Studying in Bavaria, Germany
Passau
A small Bavarian university town close to Austria, where the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz meet.
Passau sits in the east of Bavaria, between Munich, Prague and Vienna, close enough to Austria that a walk of about seven kilometres up the Inn reaches it. The old town is on a narrow peninsula where the Inn joins the Danube from the south and the Ilz joins it from the north. The city has 53,523 residents, and the University of Passau has about 11,000 students on top of that, so students are a big part of everyday life: in the cafes of the Innstadt, on the Inn promenade, on the bikes along the river. The place is small, green and old, with a baroque cathedral, a hill fortress and a lot of water. If you want a big-city scene, Passau is not it: Munich Airport is 158 km away. If you want a small campus city with rivers, the Bavarian Forest and Austria close by, it is a good place to spend three or four years.
- Population
- 53,523 (31 Dec 2025)
- Semester contribution
- about 128 EUR per semester, including the Studierendenwerk fee and the Passau bus pass
- Dorm rooms (Studierendenwerk)
- 716 places in four residential complexes, rent 234 to 508 EUR a month including heating, internet and electricity
- Blocked account for a student visa
- 992 EUR per month of study
Part 1
Living in Passau
A bishop's town at the end of Bavaria
Passau began as a Celtic and then a Roman settlement, got a diocese in 739 and was ruled for centuries by its Prince-Bishops. A fire in 1662 destroyed much of the town, and the rebuilding gave it the baroque look you see today. In 1803 the bishops' territory was divided between Bavaria and Salzburg, and Passau became Bavarian. The old town lies on the narrow peninsula between the Danube and the Inn.
That water is also the city's weak point. The 2013 floods hit the old town hard. Most days the water is simply the best thing about the place: a quay to sit on, a promenade to walk along, and Danube cruises starting from the city.
For the weather, the quick facts give the averages for the area: a yearly average low of about 5 C and high of about 13 C, and around 872 mm of rain.
What to see and do
Almost everything is within walking distance of the university, and most of it is free or cheap.
An Italian baroque cathedral by Carlo Lurago. Its organ has 17,774 pipes and 233 registers and was long thought the largest church organ in the world; it is now second only to one in Los Angeles. Organ concerts run daily from May to September.
Veste Oberhaus and Veste Niederhaus ↗
The two parts of the old bishops' fortress, on the mountain crest between the Danube and the Ilz.
Domplatz with the Lamberg-Palais, where the Peace of Passau was concluded, the Old and New Residence of the Prince-Bishops, the Gothic town hall with its neo-Gothic tower, and the Jesuit church of St. Michael.
On the hill south of the Inn and Danube.
A restaurant, jazz venue and cabaret stage where many well-known German comedians started out. It is listed on the university's culture page.
Many Danube cruises start in Passau, and the university links the local boat tours from its excursions page.
The city's own office is at Rathausplatz 2 and lists sights, museums, tours and the event calendar.
Fortress, rivers and baroque
Festivals and nights out
The big folk festivals are the Maidult in May and the Herbstdult in September, held in the Kohlbruck district with beer tents, folk music and rides. The Oide Dult, started in 2017, is smaller, has no rides, and sits in the city centre with Bavarian food and music. There is a Christmas market in December.
For culture the university points students to the Landestheater Niederbayern for theatre and opera, the Europäische Wochen festival, the Eulenspiegel comedy festival, a big multiplex cinema and several arthouse cinemas, and the Kulturcafete in the Nikolakloster building, which has concerts, readings and exhibitions. The Europa-Bücherei public library lends books, CDs, DVDs and magazines for a small yearly fee. The city's event calendar is at kalender.passau.de.
Nights out are small-town: bars, beer gardens and pubs, most of them in the old town and the Innstadt across the river. The university does not name any specific venues, so ask your Fachschaft for the current favourites.
Weekends and nature
Austria and the Bavarian Forest are close, and most of what the university recommends can be done on a student budget.
Rowing and canoeing on the Inn ↗
The boating facilities are about 2 km upriver along the Inn.
The P.E.B. aquapark has lidos, an indoor pool, sauna, water slides and a wave machine. In summer people also swim at the Unterer Ilzstausee near Passau-Hals, the Freudensee near Hauzenberg and the Stausee Oberilzmühle near Salzweg.
Walk to an Austrian cider farm ↗
A walk of about seven kilometres up the Inn from campus, then across the dam at Ingling, leads to a cider farm's drinkery in Austria. The town of Wernstein is about two kilometres further.
The long-distance path runs past Passau on both banks and continues to Vienna.
