uni-assist Fees From Iran: €75 for the First Course, €30 for Each Extra, and How to Pay
If your German university takes applications through uni-assist, your application is submitted by paying the handling fee, and your documents are evaluated only after that. This guide gives the official fees with sources (€75 for the first course in a semester, €30 for each additional one), works them out for 1, 3 and 5 courses, explains the two ways uni-assist accepts payment, and covers timing against the deadline and paying from Iran.
Applying to Germany from Iran
uni-assist: a fee per course, paid in My assist
This article at a glance
Last checked: September 30, 2026
- The fee is per chosen course: each semester, €75 for the first course and €30 for each additional one. A new semester starts again at €75, and the VPD procedure costs the same.
- uni-assist accepts only two ways to pay: a Visa or MasterCard credit card with 3D Secure, or a bank transfer. An Iranian bank card is neither, and uni-assist itself says international bank transfers can take up to two weeks.
- uni-assist's deadline is the university's deadline, and your paid application must reach uni-assist by that date. uni-assist recommends applying at least 8 weeks before it.
- Rima pays on your behalf for a flat $2 per order, with the receipt in the applicant's name. It doesn't create accounts, fill in the form or have any part in the evaluation or admission.
What uni-assist is and who has to use it
uni-assist describes itself as the central point of contact for applicants with international educational certificates for around 160 German universities. It assesses your certificates, converts your grades into the German grading system, checks any additional criteria the university sets, and tells you the evaluation result. Admission itself is the university's decision. There are two main procedures:
Standard procedure
You apply online in My assist and uni-assist evaluates your application for the university. After a positive evaluation, uni-assist forwards it to the university electronically, and the university decides on admission. uni-assist says most of its universities use this procedure.
VPD procedure (Vorprüfungsdokumentation)
uni-assist reviews only certain documents and issues a certificate, the VPD, which you then submit yourself, with your documents, directly to the university before its deadline. Processing usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, and a VPD is valid for one year from its date of issue. It costs the same as the standard procedure.
Not every German university uses uni-assist
uni-assist says it is the universities that decide which courses and applicant groups go through uni-assist, and whether the VPD procedure applies is also the university's call. So before paying anything, find your university in uni-assist's official list of member universities and read how to apply for your course on the university's own site. If your university takes applications directly, this fee doesn't apply to you.
uni-assist fees, with examples for 1, 3 and 5 courses
The fees are set by the member universities and pay for processing and evaluating your documents; uni-assist says they are due whatever the result. A "chosen course" can be a bachelor's or master's course, a Studienkolleg (preparatory course) or a preparatory German course.
Last checked: September 30, 2026
| Case | uni-assist fee |
|---|---|
| First chosen course in a semester | €75 |
| Each additional course in the same semester (same or another university) | €30 |
| Reapplying for a new semester | €75 again for the first course and €30 for each additional one |
| VPD procedure | Same as the standard procedure |
| A university that pays its applicants' fees | Free; you'll see a note in your selection list in My assist |
1 course in one semester
€75
No additional course
One course at one university: the first-course fee only.
3 courses in one semester
€135
€75 + 2 × €30 = €135
Like uni-assist's own example: two courses at one university and one at another. The fee is per course, not per university.
5 courses in one semester
€195
€75 + 4 × €30 = €195
Apply for the same five again next semester and it's the same amount again.
These are per-semester amounts. We don't print dollar or Toman figures because the euro rate moves daily. Rima's fee is flat: the same $2 on €75 as on €195.
Why you can't pay it directly from Iran
The fee is paid when you submit your online application form in My assist. uni-assist's payment page lists only these two ways, and its FAQ says it can't accept any method not listed there:
Last checked: September 30, 2026
Visa or MasterCard credit card with 3D Secure
You pay inside your My assist account. The card has to be signed up for 3D Secure, the bank's extra check on card payments. uni-assist says that entering wrong data three times locks you out of the payment page for an hour.
Bank transfer
Either an online bank transfer from an account in one of these 8 countries: Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom; or a transfer to a personal IBAN requested inside My assist, with the applicant number, name and date of birth in the payment details. The money shows up as credit in the My assist account, and you submit the application with that credit. Fees for international transfers are the payer's.
Cards issued in Iran aren't connected to the Visa or Mastercard networks, and Iran isn't among the online-transfer countries, so neither official route works with an Iranian payment instrument. On the other hand, uni-assist says plainly that another person can pay the fees on your behalf, and that an international bank transfer can take up to two weeks. More on cards in our guide to paying with Visa and Mastercard from Iran.
