Access to cheaper university education in Europe

University education is free or more than 50% cheaper for EU nationals

Latvian citizenship allows you to benefit from a world-class educational system of the EU and EFTA countries.

• Europe boasts one of the best universities in the world
• University education in many of Western European countries is free or heavily subsidized
• Student loans for EU students are available in Scandinavia, the UK, and other EU countries
• Number of grants and scholarships are accessible only to the EU citizens

One of the benefits that people take into account when deciding to get Latvian dual citizenship, is that they or their children can take advantage of the European education system.

Any person who holds the nationality of a European country is automatically also an EU citizen. As an EU citizen, you are entitled to study at any EU university under the same conditions as nationals.

Latvian citizenship allows benefiting from a world-class educational system of EU and EFTA and someone who holds Latvian citizenship may not be refused access to training or education in another EU country on grounds of your nationality. The average tuition fee for an international master’s programme in Europe is around 5.100 EUR for students from within the EEA, and 10.170 EUR for students from outside the EEA. For international bachelor programmes, the fees for EU students is 4.500 EUR and 8.600 EUR for non-EU students

Student loans are available for students coming from EU countries and a number of grants and scholarships are accessible only to the EU citizens.

For example, tuition fee for medical studies in the US is $20-40,000 per year, but medical studies are free in Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and many other countries in Europe. If you study medicine in Europe (to become a doctor in 7 years) you save $140,000-280,000. Saving for other types of studies would be smaller, but still substantial.

In England, EU residents and EEA/Switzerland students pay a tuition fee ranging from 7,560 EUR up to a maximum of 12,600 EUR per year. Whereas studies for non-EU students range between 4,255 EUR approximately and around 27,700 EUR per year.

In Austrian universities, there are no tuition fees for students from EU-EEA member countries, Switzerland. All the others pay a study fee of average 726 EUR (per semester).

University education in Denmark is also free for students from the EU-EEA member countries and Switzerland. For all others students, tuition fees range from about EUR 6,000 to EUR 16,000 Euro per year. Some highly specialised courses may reach to over 35,000 EUR/year for non-EU students.

In the Netherlands, study fees for EU students at any degree level can be up to 2,000 EUR per year. Whereas the average tuition fees for non-EU students studying a Bachelor’s programme is between 6,000 – 12,000 EUR per year, while for a master course, these range between 8,000 – 20,000 EUR per year.