Bavarian Forest National Park ↗
A recreation area near Passau with a canopy walkway. The park's own visitor pages are in English.
The university lists the ski areas Hochficht and Mitterdorf, both about 60 km from Passau, and there is an ice rink in the city.
The university names Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Budapest, Regensburg and Munich as typical trips; it recommends checking Deutsche Bahn offers for cheaper tickets.
Getting around, and getting out
Passau is small enough to walk and cycle. The student ticket is part of the semester contribution and is valid daily on all city bus routes except the Oberhausbus, Since 1 January 2026 you can upgrade to the Deutschlandticket for 63 EUR a month or to the Bavarian discount ticket for 43 EUR a month. Your semester fee is credited against that, so you pay only the difference, about 20 EUR a month at the current prices, and the subscription renews by itself unless you cancel by the 10th of the month.
The university says Passau has ICE connections to other German cities and to Vienna, and sleeper trains to Brussels. Linz Airport in Austria is 104 km away and serves fewer destinations. Munich Airport, 158 km away, is where most people fly in. Nuremberg and Salzburg airports are also on the university's list. Airport pick-up is not offered, so plan your last leg on the train before you travel.
What it costs to live here
- Housing (private market and halls)
- 300 to 500 EUR a monthsource
- Studierendenwerk dorm rooms
- 234 to 508 EUR a month, deposit 350 EURsource
- Food
- 200 to 300 EUR a monthsource
- Books and supplies
- 50 to 100 EUR a monthsource
- Health insurance
- about 900 EUR per semester, about 150 EUR a monthsource
- Semester contribution
- about 128 EUR per semester, including the bus passsource
- Proof of funds for a visa
- 992 EUR per month of study, as a scholarship, a declaration of obligation or a blocked accountsource
The university's own monthly estimates for the 2026/27 academic year, and the Studierendenwerk's dorm prices from February 2026. They are averages, not promises.
Work and jobs
The university does not name big local employers. What it lists for students is student assistant jobs on campus, work placements, and part-time work in service, retail, galleries and tourism. River cruise ships also hire. Many jobs are never advertised formally: they appear on notes in shop windows, in Facebook groups, in local forums and in the Stud.IP classifieds, which you can use once you are enrolled.
The University's iStudi Coach advises international degree students on accommodation, finances and part-time jobs. Ask them before you take a job; the rules depend on your residence permit. This page promises neither a job nor a visa.
Part 2
Student life in Passau
Where you can study
University of Passau (Universität Passau) ↗
About 11,000 students and 2,000 staff, with five faculties: Law, Social and Educational Sciences, Humanities and Cultural Studies, the School of Business, Economics and Information Systems, and Computer Science and Mathematics. The campus lies along the Inn, close to the old town, and has a Mensa and four cafeterias. The university reports more than 100 student clubs and societies. English-taught degrees: the B.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence and in Mathematics, and master's degrees in Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Business Administration, Development Studies, Governance and Public Policy, Information Systems, International Economics and Business, International Education and Global Learning, and Mathematics. The M.Sc. in Computer Science is taught in German and English. Most other degrees are taught in German, so check the programme page before you apply.
International office ↗Athanor Akademie für darstellende Kunst ↗
A private drama school on Schulbergstraße that trains actors and directors for stage and film, state-recognised as a Fachakademie. Its own site lists a monthly tuition of 176 EUR, says the course is eligible for BAföG, and says students stage up to 20 productions a year. The entrance audition is free and has several dates in 2027. Training is in German, and the site does not describe admission for international applicants, so write to the secretariat first. It is a small school, not a university in the usual sense.
Student unions, services and groups
Student Parliament (StuPa) and AStA ↗
The StuPa is the legislative body of the student representation and the AStA is its executive. They take up concerns such as bicycle parking, opening hours at the sports centre, accessibility, trouble with lecturers and the rights of student assistants. The university's page does not give their contact details.
Fachschaften (faculty student committees) ↗
One for each of the five faculties. They sit on faculty boards, offer study advice, old exam papers, a book exchange and an annotated course catalogue, and organise the Orientation Weeks. The page lists each office and email address.
Studierendenwerk Niederbayern/Oberpfalz ↗
The student services association: dorms in Passau, the Mensa and cafeterias, and social and psychological counselling, including help with money problems and tenancy law.
University Sports Centre (Hochschulsport) ↗
Booking is in two steps: pay the university sports fee first, then book courses or the fitness studio. Courses are listed by area, by day and from A to Z, and the university's clubs page counts about 40 recreational sports classes and groups at the Sports Centre.
