Blocked Account for your German Visa

A Blocked Account is a bank account required by the German Authorities as proof of sufficient financial means necessary to receive a German visa. A Blocked Account is essential for international students, language students, au-pairs,  job seekers and many people who want to move to Germany. The monthly amount that should be 'blocked' is changed regularly and adjusted to Germany's minimal cost of living. In 2024, the required blocked amount is €992 per month or €11,904 for the whole year.

Starting in 2024, the standard amount of money you need to fund your Blocked Account is increasing to €992 per month (€11,904 for a 12-month visa). If you are on a Job-Seeker or Opportunity Card visa, the blocked amount is €1,027 per month.

This increase is decided by the German authorities, and is based on the new Bafög rate for 2024. You can read all about it here in our helpful article.

You can transfer more than this amount if necessary. For example, if your Blocked Account needs to cover 18 months, you should transfer the required amount for each of the 18 months. For a student, this would be 18 x €992, totaling €17,856.  For more information, visit our Help Center here.

If you are going to Germany for the long term and need a visa, it is highly likely that you will be asked for a confirmation of your financial resources. To do this, you need to open a Blocked Account and bring the confirmation to the German Authorities in order to apply for the visa.
Expatrio can provide you with instant blocked amount confirmation, once the funds are transferred into your account. This confirmation is accepted by all German authorities worldwide.

Yes, the Blocked Account Expatrio provides is accepted by all German authorities worldwide.

A Blocked Account and a Bank Account are two different types of accounts. You need a Blocked Account to get your German visa, and a Bank Account to manage your money once you're in Germany.

Blocked Account:
A Blocked Account (Sperrkonto) is required to show the German authorities that you have enough money to live in Germany. The money in this account is 'blocked,' meaning you cannot use it until you arrive in Germany. Once you're in Germany, you need a Bank Account to access this money.

Bank Account:
A Bank Account, also called a ‘current account (Girokonto),’ is used for your daily expenses in Germany. You can use it to pay for rent, groceries, health insurance, and more. You’ll get a free digital debit card, and you can also choose to get a physical card if you would like.

When you get to Germany, your monthly payouts will be sent automatically from your Blocked Account to your Bank Account, arriving instantly.

With Expatrio, you get this German Bank Account for free with your Blocked Account, so you don't need another German Bank Account.

You can open a Blocked Account with Expatrio in just a few minutes, 100% online.

To do so; go to our webpage, choose Blocked Account, and then go through the questionnaire.

After that, you will be asked to provide some personal information to create a user account. When the account is created and approved, you will be able to access the bank details necessary for the money transfer. When the funds reach your bank account, you will get the confirmation document necessary for your visa application.

The Blocked Account fees paid for Expatrio services are €69 for account setup (one-time fee) and €5 monthly fee. Please take into consideration that together with these fees, you will be asked to transfer the blocked amount required by the German Authorities. This amount varies depending on the length of your expected stay in Germany. An additional €100 buffer is required as it will be used to cover potential transaction fees if such occur. The buffer will be sent back to you together with the last monthly disbursement from your Blocked Account.

You can use any bank or remittance service to transfer the necessary amount to your Blocked Account. Via Expatrio Payment, you can perform a domestic transfer in your own currency in many countries, making the process faster and less expensive. You also have the possibility of transferring in USD or EUR.

Normally international money transfers take around 3-5 business days, while domestic bank transfers take 2-3 business days. However, in some cases, the process can last up to 14 days. The speed mainly depends on the country from which the money is transferred and the channel which is used for the transaction. When choosing the domestic transfer option (if available), the money transfer usually takes 1-3 business days.

You will immediately receive an automatic email confirmation when the funds arrive in your Blocked Account. This confirmation can be brought to your visa appointment as proof of your financial resources.

From the point in time when you request to activate your Blocked Account by submitting all the necessary documents, it will take us 24 hours to validate them. After the documents are validated, it can take 2-3 business days for the transaction to take place and the money to arrive.

With our new German Bank Account, you will receive your monthly Blocked Account payouts instantly.

In case of visa rejection, Expatrio will transfer you back the whole amount from your Blocked Account as well as the service fees.

You will need your:
- passport
- proof of address
- proof of residency

For detailed examples, as well as information about exemptions please visit our dedicated Help Article.

No, with Expatrio you get your Blocked Account and German Bank Account all on one app. You do not need to enter any additional banking details.

Your monthly Blocked Account payouts will be automatically sent to your Bank Account, both accounts are included with Expatrio.