Hey Holly — this depends a lot on which university/provider you’re starting with (private providers with monthly intakes vs. state universities with semester intakes), but the process is usually pretty predictable.

Typical timeline (most private German distance universities)

• First payment: usually becomes due after you’ve been admitted and you’ve signed the study/enrolment contract — and then either right at the official start date (e.g., 1 November) or immediately before the start as part of “activating” your student account. In practice: you normally don’t pay months in advance, but you also often won’t get full access without the first instalment being booked.
• Digital study materials / platform access: typically unlocked as soon as enrolment is complete (contract accepted + payment confirmed). That can be within a few business days. Digital materials are often available faster than printed shipments.
• Printed materials (if your programme ships them): usually sent after enrolment is final; delivery can take 1–3 weeks depending on the provider and your country/address.

If you’re starting at a state university with semester intake (e.g., fixed winter semester start)

• You often pay semester fees within a defined payment window during enrolment/re-registration, and access to materials/platforms is tied to being officially enrolled for that semester.

What you can do to get an exact answer (without guessing)

1. Check whether your programme is at a private provider (monthly billing) or a state university (semester billing).
2. Look at your contract/invoice wording for terms like “due u pon enrolment”, “due at programme start”, “monthly in advance”, or “access after receipt of payment”.

Quick question so I can answer precisely: which university/provider is the Computer Science Bachelor with, and is it an English-taught programme?

If you’re still comparing options, you can shortlist a few Computer Science programmes and save them for later: Coursefinder and Bookmarks. For an overview of providers: Distance universities in Germany.

Related read (goes into how enrolment and “first payment → access” typically works for international applicants): How to Apply to a German Online University as an International Student.