When to Apply to Universities in Europe: A Month-by-Month Timeline

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Courses in continental Europe start in September or October, and the work of getting there starts a full year earlier. Deadlines differ by country and by your passport, so this calendar gives the order of steps and the usual season for each. Take exact dates only from the official page of each university.

18 to 12 months before: decide and start the slow things

Choose the language of study. It determines which degrees are open to you and what they cost. See degrees in English.
Start or continue the language. Reaching B2 from zero takes well over a year. See CEFR levels for university.
Check whether your school certificate gives direct access. If not, you need a preparatory year, which moves the whole plan by twelve months.
Draft a budget. See cheapest countries to study in Europe.

Autumn, 12 to 10 months before

Book a language exam for a date that returns the certificate before applications close. See the guides for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech and English.
Order official copies of school documents and begin legalisation.
France, non-EU applicants living abroad: the Études en France procedure for the first year of a bachelor's degree opens in autumn and closes in winter. This is the earliest deadline on the list.
Italy: universities open early selection rounds; a first TOLC can be taken now.

Winter, 9 to 7 months before

France: Parcoursup opens in winter; wishes are entered by early spring and completed a few weeks later.
Czechia: most faculties accept applications until late winter or early spring, with entrance exams in late spring. Start nostrification now.
Spain: apply for homologation if you need it and register with UNEDasiss when its window opens in February. Registration for the spring PCE exams closes in spring.
Germany: if your documents go through uni-assist, send them well before the deadline; processing takes weeks.
Scholarships: many close in winter. See scholarships and financial aid.

Spring, 6 to 4 months before

Switzerland: universities close applications for autumn in spring, usually by the end of April, earlier for applicants who need a visa.
Italy, non-EU applicants: pre-enrolment on Universitaly opens in spring.
Spain: PCE exams run from mid-May to mid-June, with a second session in early September.
Czechia: entrance exams.
Portugal: institutions run their international student contests in several phases from winter to summer.
Housing: apply for residence places as soon as applications open, even before admission is confirmed where that is allowed. See finding student housing.

Early summer, 4 to 3 months before

Germany: the main deadline for the winter semester at most universities is mid-July; many set an earlier date for applicants with foreign certificates.
France: Parcoursup answers arrive from early June. Reply within the time limit on each offer.
Spain: apply for a place through the regional admission system once you have your access score.
Portugal: the national access contest opens in summer after the national exams.
Italy: regional grant applications open; calls for most degrees close in summer.
Visa: book the consulate appointment as soon as you hold an admission letter. See student visa rules compared.

Late summer, 2 months to arrival

Visa decision: from one to three months, longer at busy consulates.
Proof of funds and insurance: open the blocked account for Germany and buy the health insurance the consulate requires.
Italy: national tests take place in September, including the IMAT for medicine in English.
Enrolment: pay the first instalment and enrol within the dates in your admission letter, or the place goes to the next candidate.

First weeks after arrival

Register your address and apply for or validate the residence permit within the legal period.
Open a bank account and activate your insurance.
Hand in originals of the documents you uploaded during admission.

Where plans usually slip

Recognition of the school certificate takes months in Spain and Czechia and cannot be rushed.
Language certificates arrive weeks after the exam.
Consulate appointments in summer are scarce.
Results of final school exams may come out after some deadlines. Most systems accept a conditional application; check how.

A spring start

Some German and Czech degrees and a few others admit students for a semester beginning in February or April, with deadlines in the preceding autumn or winter. The choice is narrower than in autumn.

Country guides

How admission works in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czechia and Switzerland.

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.