How to Open a German Blocked Account for International Students
Are you ready to dive into the adventure of studying in Germany? Congratulations! Your future is filledwith cozy cafés, charming cobblestone streets, and endless pretzels. But before you can kick back andenjoy a slice of student life, there’s a quirky little hurdle you need to hop over: opening a Germanblocked account for international students Wait, what? A blocked account? It sounds like something out of a spy movie, right? But don’t worry;it’s not nearly as dramatic! Think of it as your financial fortress—a way to prove you can afford allthose late-night schnitzel cravings while keeping the authorities happy. It might sound a bit tedious, butfear not! We’re here to turn this bureaucratic task into a fun part of your pre-Germany checklist. Sograb your favourite snack, and let’s break down everything you need to know to unlock this essentialpart of your German adventure! What is a Blocked Account in Germany? In simple terms, it’s a bank account where you can deposit a fixed amount of money, required byGerman authorities for individuals from foreign countries applying for a student or work visa. Before moving to Germany, you must deposit €11,904 in a German-registered bank account. Thismoney will be frozen, and after you arrive, you can only withdraw €992 monthly for your day-to-dayexpenses – which is why it is called a blocked account. This shows the German authorities you havesufficient funds to support yourself in Germany, so they can give you the visa Who needs to open a Blocked Bank Account? A German Blocked Account for international students is mandatory for everyone belonging from acountry other than a European Union or Schengen Member State, and applying for any of thefollowing German visas: Which countries are exempted from requiring a Blocked Account? Citizens from the European Union and Schengen states listed below can study or train in Germanywithout the necessity of having a blocked bank account: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. When should I apply for a Blocked Account? It takes around one to six weeks for processing the application for a German blocked account forinternational students. Thus, it is advised to start the process well in advance since you cannot applyfor your German Visa until you have your confirmation from the bank. The exact processing timemostly depends on the provider you choose and the bank they work with. How to open a Blocked Account? Step-by-step Guide A German blocked account for international students must be open before you apply for the Germanvisa from your home country. The process of opening a blocked account changes depending on whichprovider you choose, but generally, you have to: On your arrival in Germany How to activate a Blocked Account? To activate a German blocked account for international students on arrival in Germany, you mustopen a current account in German bank, which means you must register your address and get theRegistration Certificate beforehand. You can only access your money after opening a current account.Documents required to activate your account are: If you opened the account directly with a bank, you may have to personally go to the bank with yourdocuments and activate it. You can activate your account online if you opened your account with anintermediary. Documents needed for opening a Blocked Account To open a German Blocked Account for International students, the documents required vary asper providers or banks. The most commonly required documents include: Can I open a Blocked Account from inside Germany? If you belong from the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealandor South Korea, you can open a blocked account after entering Germany. Why? Because citizens fromthese countries do not require an entry visa in Germany. Can I open a Blocked Account with a foreign bank? You can open you blocked account only in the banks registered in Germany. If you deposit the moneyin a bank account in your home country, the German Embassy or Immigration Office will ask you totransfer it to a German bank account (leading to more work and a delayed process), or they will refuseyour visa application. How is this amount calculated? The German Blocked Account amount for 2024 is €11,904, which means you can use €992 per monthfor 12 months. But you must deposit the total amount in full! This requirement is based on the BAföG rate, Germany’s financial aid program for students. Thisdeposit is the minimum you must have in your bank account to demonstrate you have the financialmeans for a student visa. This monthly amount also limits how much you can withdraw or transfer each month, unless you’vedeposited more than the required minimum. Also: Securing health insurance is a critical step in the visa process, which is why some providers offera package that includes both a blocked account and health insurance, making it easier for students toget both. Remember that you must deposit 10% more than the minimum amount for certain types of visas, suchas training/apprenticeship visas or language acquisition visas. Where can I open a Blocked Account? Some of the private providers that can help you with opening a Blocked Bank Account are: Although a blocked bank account can be directly opened with a bank, not all the branches of a Germanbank will offer this service, which may complicate matters. Some German banks which offer blockedaccounts include: Kotak Mahindra, an Indian-based bank, is the most popular choice of Indian students whentransferring funds for a blocked account. However, the German embassy/consulate may not accept itbecause the bank is not registered in Germany. In the best-case scenario, you get the student visa, butwhen you travel to Germany, you still have to transfer the money from Kotak Mahindra to a Germanbank before getting the residence permit. To avoid the extra steps and prolonged wait times, it is best if you open an account directly with anapproved provider or with a German bank. Intermediaries vs Banks Private companies that provide blocked