Germany is known for free tuition, and at most public universities that is true. But studying there still costs money before you arrive: application fees through uni-assist, a semester contribution every six months, tuition for non-EU students in Baden-Württemberg and at TUM, full fees at private universities, and the blocked account for your visa.
These payments are not collected the same way. Some take a card; others accept only a bank transfer. This guide sorts them out, so you know where a Mehbit virtual Mastercard funded with USDT works and where it doesn’t. The general step-by-step process is in our tuition payment guide.
Which German payments a card can make
| Payment | Typical amount | How it is paid | Card? |
|---|---|---|---|
| uni-assist application fee | €75 for the first program, €30 for each extra one | Visa or Mastercard with 3-D Secure, or bank transfer | Yes |
| TestAS | Depends on your country group | Credit card, PayPal, Alipay and others | Yes |
| Private university deposit and tuition | Often €1,500 to €2,000 first, then full tuition | Flywire or TransferMate at many schools | Yes, at schools that take cards |
| Semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) | About €70 to €430 per semester | Bank transfer to the university | No |
| Non-EU tuition at public universities | €1,500 per semester in Baden-Württemberg; €2,000 to €6,000 at TUM | Bank transfer | No |
| Blocked account (Sperrkonto) | €11,904 per year | Bank transfer; a few providers also take cards | Depends on the provider |
| National visa fee | €75 | At the embassy or visa centre, under its own rules | No |
In short: a card is the right tool for applications and private universities. For the semester contribution, public-university tuition and usually the blocked account, you need a bank transfer.
The semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag)
Every student at a public university pays a semester contribution to enrol and then to re-register each semester. According to the DAAD it is between €70 and €430. It covers the student services organisation (Studierendenwerk), the student union and, at many universities, a semester ticket that is now a full Deutschlandticket for public transport. Some current amounts, from each university’s own page:
| University | Semester contribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TU Munich (TUM) | €97 | No transport ticket included |
| LMU Munich | €97 (summer 2026) | Ticket surcharge discontinued until further notice |
| University of Stuttgart | €184 | Administration, Studierendenwerk and student body |
| KIT Karlsruhe | €184 | €80 + €92 + €12 |
| Heidelberg University | €189.80 | Paid by bank transfer with the heiCO reference |
| TU Berlin | €379.06 (winter 2026/27) | Includes the €226.80 semester ticket |
| University of Hamburg | €402 (winter 2026/27) | Includes the Deutschlandticket |
How it is paid
- Bank transfer only. Every university we checked asks for a transfer to its own account, with a personal payment reference from the student portal. TU Berlin says plainly that cash and instalments are not accepted. None lists card or Flywire for the semester contribution.
- The full amount has to arrive. Banks often deduct fees from transfers from outside the euro area. Universities like TU Berlin and Hamburg warn that the full sum must reach their account, or re-registration fails. Ask your bank to use the “OUR” charge option.
- Watch the deadline. Re-registration windows are fixed. RWTH Aachen, for example, wants the money received by 1 September 2026 for the winter semester.
A Mehbit card cannot pay the semester contribution, because universities don’t take cards for it. Once you are in Germany and have a German bank account, paying it is a simple domestic transfer.
Tuition at public universities for non-EU students
- Baden-Württemberg: €1,500 per semester for non-EU students (Heidelberg, KIT, Stuttgart and the other universities in the state), and €650 for a second degree.
- TU Munich: usually €2,000 or €3,000 per semester for bachelor’s programmes and €4,000 or €6,000 for master’s, rising from winter 2027/28 to €2,300 or €3,400 and €4,600 or €6,800. TUM says payment in instalments is not possible.
- How it is paid: by bank transfer, like the semester contribution. We found no public university that takes a card for tuition.
Application fees: uni-assist, TestAS and APS
- uni-assist. Many universities have their international applications checked by uni-assist. It charges €75 for the first program and €30 for each additional one in the same semester, the same for a VPD. Studienkolleg applications cost the same. You pay in your My assist account, by Visa or Mastercard with 3-D Secure, or by bank transfer.
- TestAS. The aptitude test some universities ask for is priced by country group, shown when you register. It takes credit cards, PayPal and Alipay, among others.
