“If Ausbildung is free, why do I still need money?”
Because the costs sit before and around the training, not in it. There is no tuition and the company pays you, but German classes, documents, the visa, travel and a rental deposit all fall due before your first allowance arrives.
The pre-departure list
These are the items every trainee pays, in rough order of size. Amounts differ by city and provider, so use the categories and price them locally rather than trusting a number from a forum.
- German tuition from A1 to B1/B2 plus examination fees — usually the largest item.
- Certified translation and attestation of school certificates and any degree.
- Passport, national visa fee and courier or biometric appointment costs.
- Flights and initial travel.
- Rental deposit, typically two to three months of cold rent, plus first-month rent in advance.
- Health insurance from arrival until your training contract's coverage starts.
The monthly picture during training
During training you are insured through the employment relationship, so health insurance and pension contributions come out of your allowance automatically rather than being a separate bill. What you pay from what is left is rent, food, transport, phone, Berufsschule materials and any German course you continue.
The variable that decides everything is rent. A shared room in a mid-sized city is a very different proposition from a studio in Munich, and it is why we push trainees towards smaller cities where the same allowance goes much further.
Where students underestimate
Three items are consistently missing from student budgets: the rental deposit, the two to three months where you are paying in Germany before the first allowance lands, and the cost of continuing German classes once you arrive, which almost everyone needs and few budget for.
Add a contingency for travel to Berufsschule if it is in another town — some occupations run block schooling away from the training company.
Does the training allowance cover it?
In many occupations and cities, yes, particularly from the second training year when the allowance steps up. In high-rent cities and in low-paying first-year positions, no — and that shortfall is exactly what the immigration authority wants to see addressed.
There is also a state support route: trainees can be eligible for Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe (BAB) under conditions, and eligibility for international trainees depends on residence status. Ask the Agentur für Arbeit directly once you have a contract; do not assume either way.
Compared with the degree route
A German degree route requires roughly €14,000–€15,000 arranged before departure, most of it locked in a blocked account. The Ausbildung route asks for a fraction of that in cash but a much larger investment of time in German.
Neither is free. One charges you money, the other charges you a year of your life. Choose which currency you have.
The next decision
Build two numbers: your pre-departure total in rupees, and your monthly shortfall in your target German city. If the second is above zero, decide now who covers it.
If that is where you are stuck, read what you will be paid during training, the maintenance evidence the visa asks for, or city-by-city living costs.
Questions students ask next
- Do I need a blocked account for an Ausbildung visa?
- Often not to the same extent as a degree student, because your training allowance counts towards maintenance. Where the allowance falls short of the standard maintenance level, missions commonly ask for a blocked account or a formal declaration of commitment for the difference.
- Is Berufsschule free?
- Public vocational schools charge no tuition. You may pay for books, work clothing and travel, and some occupations have small examination or chamber fees.
Official sources
Figures in this guide are indicative and were checked on 2026-08-28. Fees, visa rules and financial-proof amounts change; confirm the current numbers with the university and the relevant embassy or immigration authority before you act.