FORMALITIES Financial Matters
Financial Considerations
On average, the cost of living and studying in Heidelberg comes to about € 1000 per month. Please be aware that you will have additional expenses at the beginning of your stay:
- Refundable deposit for a room in a student residence € 450
- Semesterbeitrag (student services fee) € 81.05
The following is a breakdown of expenses that you might have on a monthly basis:
- Rent (for a dorm room) € 270-400
- Health insurance (with state health insurance provider) € 120-130
- Mensa meals (approx. € 5.00 for a warm meal) € 150
- Groceries € 100-200
- Public Transportation ca. € 30-50
- Public fee for internet, radio and TV € 18
- Telephone € 10-20
In order to receive a residence permit, you need to present a statement of financial support to the Ausländerbehörde (local foreigner’s registration office), proving that you have at least € 992 to live on for each month of your stay. This can either be a bank statement, a notarized parental letter or a scholarship certificate or any combination of these items.
Another way to provide such proof is to open a blocked account (Sperrkonto).
Please see the websites of the German embassy in your country of residence and also here for an overview.
Banking
You will need to open a bank account in Heidelberg because monthly bills such as rent and health insurance are paid by bank transfer (Überweisung).
In principle, you can open an account with any bank. However, you should be aware that some banks may charge a maintenance fee.
Because of growing international cooperation, many large banks have partners abroad now. If you have an account with such a bank at home, it might be possible to withdraw money at the German partner bank without having to pay fees. Please contact your bank for further information on this topic.
In order to open a bank account in Heidelberg you need to make an appointment and present your letter of admission, proof of residence (housing contract) and your passport.
Important Tip:
Please be aware that credit cards are not as widely used in Germany as in some other countries. Especially in small stores, or when paying small amounts, credit cards may not be accepted. Therefore, we recommend to always have some cash on hand.
Exchange students need to pay a semester fee of 81.05 Euros for studying at the University of Heidelberg. The fee is due upon enrollment. It can be transferred from your (German) bank account.
Please use the following bank information for your payment:
Account holder: Universitaet Heidelberg
Baden-Württembergische Bank, Stuttgart
IBAN: DE28 6005 0101 0004 9617 81
SWIFT/BIC: SOLADEST600
(BLZ 600 501 01 Kto. 4961781)
Reason for payment: your student number (Matrikelnummer), your last name and your first name
For year-long stays, the semester fee is due again within the re-registration period for the following semester (mid-January – mid-February for the summer semester and mid-June – mid-July for the winter semester).