Paying with Rima
Rima pays the amount uni-assist asked for on your behalf and hands you the receipt. It doesn't create a My assist account, fill in the application form or have any part in the evaluation or admission; the form, the documents and the application file are yours.
- What you provide:
- What the service page lists, which is the payment link or reference, and the applicant's name as it appears on their documents. For uni-assist, the service page says you enter your uni-assist application reference in the order form.
- Ask before ordering:
- If you're unsure exactly what to enter in the order form for your application, ask before ordering; the service page says the same.
- Currency:
- uni-assist charges in euros, but this service's order form takes US dollars, so the order is entered as the dollar equivalent of the euro amount at the day's rate. If you're unsure of the equivalent, ask before ordering.
- Fee:
- $2 per order — flat, not a percentage; it's added on top and doesn't change with the amount.
- Toman total:
- The Toman equivalent at the day's rate plus the fee is shown before you pay.
- Receipt:
- The payment is made and its receipt, in the applicant's name, is filed for you; the order status stays in your panel with its date.
- If the payment can't be made:
- Your money comes back.
- Timing and limits:
- The commitment ceiling is 24 hours; if the deadline is close, say so up front. Each order is between $5 to $500. If your amount is above the cap, call the number on the Contact page, or send a message through the contact form there, and Rima will call you back.
To ask before ordering, use the Contact page. The fee and limits above are read from the same pricing row the order is priced from; the full table is on the application fee service page.
Order the uni-assist fee paymentTiming and deadlines
Only your university's site gives the exact date; uni-assist has no separate deadline of its own. What uni-assist itself states:
Last checked: September 30, 2026
| Item | What uni-assist says |
|---|---|
| uni-assist's deadline | The university's deadline. Your online form and complete documents must be in My assist before it, and your paid application must reach uni-assist by that date. |
| Common deadlines | Per uni-assist, for many (not all) courses: often 15 July for courses starting in the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester. |
| Earlier deadlines | Many universities set earlier deadlines for some courses, such as master's courses or the Studienkolleg. Check your own course's deadline with the university. |
| uni-assist's advice | Apply at least 8 weeks before the deadline, so there is time to add anything that's missing. |
| Processing time | Usually 4 to 6 weeks from the day uni-assist receives your online application form; applications are evaluated in order of arrival. |
| Current processing time, certificates from "Africa, Middle East and Iran" | 2 to 3 weeks (the region is where your educational certificates come from; uni-assist's own update of 28 September 2026). Individual cases can take longer. |
| International bank transfer | uni-assist says it can take up to two weeks. |
| VPD | Processing usually takes 4 to 6 weeks; you then apply directly to the university before its deadline, so allow more time. |
So don't leave the payment to the last day. Processing starts when you submit the online form, uni-assist itself says to pay as early as possible, and Rima's commitment ceiling for making the payment is 24 hours. Start a few days early, and if the deadline is close, say so when you order. uni-assist also says it can't give preference to any application, even for someone who needs a visa.
Common mistakes
- 1
Forgetting the fee for an extra course
The fee is per chosen course, not per university or per file. Three courses at two universities is €135, not €75.
- 2
The wrong semester, or counting on last semester's payment
Each semester is charged separately, and reapplying for a new semester starts again at €75. uni-assist says not every course is offered every semester and deadlines can differ between semesters. Don't create a new account to reapply either; your applicant number is valid for all semesters.
- 3
Names and details that don't match
Enter the applicant's name in the Rima order exactly as on their documents; the receipt is issued in that name. For a bank transfer, uni-assist also wants the applicant number, name and date of birth in the payment details so the payment is matched to the right file.
- 4
Not keeping the receipt
If you've waited more than two weeks for the confirmation of receipt, uni-assist asks for a copy of your payment slip through its contact form so it can trace the payment. Keep the receipt until the process is over.
- 5
A half-finished payment or submission
You must answer all of the university's mandatory questions before you can pay. Money that arrives by transfer lands as credit, and you still have to submit the application with that credit before the deadline; uni-assist evaluates documents only after you submit. And if you can't find a paid application in My assist, uni-assist says the payment wasn't successful.
After admission: the costs that follow
In the standard procedure, a positive evaluation means uni-assist forwards your file to the university; admission is the university's decision. After admission, the amount and due date of anything the university charges, such as the semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) or tuition where it applies, come from the university itself. For the ways to pay tuition from Iran, see our tuition payment guide, and to pay it, the tuition and deposit payment service.
