Hi all. Anyone out there who knows how strict the English language requirements for PhD applicants usually are? Both TOEFL and IELTS are quite pricey, so I'm wondering if it would be good enough to prove that I spent one semester of my MSc in the US. That was six years ago though..

I could be wrong but I would have thought that having lived and studied in an English-speaking country for a significant amount of time and thus showing evidence of functional (and academic) English language skills would be as good or better than an assessment.

I think if you are non-EU student, you have to pay very high tuition fees (12k+ annual) or you have to search for very limited funding opportunities. In my opinion, do not complicate things more and seek an unusual admittance.

Ringing the departments and enquiring is probably the best thing to do.

I was accepted at all my postgrad degrees without TOEFL or IELTS. I had only passed the Cambridge Proficiency exams (4 years before my first MA) and I had spent a semester at a UK uni during my undergrad years. I never had any problems....

Thanks for the response. I am an EU citizen, but does that make any difference?

More likely you don't need any language tests for admission. It is somehow stupid as language requirements should depend on the program and your level of English not on your nationality, but in most cases it does depend on nationality.