If you’re a college student planning to study abroad, you’re in for a real treat. There’s nothing like living outside the U.S. and immersing yourself in another culture, traveling and exploring different cities virtually every weekend.
But this adventure doesn’t come cheap. For example, you can expect to spend anywhere from $1,500 to $7,000 during a semester abroad in Europe (according to some reports) — and that doesn’t even take into account accommodation.
The good news? None of the cards on this list charge foreign transaction fees, so you won’t get hit with extra costs every time you tap your card abroad. And if you’re using a credit card, you can earn some serious rewards on your study abroad expenses. Plus, the right card will help you save money on fees and protect you if your travel plans go awry.
Here’s what you need to know to choose the best credit card for studying abroad.
Comparing the best cards for studying abroad
CardBest forWelcome offerEarning ratesAnnual fee
Transferable miles for no annual fee
Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within the first three months from account opening. Plus, new cardholders will receive a $100 Capital One Travel portal credit to use in their first cardholder year upon account opening (no spending is required to receive the credit).
- 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, rental cars and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.25 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases
$0
Cash back
Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first three months of account opening. Plus, new cardholders will receive a $100 Capital One Travel portal credit to use in their first cardholder year upon account opening (no spending is required to receive the credit).
- 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% cash back on hotels, rental cars and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Target® and Walmart®) and popular streaming services
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
$0
Maximizing bonus categories
Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel℠and Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027)
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining, online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) and select streaming services
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
$95
Bonus points on travel
Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), transit and travel
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
$150
Students who are still building credit
Discover will match all the cash back earned during the first 12 consecutive billing periods that the new account is open.
- 5% cash back with a set of rotating bonus categories each quarter you enroll (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter at eligible merchants)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
$0
The information for the Amex Green and Discover it Student Cash Back card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
If transferable rewards for no annual fee are what you’re seeking, look no further than the Capital One VentureOne Rewards.
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Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within the first three months from account opening. Plus, new cardholders will receive a $100 Capital One Travel portal credit to use in their first cardholder year upon account opening (no spending is required to receive the credit).
This bonus is worth up to $470 (including the $100 credit), according to TPG’s December 2025 valuations.
Annual fee: $0
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Why it’s great for studying abroad: The VentureOne doesn’t have an annual fee and earns an unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases. Cardholders will also earn 5 miles per dollar on car rentals, hotels and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
You can use your miles in a variety of ways, but the best way is to transfer them to any of Capital One’s 15-plus hotel and airline partners. This is likely your most valuable redemption option.
There aren’t many no-annual-fee cards that allow you to transfer miles to travel partners, so this card is definitely worth a serious look for students studying abroad.
To learn more, read our full review of the Capital One VentureOne.
Learn more: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
If you want to keep your wallet simple, cash back is often the way to go. Consider the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.
THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus: Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first three months of account opening. Plus, new cardholders will receive a $100 Capital One Travel portal credit to use in their first cardholder year upon account opening (no spending is required to receive the credit).
Annual fee: $0
Why it’s great for studying abroad: The Savor Cash Rewards is a great way to earn cash back on all your purchases.
With it, you’ll earn 5% back on hotels, rental cars and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 3% back on dining, entertainment and select streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Target and Walmart) and 1% back on all other purchases.
While the welcome bonus isn’t lucrative, it does have a relatively low spending requirement. When you’re looking at the expenses of studying abroad, every little bit helps.
To learn more, read our full review of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards.
Learn more: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of our favorite credit cards, and for a good reason. It offers excellent value for its low annual fee.
THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
TPG’s December 2025 valuations peg this welcome bonus at $1,538.
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s great for studying abroad: There’s a reason so many people you know have this credit card.
The Sapphire Preferred may be out of range if you’re just starting your credit card journey, but it’s certainly one to set your sights on if you’re eligible.
It’s a great starter card if you want to get into points and miles because it earns 3 points per dollar on dining, online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) and select streaming services, and 2 points per dollar on travel booked outside of Chase Travel.
So, every time you book a flight on Ryanair or end up at Wok to Walk again, you’ll rack up fully transferable points.
The welcome bonus is solid, too. While this card does have a $95 annual fee, perks such as baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, trip cancellation insurance and trip delay coverage easily make up for it.
And when you’re ready to redeem the points you’ve earned with the Sapphire Preferred, you have some great options. Most simply, you can use your points with Points Boost to purchase flights and book hotel rooms at a rate of up to 1.75 cents per point, depending on the specific redemption, through Chase Travel (see your rewards program agreement for full details).
