierendenwerk | more than 6,400 (Freiburg, Furtwangen, Offenburg, Kehl, Villingen-Schwenningen) |
| Second-home tax | 20% of the annual net basic rent |
| Registration after moving in | within 2 weeks |
| Phone number of the BAföG office | 0761 2101 326 |
The figures come from the University of Freiburg (in German), the RVF (in German), the Studierendenwerk (in German) and the City of Freiburg (in German).
What do you pay the semester fee for when studying in Freiburg?
The fee of €190 consists of three items and, according to the university, applies to re-registration for the winter semester 2026/27.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Studierendenwerk | €103.00 |
| Administrative fee | €80.00 |
| Constituted student body (Verfasste Studierendenschaft) | €7.00 |
The total is exactly €190. To plan the whole start of your semester, see the Checklist for the start of studies (in German).
How do you get to university by bus and train in Freiburg?
The regional semester ticket of the RVF (Regio Verkehrsverbund Freiburg) is valid on buses and trains across the entire RVF area, runs for six months and costs €98 per semester. It is open to students of six universities. The ticket does not appear as an item in the university’s semester fee. As a supplement for longer routes, the RVF names the Deutschland-Ticket JugendBW.
Whether an additional nationwide ticket is worthwhile depends on your journeys. The options are compared in Semester ticket and Germany ticket (in German).
How do you find a hall place or a shared flat room in Freiburg?
The Studierendenwerk Freiburg-Schwarzwald offers more than 6,400 hall places in Freiburg as well as in Furtwangen, Offenburg, Kehl and Villingen-Schwenningen. You can apply via the housing page of the SWFR (in German), which also lists the individual halls.
A private search is worthwhile in parallel. Finding a flat share (in German) explains how it works, and the comparison Student hall or flat share (in German) shows the differences between the forms of housing. Before you sign, the guide to Rental contracts for students (in German) helps, and ideas for smaller budgets are collected under Finding an affordable flat while studying (in German).
Second-home tax and registration: what applies in Freiburg?
The City of Freiburg levies 20% of the annual net basic rent excluding utilities, if Freiburg is your secondary residence. The city does not provide an exemption for students. A hall room also counts as a flat.
Example: your room costs €350 net basic rent per month, so €4,200 per year. The tax is €840 per year, which is €70 per month. How registration and moving work is explained in Moving and registering when you start studying (in German).
You must register within two weeks of moving in, at the registration authority of the city (Bürgerservice), either in person or via the online service (in German) with a user account.
What fixed costs remain each month?
An example for a childless female student aged 23 or over who is not insured under her parents’ family insurance. Assumption: she uses the RVF ticket and pays the university’s semester fee.
| Item | Per month |
|---|---|
| Semester fee (€190 divided by 6) | €31.67 |
| RVF semester ticket (€98 divided by 6) | €16.33 |
| Student health insurance, basic contribution | €87.38 |
| Long-term care insurance, childless from 23 | €35.91 |
| Total | €171.29 |
Added to this are the additional contribution of your health insurer, rent, food and leisure. BAföG works with a housing allowance of €380 and a maximum rate of €992 for students under 30 with their own flat and their own insurance, as set out in the BAföG FAQ of the Studierendenwerke (in German). To set up your own plan, use Budget planning as a student (in German), and for an overview see How much money do you really need per month (in German).
Who advises you in Freiburg on BAföG, money and mental health?
The BAföG office is located at the Studierendenwerk Freiburg-Schwarzwald. It offers personal office hours, a telephone line on 0761 2101 326 and a BAföG service point with brief advice in the information shop. Everything else is on the BAföG page of the SWFR (in German). How to file the application is described in Applying for BAföG (in German), and the calculation rules in BAföG eligibility and amount (in German).
The social counselling of the Studierendenwerk helps with, among other things, part-time work, social insurance, housing benefit, citizen’s benefit and compensation for disadvantages (in German). For crises and strain, there is psychotherapeutic counselling (PBS) (in German). Whether housing benefit is an option for you is clarified in Housing benefit for students (in German).
Canteens and part-time jobs in Freiburg
The Studierendenwerk operates canteens in the Rempartstraße, in the Institutsviertel, in Littenweiler and at the Flugplatz, and there are further cafés as well. Student canteens: more than just lunch (in German) shows how canteen meals fit into everyday life.
For jobs, the Studierendenwerk offers the online job agency Studijob (in German). The statutory minimum wage in 2026 is €13.90 gross per hour, and a mini-job ends at €603 per month. Tips on the search are in Finding a part-time job as a student (in German), and a position at the university is described in Student assistant (in German).
How are you insured at the start of your studies in Freiburg?
The same rules apply throughout Germany. For enrolment, you need the confirmation of a statutory health insurer, and how this works is described in Proof of health insurance for enrolment (in German). If you are under 25, check Family insurance until 25 (in German). An overview of the contributions is provided by Additional contributions of health insurers (in German), and the basics by Health insurance for students: what you need to know (in German). To arrange a conversation about your cover, use the Academycon homepage.
Frequently asked questions
How high is the semester fee at the University of Freiburg?
For the winter semester 2026/27, it is €190: €103 for the Studierendenwerk, €80 administrative fee and €7 for the constituted student body.
What does the semester ticket cost in Freiburg?
The regional semester ticket of the RVF costs €98 per semester and is valid for six months on buses and trains in the RVF area.
Do students in Freiburg pay second-home tax?
Yes, if Freiburg is your secondary residence. The city levies 20% of the annual net basic rent and does not exempt students. This also applies to hall rooms.
Where do I apply for BAföG in Freiburg?
At the BAföG office of the Studierendenwerk Freiburg-Schwarzwald. You can choose between a personal office hour, the telephone line on 0761 2101 326 and the service point in the information shop.
How to prepare for the first weeks
- Apply to the Studierendenwerk for a hall place and search privately in parallel.
- Get the confirmation from your statutory health insurer for enrolment.
- Register within two weeks of moving in to Freiburg.
- Pay the semester fee and buy the RVF ticket.
- Submit a BAföG application if you could be entitled.
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Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
