The options
| Method | When it fits | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student file + TT | Regular tuition and living costs | 2–5 working days | The correct route |
| One-off TT | Small one-time fees | 2–5 working days | Limited without a file |
| International card | Application fees, small amounts | Instant | Needs endorsement |
| Bank draft | If the university asks | By post, slow | Now uncommon |
| Informal channels | ❌ Never | — | Illegal, and leaves no record |
What a student file is
It is a file opened at an authorised bank through which a student's foreign-currency transactions for overseas study are handled. With it open, the bank can send tuition regularly and living costs within set limits.
Typically needed: the admission offer, the university's official fee structure, passport and visa, educational documents, sponsor documents and evidence of the source of funds, plus the bank's own form. Full steps in the student file guide.
Details that must be exact
Almost every stuck transfer traces to one error in this list:
| Detail | Where to get it |
|---|---|
| Beneficiary name (the university's full legal name) | The university's official invoice |
| IBAN / account number | The same |
| SWIFT/BIC code | The same |
| Bank name and address | The same |
| Payment reference | Your student ID or application number |
⚠️ The reference line is the most commonly missed and the most expensive. Hundreds of payments land in a university's account every day; without a reference the money arrives but is not credited to you, and tracing it takes weeks — usually in the middle of an enrolment deadline.
What it costs
Three charges stack, and people forget the third:
- 1The bank's transfer fee — a fixed amount
- 2The exchange rate — the bank's rate, worse than the interbank rate
- 3Correspondent bank charges — an intermediary bank deducts its own cut
The consequence of the third: the university often receives less than you sent.
The fix: tell the bank to send the charges as OUR (all charges borne by the sender), so the beneficiary receives the full amount. Alternatively send slightly more than the invoice. A shortfall means the university treats the fee as unpaid, and sending a second time incurs the full charge again.
After sending
- 1Collect the SWIFT copy or receipt from the bank — this is your proof
- 2Email the university with the receipt attached and your student ID
- 3Wait for acknowledgement — usually 3–10 working days
- 4Keep every receipt — they are needed in the visa file and can be needed again at residence permit renewal
Why the legal route matters for the visa too
Not only because of the law. Visa and residence permit processes repeatedly ask where the money came from and how it moved. With bank records the answer fits on one page. Sent informally, you hold no evidence at all — and an absence of evidence always counts against you in immigration processes.
There is a practical side too: opening a bank account and renting a flat in Europe may require you to show the source of your funds, and a record of money legally sent from Bangladesh is exactly what does that.
Official sources — check for yourself
Rules and figures change. We review these articles periodically and show the date above, but always confirm the current requirement with the official source before you act on it.
Common questions
What is the correct way to send tuition?+
A bank telegraphic transfer, and for students its structured form is a student file. Avoid informal channels — beyond the legality, they leave you with no record, and visa and residence permit processes repeatedly ask how the money moved.
Why did the university receive less than I sent?+
Correspondent banks deduct charges in transit. Ask your bank to send the charges as OUR so the beneficiary receives the full amount, or send slightly more than the invoice. A shortfall means the fee is treated as unpaid and resending incurs the full charge again.
How long does a transfer take?+
Usually two to five working days, plus three to ten more for the university to acknowledge it. Always put your student ID or application number in the reference line — without it the money arrives but is not credited to you.
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