On visas, uni-assist says that at many German embassies you can apply for a student applicant visa with a positive uni-assist evaluation result; ask the embassy for the details. For embassy and visa fees in general, see our embassy and visa fees guide.
5 questions before paying any intermediary
The uni-assist fee is small, but it has a deadline, and uni-assist says that if you miss it you apply again for a later semester. Whichever service you use, get these five answers before paying:
- 1
Can you see the exchange rate before logging in and ordering?
A rate revealed only after sign-up or at checkout makes comparison impossible.
- 2
Is the fee a stated number or percentage?
"Shown at checkout" isn't an answer.
- 3
Is the fee added on top or deducted from the amount?
If deducted, less than uni-assist asked for arrives. For international transfers uni-assist itself says transfer fees are the payer's, and to ask the bank for an OUR transfer so the full amount arrives.
- 4
Is the receipt issued in the applicant's name?
It should name the person applying, not the intermediary.
- 5
If the payment isn't made, does the full amount come back?
And if uni-assist later refunds a credit, how does that money reach you? uni-assist says it refunds only to the account the payment came from.
Rima's answers are on the service page, before the order form: the rate on the site before you order, the fee in the service page's table, the fee added on top, the receipt in the applicant's name, and your money back if the payment isn't made.
Frequently asked questions
How much is uni-assist for several courses or universities?
Each semester, €75 for the first course and €30 for each additional one, at the same or another university — so 3 courses are €135 and 5 are €195. The fee is per course, not per university, and the VPD procedure costs the same. If a university pays its applicants' fees, your application is free and you'll see a note in My assist.
Can I pay directly in My assist with an Iranian bank card?
No. uni-assist accepts only a Visa or MasterCard credit card with 3D Secure and bank transfers, and says it can't accept any method not on its list; cards issued in Iran aren't connected to the Visa or Mastercard networks. But uni-assist says another person can pay the fees on your behalf.
Should I enter the order in euros or dollars?
uni-assist charges in euros, but this service's order form takes dollars only, so you enter the dollar equivalent of the euro amount at the day's rate, and the Toman total with the fee is shown before you pay. We don't print a fixed euro-to-dollar or Toman figure because the rate moves daily. If you're unsure, ask before ordering.
Is the fee refunded if I'm not admitted or I withdraw?
Not if the evaluation is negative; the fee pays for the evaluation. If you withdraw before your application is processed, the amount comes back as credit in My assist; you can use it to pay for another application or request a refund through uni-assist's contact form. A refund goes only to the account the payment came from, only you or someone you authorise can request it, and withdrawing after the revocation period costs a €10 administrative fee.
How long until the payment shows in My assist?
uni-assist says paid applications appear in your My assist application overview immediately, and the confirmation of receipt is emailed; an international bank transfer can take up to two weeks. Rima's commitment ceiling for making the payment is 24 hours. After you submit, evaluation usually takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Rima's phone number and contact form are on the Contact page.
Reached the uni-assist payment step?
Enter the amount and details and see the final total before you pay. The fee is published on the service page and the receipt is issued in the applicant's name. If you're unsure what to enter, ask before ordering.
Pay the uni-assist feeRead next
Sources
- uni-assist — Handling fees (€75 and €30, new semester, VPD, universities that pay the fee)
- uni-assist — Payment options (3D Secure card, online transfer from 8 countries, personal IBAN, credit, OUR transfer)
- uni-assist — Refunds of credit (credit, refund to the paying account, €10 administrative fee)
- uni-assist — FAQs: Pay all fees (when to pay, international transfers up to two weeks, someone else paying, withdrawal)
- uni-assist — Pay all fees
- uni-assist — Deadlines and processing time (deadlines, 8 weeks, current processing times)
- uni-assist — Glossary: Application deadline
- uni-assist — Plan your application (standard procedure and VPD)
- uni-assist — VPD procedure
- uni-assist — Reapplying (don't create a new account, new-semester fees)
- uni-assist — List of uni-assist universities
- uni-assist — FAQs: Plan your application (university deadlines, no prioritising, student applicant visa)
- uni-assist — FAQs: Apply online (mandatory questions before paying)
- Rima application fee payment service (what you provide, fee, timing and limits)
Official pages were checked on September 30, 2026 and may change. Statements attributed to uni-assist are paraphrased. This article is not endorsed by uni-assist.