Select High School exchange in Berlin and other German cities

​Next possible start dates: February 2025 and August 2025. Apply now!

Be an exchange student in Berlin

Our High School exchange in Berlin and other German cities offers you to spend a school year abroad in a city in Germany, sharing your everyday life with a German host family and going to school like a German teen. Explore German cities and rich culture! 

You will indicate your 1st and 2nd choice of destination among the below areas: 

• Berlin + surroundings (Capital Region Berlin-Brandenburg)
• Bremen
• Cologne / Bonn + surroundings
• Darmstadt
• Dresden
• Hamburg + surroundings
• Hannover + surroundings
• Koblenz + surroundings
• Minden
• Nuremberg Metropolitan Region
• Ulm + surroundings
  

Students might be placed up to 70 km away from the designated city. An average commuting time of 45-60 minutes to the city should be expected sometimes. 

Most students in Germany attend the local “Gymnasium” or “Realschule” and "Gesamtschule". 

Highlights of the High School Exchange Program:

• Your local coordinator will monitor your progress in the program and your integration into the German host family and school
• You may attend an additional German course before you move to your host family and start school
• You will attend an online orientation to prepare yourself for the program

Graduation from this program is not possible. 

Teenage life in Germany includes extracurricular activities that German students attend at school or in local clubs, such as Sports, Language courses, Arts, Music, Theater, Gym, etc.

We encourage you to sign up for extracurricular activities: you make new friends, practice German in a different environment than the classroom, stay fit and busy, and build strong relationships with teens from different backgrounds. This is an additional value to your exchange program in Germany. 

During your High School Study Abroad in Berlin and other German cities, you live with a German host family. Students will be expected to join their host families for activities, such as taking part in outdoor activities, dinner time, and trips as well as helping with some basic housework tasks. 

Our host families are carefully selected and paid for hosting international exchange students. 

All applicants to an exchange program in the Berlin area and other German cities starting in August must be completed by the end of February and those starting in February must have their applications completed by the end of June. Late application 900 EUR after February 28th for a year, 500 EUR for a semester (or after June 30th for the January intake). 

Upon completion of the online booking form, students will be immediately contacted by a Nacel program coordinator and receive all the corresponding paperwork. Once this is done, we will begin the process of looking for a suitable host family and a great High school program for you in a German city.

Nacel will provide you with all the necessary documents to finalize your visa application. It's important to note that students bear sole responsibility for this process, but rest assured, we will offer guidance and support every step of the way.

High School Exchange in Berlin and other cities

* Costs in EUR per participant

Not included: Application Fees (65 EUR)

​High School Abroad in Berlin: ​

• Semester Abroad Berlin
  
• School Year Abroad Berlin
• ​High School Summer Abroad Germany

Start Dates: 

• August start
  
• February start

Price includes

• 20+ years of experience providing high-quality study-abroad programs
  
• Processing of student applications
• Host school placement
• Host family accommodation with full board: single (100 EUR supplement per month) or double room
  
• Online orientation meeting
• One free excursion per semester
  
• Airport pick-up and transfer from the closest airport or train station, on arrival
• Necessary documentation for the student to obtain a student visa for Germany and visa guidance
  
• Support, assistance, and 24/7 Hotline
• Regular Progress Feedback
  
• Access to an in-country support team, and Nacel Student Support staff
  

Price does not include

• Round-trip international airfare
• International Travel Insurance
• Late application 900 EUR after February 28th for a year, 500 EUR for a semester (or after June 30th for the January intake)
  
• Visa, passport, and medical exam fees
• School material, school books and excursions, lunches
• Local transport from and to school
• Extra activities organized by the school and others
  
• Extra language courses
• Special dietary requirements (50 EUR/month)
  
• Optional Berlin Weekend (extra fee)
  
• Departure transfer
  
• Personal expenses and spending money
• Mandatory German insurance

Exchange students must be interviewed in their home country before being accepted for a High School exchange in Berlin.
A B1 German level (Intermediate) and good academic results are required for this student exchange in Berlin.