International student societies ↗
The university lists AEGEE, AIESEC, ELSA, IEEE, the German-Italian group Onde, Projekt Südostasien, the Indian Students Association, a German-Czech-Slovak society, a Greek group, a Latin American discussion group, a German-Japanese society, a Ukrainian-German group and others.
More than 100 groups: music, theatre, sport, media, politics, scholarship holders and faith groups, listed with their own links on one page.
A local committee that organises volunteer projects of 6 to 8 weeks and internships abroad, and that students can join as team members. Applications usually open at the start of each semester, and you do not have to go abroad to be a member.
A club that grew out of the university sports department. Men and women are welcome, no experience is needed, equipment is provided for newcomers, and training is on Thursdays from 20:00 to 22:00.
Evangelische Studierendengemeinde (ESG) and its International Choir ↗
The Protestant student community. Its International Choir was founded in 2014 and sings music from all eras and genres, including at student services in two Passau churches. The site also lists counselling for international students.
Katholische Studentengemeinde (KSG) ↗
The Catholic student community at Domplatz 7. Services take place at the university church St. Nikola, and the site has an English and Spanish page and lists a Mass in Spanish.
A Christian student group of about ten students from different fields and churches, open to anyone regardless of belief. It runs an International Kreis for international students.
Campus life and study culture
The University of Passau has five faculties, with buildings along Innstraße close to the old town. Student satisfaction in the Bavarian Graduate Survey is well above the Bavarian average, according to the university, and it also ranks in the top 30 percent in the Times Higher Education ranking. It is small, so classes are rarely anonymous.
The university year follows two semesters: 1 October to 31 March and 1 April to 30 September, and exams are usually held in the two to four weeks after teaching ends. Most degrees are taught in German, so a B1 level in German or English is the minimum for exchange students, and the university advises B2 to pass exams. Free German courses for all levels run during the semester.
You can join clubs and societies from the first week: the university listed an information afternoon for student groups for winter semester 2026/27. The international choir, the debating club, the student cinema, the student radio, the campus magazine and the Model United Nations society all appear on the university's list.
On campus
Housing
The university does not reserve a room for you, but the university says looking for a room in Passau is nowhere near as hard as in Munich or Berlin. Apply early anyway, and apply for the dorm on the Studierendenwerk site at any time.
95 places in the old town on the Danube quay, in a 19th-century building. Rent 260 to 508 EUR depending on the room type, from a flat with its own bathroom and kitchenette to rooms with a shared kitchen.
20 places in a quiet residential area, built in 1981, mostly in shared flats of 2 to 9 people. Rent 234 to 289 EUR.
245 places in a quiet area, built in 1994, mostly shared flats. Rent 261 to 339 EUR, with two accessible rooms.
356 places after a renovation finished in 2025. Rent 353 to 398 EUR for a room with its own bathroom and shared kitchen, and 442 to 463 EUR for the accessible rooms. All dorm rooms are furnished, include internet, and the rent covers heating and electricity.
The International Office's housing service ↗
Exchange students apply for a room through the office, with a deadline of 15 June for the winter semester and 15 December for the summer semester. Degree students get advice. Contact: accommodation@uni-passau.de.
Food, sport and clubs
The Studierendenwerk runs the Mensa at the university and four cafeterias: Audimax, Cafébar WiWi, Mensagebäude and Nikolakloster. The university says its Mensa has won awards, always has a vegan option and usually a vegetarian one during term, and serves meals from many countries. Outside the campus, the Innstadt and the old town have many small cafes and restaurants from traditional Bavarian to world cuisines. Brotzeit with Obazda and Brezn is the local snack.
Sport is easy to start: pay the sports fee once, then book from the course list or the fitness studio. In the clubs list you will also find a baseball group, ultimate frisbee, an e-sports group, a brass band, several choirs and an orchestra.
Your first weeks
- 1
Before you travel
Arrange health insurance with a statutory provider: you need proof for enrolment and for your residence permit. AOK, Barmer, DAK-Gesundheit and Techniker Krankenkasse have offices in Passau. Your first choice cannot be changed until you finish your studies.
- 2
Orientation Weeks
For winter semester 2026/27 they run from 28 September to 11 October, partly online. They cover study organisation, first formalities, German courses and social events. They are compulsory for exchange students, and degree students can write to istudicoach@uni-passau.de.
- 3
Week 1: register your address
EU citizens register at the Bürgerbüro in the Altes Rathaus, Rathausplatz 2, or at Vornholzstraße 40 (DLZ Passavia), phone +49 851 396 225 or +49 851 396 100.