But you can get even more value from your rewards by taking advantage of the card’s ability to transfer points to any of Chase’s airline and hotel partners. This route takes a bit more time and energy to figure out, but it can help you unlock some incredible value from your rewards.
To learn more, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
American Express Green Card
The Amex Green is a great entry point to Amex’s lucrative Membership Rewards points for travel enthusiasts.
THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
This bonus is worth $800, per TPG’s December 2025 valuations.
Annual fee: $150
Why it’s great for studying abroad: If you’re interested in adding the Amex Green to your wallet for your studies abroad, it’s a good idea to get the card before you book your travel. The card earns 3 points per dollar on a wide array of travel purchases, including:
- Airfare
- Campgrounds
- Car rentals
- Cruises
- Hotels
- Tours
- Vacation rentals
It also earns 3 points per dollar in transit, a category you’re likely to spend a good amount in while you’re away. This category includes:
- Buses
- Ferries
- Parking
- Ride-hailing services
- Subways
- Taxis
- Tolls
- Trains
Pair this with another bonus category, earning 3 points per dollar on dining at worldwide restaurants, and this card is a solid option for students abroad.
TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece when you maximize your earnings by transferring to one of Amex’s transfer partners. For a $150 annual fee, this card is a solid earner in the program.
While it’s more of an investment than other cards on this list, it offers up to $209 each calendar year for a Clear Plus membership to help offset that. (Enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal.)
To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Green.
Related: Who should (and who shouldn’t) get the Amex Green card?
Discover it Student Cash Back
Lacking a good credit score, or perhaps any score at all? In that case, a student card like the Discover it Student Cash Back is your best bet.
FREEMIXER/GETTY IMAGES
Welcome bonus: Discover will match all the cash back earned during the first 12 consecutive billing periods that the new account is open.
Annual fee: $0
Why it’s great for studying abroad: With the Discover it Student Cash Back, you’ll get 5% cash back on your first $1,500 in purchases on quarterly rotating categories after you enroll your card and then 1% cash back on everything else. While it isn’t a fancy earnings structure, receiving 5% back on certain purchases on a student card is fantastic.
Students studying abroad can get outsize value from this card since all earnings during the first year are doubled.
And you won’t have to worry about redemption minimums, so you can cash out your rewards at any time.
To learn more, read our full review of the Discover it Student Cash Back.
Related: 8 things you should know before applying for a credit card in college
What to consider when choosing a card for studying abroad
As you prepare to study abroad, look for these qualities to help you choose your best credit card.
Welcome bonus
Look for a card that offers a welcome bonus. The extra spending you’ll do on your semester abroad is a great way to meet the minimum spending requirement to earn a bonus on a new credit card.
Foreign transaction fees
Choosing a credit card with no foreign transaction fees — like one of the cards on this list — is the easiest way to save money while you’re abroad. If you use a debit or credit card that charges them, you’ll incur an additional fee of up to 5% on every purchase.
Card acceptance overseas
Not all cards are accepted equally around the world, so it’s important to choose one you can rely on wherever you’re headed. For the smoothest experience, it’s a good idea to carry at least one Mastercard or Visa while studying abroad.
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Mastercard and Visa tend to offer the broadest global acceptance, particularly across Asia, Europe and Latin America. American Express is widely accepted in many major cities, though acceptance can vary by country and merchant type. And Discover‘s international acceptance is improving through network partnerships, but it remains less consistently accepted than the other major networks in many study-abroad destinations.
Travel protections
Now more than ever, you want to be protected against travel delays, cancellations and other mishaps.
Look for a credit card with travel protections that cover you when something goes wrong.
Become an authorized user
You may not have enough credit to qualify for one of our favorite travel rewards cards yet. If that’s the case, consider becoming an authorized user on a loved one’s account. This will allow you to benefit from the card’s protections and can have the added benefit of boosting your credit score simultaneously.
Related: The benefits of adding a relative as an authorized user
Bottom line
You’ll spend heavily during a semester abroad, on flights, trains, meals out, weekend trips, transit passes and all the little purchases that add up fast. Choosing the right credit card turns that unavoidable spending into a strategic advantage.
A well-chosen, no-foreign-transaction-fee card can save you money from day one, while strong bonus categories, travel protections and flexible redemption options help you maximize every euro, pound or yen you spend.
Pick a card aligned with how you travel and what you value, and your time abroad won’t just be unforgettable — it may also set you up for future trips you can book with the rewards you earned along the way.
Related: You can pay your student loan debt with Bilt points — here’s how
