Ludwig Maximilians University Munich

Yes, Indian students who are interested in studying at LMU Munich have to apply for German National Student Visa that is Type D Visa. Along with the visa, there is also a requirement of admission letter from the University, Proof of Financial Funds, Health Insurance, APS Certificate and English Lang test proof.

No, studying MS Courses at LMU Munich is not completely free. Though the University does not charge any application fee for the submitting the application and there is no tuition fee, but there are other charges for Health Insurance, transportation and Hostel fee. There is also a mandatory contribution of EUR 100-150 (INR 10.9 K – 16.3 K) covers the administration cost and transport ticket.

GMAT scores are specific to some MS Courses only, it is not compulsory for all the subjects. For example, MS in Economics does require the students for their GMAT scores but if the student is applying for an MBA at LMU Munich, they need to submit their GMAT score with min score of 565-600 marks.

The dMat exam refers to the Digital Master Test. It is now a compulsion for Indian students to give dMat Exam to study Masters in Germany. It is a new test added to the APS process for Indian students who wants to pursue Master's Degree in subjects like Engineering, Commerce, Finance, Economics, Business or management. It is applicable for Summer Semester 2027.

German student visa (National Visa Type D) from India usually takes 4 to 12 weeks to process after your biometrics appointment at VFS Global. If the wait time for appointment is also to be included, you can expect the entire process to take between 2 to 4 months.

• Finding an interview slot can take 1 to 3 months, especially during peak admission season (Jun to Sep)
• Before booking an appointment, students also need to obtain an APS certificate, which takes additonal 3 to 4 weeks

Complete details can be found in this FREE Germany Student Visa Guide for Indian Students

If we take a look at both the Universities, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich ranks at #2 in Germany with a tuition fee of INR 0 – 21.95 L and the University of Mannheim is ranked at #29 with a higher tuition fee of INR 0 – 51.58 L, but it is easier to get into University of Mannheim than to LMU Munich due to differences in the acceptance rates, the acceptance rate LMU Munich is as low as only 10% making it very selective whereas the acceptance rate of University of Mannheim is at 29%.

The ARWU ratings for Ludwig Maximilian University Munch are #43 for the year 2024 and #42 for the year 2025. The LMU Munich is not only ranked by ARWU, it is also ranked by other providers such Shiksha, THE (Times Higher Education), QS and US News. The LMU Munich ranks at #32 in the world and #2 in Germany as per Shiksha's Popularity Ranking.

German Proficiency test is not a compulsory factor at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich. It is compulsory when the students are willing to take up a course in German Language. If the students are applying to take a course in English than only English Language proficiency test scores are required.

The English and German test accepted at LMU are:

English Tests – IELTS (6.5), TOEFL iBT (100)

German Tests – TestDaF, DSH-II, Goethe Certificate C2