- APS (China). Applicants from China need an APS certificate: 2,500 RMB for the interview, paid to APS’s bank account, not by card.
These are the payments a card handles best: small, urgent and paid on the spot. See the Education & study abroad section for the services we have tested.
Private universities
Private universities charge full tuition and usually ask for a deposit soon after your offer. Many collect it through Flywire or TransferMate, both of which take cards. Some examples from the schools’ own pages:
| University | Accepted routes | First payment |
|---|---|---|
| IU International University | Credit card or bank transfer, both through Flywire | €1,500 one-time registration fee after approval |
| GISMA University of Applied Sciences | Bank transfer, TransferMate or Flywire | Deposit of €1,500 for most international students |
| Berlin School of Business and Innovation | TransferMate (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, Alipay) | Deposit invoice within 5 working days of accepting the offer, due in 7 |
| EU Business School Munich | Flywire is the preferred method | €2,000 advance payment, non-refundable, due on acceptance |
| Constructor University | Flywire: card, bank transfer or e-wallet | Enrolment deposit from the applicant portal |
- Pay a year ahead for the visa. IU, for example, advises paying at least one academic year of tuition in advance for your visa application. Ask your school what the embassy needs to see.
- Read the refund terms. Some deposits are non-refundable even if the visa is refused. Check before you pay.
The blocked account (Sperrkonto)
- Amount: €992 per month, €11,904 per year of study. Only one twelfth can be withdrawn each month after you arrive.
- Tuition comes on top. The German Embassy in Tehran, for example, says that if your university charges tuition, you have to prove you can pay it in addition to the blocked account.
- How it is funded: mostly by bank transfer. A few providers accept a card payment through Flywire, but each provider has its own rules on who can open an account. Check those before you choose one. The German Foreign Office no longer recommends any provider.
The visa fee
The national visa costs €75 and is paid at the embassy or visa centre under its own rules. The German Embassy in Tehran, for example, takes it in cash, in euros. Check your mission’s page before your appointment.
Paying with a Mehbit card
- Start the payment on uni-assist, TestAS or your private university’s Flywire or TransferMate page, and note the amount. German fees are in euros; Flywire shows the dollar figure for a Mehbit card before you confirm, and on uni-assist the card network converts euros to dollars, so load a little more than the euro amount.
- Deposit USDT (BEP20, TRC20 or ERC20) into your Mehbit wallet.
- Issue a United Kingdom or Singapore Mastercard. Issuance takes about 5 minutes.
- Load the card. You can load up to $50,000 a day per card; for a larger bill, load over two or more days.
- Pay, with the card’s country as the payer country if the form asks, and keep the confirmation for your visa file.
What it costs: a 5% card load fee, $0.35 per card transaction, 2 USDT per wallet deposit and a one-time card issuance fee. Worked examples are in the cost table in our tuition guide, and current prices are on the pricing page.
Checklist
- List every payment you face: application, deposit, tuition, semester contribution, blocked account, visa.
- Pay application fees (uni-assist, TestAS) and any private-university deposit by card, before the deadline.
- Plan a bank transfer for the semester contribution, public-university tuition and the blocked account, with the “OUR” charge option.
- Keep every confirmation and receipt for your visa appointment.
- Read the refund terms before paying a deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay the German semester contribution by card?
No. The public universities we checked take the semester contribution only by bank transfer to their own account, with your personal payment reference. A card, including a Mehbit card, can’t pay it.
Does uni-assist accept international cards?
Yes. uni-assist takes Visa and Mastercard with 3-D Secure in your My assist account, as well as bank transfers. The fee is €75 for the first program and €30 for each additional one.
Can I fund a blocked account with a card?
Usually not. Most blocked accounts are funded by bank transfer. A few providers accept cards through Flywire, but each has its own eligibility rules, so check them first.
Do German private universities accept card payments?
Many do, through Flywire or TransferMate. IU, Constructor University and the Berlin School of Business and Innovation, for example, list card payments. Check your school’s payment page.
What if my private-university tuition is more than $50,000?
You can load up to $50,000 a day per card, so load over more than one day and start early.
