Education funding for EU citizens

Your training in Germany may be eligible for funding. In addition to the general requirements, conditions relating to your country of origin must also be met.

Training support according to BAföG

As an EU or EEA citizen, you may be entitled to BAföG under the generally applicable conditions if you meet one of the following requirements.

You may be entitled to benefits if you

• have a permanent right of residence. This is granted on a declaratory basis after 5 years of legal residence.
• have a right of residence derived from your spouse. He or she is a German citizen or a gainfully employed person with EU citizenship in Germany.
• have a right of free movement derived from your parents. At least one parent is a citizen of the EU or EEA and is living in Germany as an employee or jobseeker. Even if you yourself are 21 years old or older, you may be entitled to BAföG benefits if the derived right to freedom of movement existed until your 21st birthday.
• had an employment relationship in Germany before the start of the training, the content of which is related to the training.

Training assistance according to SGB II

As a citizen of the EU or EEA, you can receive benefits(BAB, abH, BvB, EQ) under the generally applicable conditions if you meet one of the following conditions.

You will receive training assistance in accordance with SGB III if you

• already have a permanent right of residence.
• have a right of residence derived from your spouse. Your spouse is a German citizen or a gainfully employed person with EU citizenship in Germany.
• have a right of free movement derived from your parents. At least one parent is a citizen of the EU or EEA and is living in Germany as an employee or jobseeker. Even if you yourself are 21 years old or older, you may be entitled to BAföG benefits if the derived right of free movement existed until your 21st birthday.
• were in an employment relationship that is related to the content of the training before the start of the training.
• had a legal employment relationship in Germany for 5 years.
• have at least one parent who has resided in Germany for a total of 3 years during the last 6 years before the start of your training and was legally employed. In exceptional cases, it is sufficient for one parent to have been gainfully employed in Germany for at least 6 months within the last 6 years if the gainful employment was not exercised for a reason for which he/she is not responsible.

It is always at the discretion of the Federal Employment Agency whether you, as an EU or EEA citizen, are granted access to an introductory qualification.