Public universities in Germany charge no tuition fees for undergraduate and most postgraduate programmes. You pay only a semester contribution of €150–350, which covers public transport and student services.
Germany is one of the very few countries in the world where top-quality university education is genuinely free — for everyone, including international students. The federal decision to abolish tuition fees has held firm; there is no means test and no nationality restriction. What you do pay is a Semesterbeitrag — a semester contribution, not a tuition fee. This ranges from roughly €150 to €350 per semester depending on the state and university. It typically covers your student ID (which doubles as a transit pass for buses and trains within the city and often the wider region), access to university facilities, and contributions to student services like the Studierendenwerk, which runs affordable canteens and student housing.