Student Application Fees in Germany: What Nepali Students Pay Before They Fly
Most public universities in Germany charge no tuition, which makes the smaller fees before the first lecture easy to overlook. None of them is large on its own. Added up across several applications, a language test and the visa, they deserve a line in the budget. This guide lists them in the order you meet them.
1. Language test fees
If you need IELTS, it is likely to be your biggest single payment before admission.
- IELTS: IDP Nepal lists NPR 33,000 for IELTS on computer and NPR 36,200 on paper, and notes that fees can change without notice.
- TOEFL: ETS shows the fee for Nepal in US dollars when you register; check it there before booking.
- German exams at Goethe-Zentrum Kathmandu: external candidates pay, for example, EUR 60 for A1 and EUR 110 for the full B2 exam, charged in NPR. Prices may change.
Check which test each programme accepts before you pay for one. A German certificate used for the visa must also come from a provider the Embassy recognises; our Goethe-Zentrum guide covers the Kathmandu exams.
2. Application fees
Many universities process international applications through uni-assist, which charges per semester:
| uni-assist fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| First programme you choose in a semester | EUR 75 |
| Each additional programme in the same semester | EUR 30 |
| VPD (preliminary review documentation) | Same fees as above |
The fee is due whatever the result, and it starts again at EUR 75 if you apply in a later semester. Some universities pay it on behalf of their applicants, which uni-assist marks in your selection list. You can pay by bank transfer or credit card, and uni-assist says its payment requests come only through its own portal, so ignore any email that asks you to pay somewhere else.
Universities that take applications through their own portal set their own rules, so read the programme page for any charge. The full procedure is in our uni-assist guide.
3. Documents: copies, translations, verification
uni-assist works with scans of your official certificates, so most applications need no certified paper copies at all. If a university does ask for certified copies, the German Embassy in Kathmandu certifies copies on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 08:30 and 10:30, with no appointment needed. The fee is between EUR 20 and EUR 250, payable in NPR cash or by credit card, and you must bring the photocopies with you because the Embassy does not make them.
Papers in Nepali, such as a citizenship certificate, need a certified translation into German or English for the visa. Prices vary by translator, so get a quote early.
One cost that is not part of a normal application is document verification. The Embassy no longer legalises Nepali public documents. Instead, a German authority such as a registry office, foreigners authority or court can ask it to have a civil-status document, for example a birth certificate, checked by a trusted lawyer; private persons cannot request this. The listed costs are NPR 32,000 in the Kathmandu Valley, NPR 70,000 outside it and NPR 110,000 where two or more districts outside it are involved, charged per district visited, and a check takes about 3 to 6 months.
4. After admission: visa and money
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| National visa fee | EUR 75 (EUR 37.50 under 18) | Paid in NPR cash at the day's rate; not refunded if refused; waived for holders of German public scholarships such as DAAD |
| Blocked account set-up | EUR 70 to EUR 150 | DAAD's range for bank charges; only if you use a blocked account |
| Semester contribution | About EUR 70 to EUR 430 per semester | Paid when you enrol; TUM's is EUR 97 |
| Tuition | EUR 0 at most state universities | Exceptions include Baden-Wuerttemberg, at EUR 1,500 per semester for non-EU students, and TUM |
The Embassy states that its appointments and checklists are free and that the visa fee is the only charge it makes. Money in a blocked account is your own living budget, not a fee; the required amount is in our blocked account guide, and the tuition exceptions in our free tuition guide.
A worked example
Say you apply for winter 2027/28 to four master's programmes at three universities, all through uni-assist, after taking IELTS on computer in Kathmandu:
- uni-assist: EUR 75 + 3 x EUR 30 = EUR 165
- IELTS on computer: NPR 33,000
- Visa fee once admitted: EUR 75, paid in NPR
Then add translations, photos, the blocked account charge if you use one and the first semester contribution. If one of your universities covers the uni-assist fee for its applicants, the total drops.
Paying from Nepal
uni-assist bills in euros, by card or bank transfer, while IELTS and the Goethe exams in Kathmandu are paid in rupees. Ask your bank early how it handles a small foreign payment for a student. Larger transfers for tuition and living costs follow Nepal Rastra Bank rules and need a No Objection Letter from the Ministry of Education; our guide to the NRB rules covers them.
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