- 4
Week 1 to 3: residence permit
If you come from outside the EU you need a residence permit for a stay of more than three months. Apply in person at the Ausländeramt der Stadt Passau, Dr.-Ernst-Derra-Straße 2, phone +49 851 396 431. The iStudi Coach offers a pre-check of your application before you go.
- 5
Bank and funds
Open a German bank account, and if your visa needs it, a blocked account with 992 EUR for each month of your intended studies.
- 6
Week 1: ticket and card
Your student card with the VBP logo works as the bus ticket together with an ID card or passport. It is not transferable.
- 7
Week 1: join something
Look for the information afternoon for student groups and sign up for one club and for Hochschulsport.
Where you come from matters here
Pick your home country: food, faith, community groups and the consulate that serves you, checked 21 October 2026.
🇮🇳 Living in Passau as an Indian student
The university lists an Indian Students Association, and the Consulate General for Bavaria is in Munich, not Passau. I found no Hindu temple or Indian grocery with its own website in Passau, so the nearest places for those are in Munich.
Indian Students Association of Passau (SwaDesi) ↗
Listed by the university among its international student societies. It has no website, so ask at the International Office or at the club information afternoon.
Consulate General of India, Munich ↗
At Widenmayerstraße 15, 80538 Munich. It covers Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and handles passports, visas, OCI and attestation by online appointment.
🇳🇬 Living in Passau as a Nigerian student
Nigeria's embassy is in Berlin, and I found no Nigerian association in Passau. A Christian student group at the university has a section in English.
At Neue Jakobstraße 4, 10179 Berlin. Passport renewal needs an appointment booked on the Nigeria Immigration site and a National Identification Number, and visa applications go through VFS.
SMD Passau, International Kreis ↗
A Christian student group that runs a circle for international students, with its international pages in English.
🇻🇳 Living in Passau as a Vietnamese student
I found no Vietnamese association or pagoda in Passau. Vietnam's embassy is in Berlin, and its site is mainly in Vietnamese.
Its consular section publishes procedures and fees for passports and legalisation of documents. The site does not say whether it covers Bavaria, so ask before you travel.
A student project about Southeast Asia, listed among the university's international societies. It is a good first group to meet people interested in the region.
🇳🇵 Living in Passau as a Nepali student
Nepal's embassy is in Berlin, and I found no Nepali community group in Passau.
At Guerickestraße 27, 10587 Berlin. It handles passports and visas, travel documents, power of attorney and document attestation.
The University of Passau's contact point for international degree students: residence permits, daily life, bureaucracy and making friends.
🇵🇰 Living in Passau as a Pakistani student
There is no Pakistani association or mosque with its own website that I could find in Passau. There is a Muslim students' group at the university, and the Pakistani embassy is in Berlin.
MSVP, the Muslim student representation ↗
Listed on the university's clubs page as the Muslim student group in Passau. It posts on Instagram, so look for the account named msvpassau.
Lists consular services such as e-visa, passports and attestation, and shows a Consulate General in Frankfurt and an Honorary Consul for Bavaria, without giving addresses.
🇨🇳 Living in Passau as a Chinese student
Passau has a partner city in China, Liuzhou, but I found no Chinese student group or community centre with its own site in the city. The Chinese consulate for the area is in Munich.
The city's own page lists Liuzhou in China among its nine partner cities.
Consulate General of China, Munich ↗
Handles consular protection, passports and travel documents, and notarisation; its site publishes announcements for its district.
English-taught programmes in Passau
Soonest open deadline first. Every entry links to its official source.
- Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence EngineeringUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition15 Dec 2026Closing soon
- Master of Arts in International Education and Global LearningUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition15 Jan 2027Open
- Master of Science in MathematicsUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition31 May 2027Open
- Master of Science in Computer ScienceUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition31 May 2027Open
- Master of Arts in Development StudiesUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition31 May 2027Open
- Master of Science in Business AdministrationUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition30 Jun 2027Open
- Master of Arts in Governance and Public PolicyUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition30 Jun 2027Open
- Master of Science in Information SystemsUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition30 Jun 2027Open
- Master of Science in International Economics and BusinessUniversity of Passau · PassaumasterNo tuition30 Jun 2027Open
- Bachelor of Science in MathematicsUniversity of Passau · PassaubachelorNo tuition15 Jul 2027Open
- Bachelor of Science in Artificial IntelligenceUniversity of Passau · PassaubachelorNo tuition15 Jul 2027Open
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