Not every exit is a dropout. Sometimes the subject is right and only the university does not fit: exams exclusively on campus, supervision that never answers, an examination rhythm that does not work alongside your job. Then changing university is the right route, and it is far less dramatic than it sounds. Two things decide the outcome: what happens to the work you have already done, and the order in which you act.
The Order Decides the Cost, Not the Timing
There is exactly one correct order, and it is: first the binding confirmation from the new university, then the termination at the old one. Never the other way round.
The reason is simple. While you are still enrolled, you are an applicant with an alternative to the new university. You can set conditions, you can negotiate the credit transfer, and you can walk away. Once you have terminated, you are someone without a study place who needs an offer. Same person, far weaker position.
There is a practical point on top. After deregistration it takes noticeably longer to obtain certificates and documents, in my experience. Some universities even charge a fee for them.
What Happens to Your ECTS
ECTS are standardised across Europe so that achievements are transferable. Transferable, however, does not mean transferred automatically. The receiving university decides, and it assesses learning outcomes and workload, not module titles. A module called Statistics I may hide behind the name Quantitative Methods and still be fully recognised, while two identically named modules can be far apart in content.
The standard applied is not equivalence but the absence of a substantial difference. That way of thinking comes from the Lisbon Recognition Convention, ratified by Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and it has one practical consequence many people do not know: you do not have to prove equivalence, the university has to set out the substantial difference. How strictly this is handled in daily practice varies considerably between institutions, but it is an argument you are entitled to make.
How credit transfer works in detail and how much time and money it saves is worked through under ECTS credit transfer. Which prior learning from outside your degree counts as well is set out under the credit check for prior learning.
Good to know
Request the module descriptions in the version that applied at the start of your degree, not the current one from the website. Universities revise their module handbooks regularly, and a module you took in 2023 may be cut differently today. The receiving university assesses what you actually studied. With the wrong version in your application you lose credit for content you demonstrably completed.
The Documents Every Transfer Hangs On
| Document | Who issues it | What you need it for | Common trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transcript of records | examinations office of the old university | evidence of passed modules with ECTS and grades | processing takes far longer after deregistration |
| Module descriptions | old university, module handbook | content comparison for credit transfer | the current version instead of the one that applied to you |
| Study and examination regulations | old university | classifying workload, exam format and level | often forgotten and requested later |
| Statement on failed attempts | examinations office of the old university | mandatory disclosure for related programmes | withholding it puts your enrolment at risk |
The last point is uncomfortable but important: when moving into the same or a related programme you generally have to declare whether you have already finally failed examinations there. Used attempts travel with you. A transfer therefore does not reset the counter, and a false declaration can void your enrolment retroactively. What else to watch after a fail is set out under failed an exam.
Changing University During a Distance Degree in Seven Steps
- Name the cause. Subject, university, exam format or life situation? If the subject is wrong, changing university solves nothing.
- Request documents while you are still enrolled. Transcript of records, module descriptions, examination regulations, statement on failed attempts.
- Shortlist two or three target universities. The criteria are set out under choosing a university. Pay particular attention to recognition practice, not only to price.
- Settle the credit transfer before you apply. Submit the documents and have them tell you how many ECTS will be recognised. In writing.
- Wait for the offer and have the recognition confirmed bindingly. A confirmation after enrolment is not a confirmation, it is a hope.
- Check the notice period at the old university and set the transfer date accordingly. How that works is set out under cancelling a distance degree. Plan the deadline backwards, otherwise you pay twice.
- Declare termination and deregistration separately, each with confirmation, and only then stop your standing orders.
What the Transfer Really Costs
The biggest item is rarely the enrolment fee, it is the gap between ECTS earned and ECTS recognised. A worked example: you have earned 90 ECTS, 60 are recognised. The missing 30 ECTS correspond, at a realistic part-time pace of 5 to 10 ECTS per semester, to three to six additional semesters, meaning three to six extra semester fees. How to set your own pace honestly is covered in ECTS per semester.
The second item is the overlap. If your notice period runs three months and the new semester starts in two, you pay one month twice. That is avoidable by aligning the start date to the end of the notice period rather than the other way round.
The third item appears on no invoice: the time for applications, evidence and follow-up questions. Reckon with several weeks between the first application and the binding recognition confirmation, particularly outside term time.
What This Text Cannot Do
I am a study adviser, not a lawyer. Credit transfer and admission are higher education law, and the binding decision always rests with the responsible examinations office, not with a blog post. If recognition is refused although you consider it justified, if failed attempts are disputed, or if a university demands fees after termination, the right places to turn to are: the student representation and the study advisory service at the receiving university, the consumer advice centre for contract and fee questions, and a lawyer for higher education or contract law where refusal notices or larger amounts are involved.
A transfer is not a fresh start from zero. It is a move, and moves are planned backwards.
Work Out the Credit Transfer Before You Move
The decisive figure is not in the brochure, it is in the recognition confirmation. In a free initial consultation I look at your transcript, estimate how much each university is realistically likely to recognise, and where the transfer pays off. You can also get a first estimate yourself with the credit transfer check, free and done in a few minutes.
Conclusion
When changing university during a distance degree, the order decides the outcome: secure your documents first, settle the credit transfer bindingly, get the offer, then terminate. Recognition turns on learning outcomes and workload rather than module titles, and used examination attempts travel with you into related programmes. Know those four points and you move with one lost semester instead of three.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take my ECTS with me when changing university?
As a rule yes, but not automatically. The receiving university decides on the basis of the learning outcomes and workload of your modules, not their titles. The closer the new programme is to the old one, the more gets recognised. Within the same subject, high recognition rates are common.
Which documents do I need for the transfer?
The transcript of records listing every passed module with ECTS and grades, plus the module descriptions in the version that applied to you. Study and examination regulations, your enrolment certificate and a statement about failed examinations are frequently required as well. Request everything while you are still enrolled.
Should I terminate first or transfer first?
Always secure the new university's confirmation first, and settle the credit transfer bindingly while doing so. Terminating first means negotiating without a fallback and risking a gap with no study place. The notice period at the old university runs anyway, and the two dates can be aligned cleanly.
Do failed examinations carry over when I transfer?
When moving into the same or a related programme, as a rule yes. Used attempts travel with you, so a transfer does not reset the counter. How narrowly relatedness is read depends on the modules and on state law. Ask about it in writing before you apply.
Will the transfer cost me semesters?
That depends entirely on the recognition rate. If 60 out of 90 ECTS earned are recognised, you lose half an academic year on paper. This is why the binding recognition confirmation before enrolment is the single most important figure in the whole process, more important than the level of tuition fees.
The information on this page is general in nature and based on my advisory practice (last updated 31.07.2026). It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the respective university and is not legal advice. Specific decisions are made by universities, the ZAB (Germany), the BMBWF (Austria), or the SBFI (Switzerland). I clarify binding next steps with you in the initial consultation.