Sperrkonto (blocked account) in Germany 2026: amount and how to open one

Updated:
05.10.2026

Sperrkonto (blocked account) — a special bank account often used by international students, language course students, Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) holders and others to prove sufficient financial resources when applying for a German visa. The funds in this account are blocked until the recipient arrives in Germany and begins using them. The account ensures that the visa holder has enough money to cover living expenses and other necessary costs during their stay in the country.

Important for Russian citizens: the partner bank whose application form is on this page does not list the Russian Federation among nationalities — it is currently not possible to open an account using a Russian passport. For details and what to do instead — in the account maintenance section below.

Requirements for a blocked account

Before submitting your visa application, you deposit an amount calculated for the entire length of your stay into a German bank account. The money is frozen: after arriving in Germany, exactly one-twelfth is unfrozen each month, and only that amount can be withdrawn and spent.

The amount is tied to the maximum BAföG student allowance rate and is reviewed alongside it. As of August 2026, two amounts are in effect — and confusion between them is the most common reason for refusal.

Category	Per month	In a year
Student visa (§ 16b AufenthG [Residence Act], with admission to a university or a Studienkolleg (university foundation course))	992 €	11.904 €
Language courses (§ 16f), recognition of qualifications (§ 16d), search for a study place (§ 17), Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) (s. 20a)	1.091 €	13.092 €

The second amount is the same base rate plus a surcharge of 10 %, which consulates require for the categories listed. For a Chancenkarte with a minimum validity period of 91 days, the amount will be €3,309.

Careful with the old figures. Online you will still frequently come across the figures of €11,208 and €934 per month (the rate until autumn 2024) and the increased amount of €1,027. The consulate will not accept documents with these figures. Check the current figure in the information sheet (Merkblatt) of the consulate where you are applying.

The BAföG rate for 2026 has not changed. The next increase is being discussed: the government approved a bill in August 2026, according to which the amount will rise to approximately €1,075 per month starting from the summer semester of 2027. For now, this is only a draft.

How much can I withdraw?

Precisely a monthly allowance — €992 or €1,091. You cannot withdraw more, that is the point of the account. But there is a catch that is rarely written about: if you have transferred more than the required amount, the surplus is not blocked. It does not show up in the confirmation of blocking (Sperrbestätigung), but it is in the account and is paid out in full along with the first disbursement.

The exception is the “additional basic amount” (zusätzlicher Grundbetrag), if it has been separately requested by the consulate: it remains blocked for the entire duration of the stay. You do not need to deposit it on your own initiative.

About fees

Provider and bank fees are debited from the account and are not included in the blocked amount. You need to transfer the blocked amount plus fees, otherwise the confirmation will be issued for a lower amount and the consulate will not accept it. Many providers also have a mandatory buffer on the account (around €100) — check this before transferring.

When opening the account, you should also take into account the fees that will be deducted from it.

Who needs a blocked account

A blocked account is required for long-stay visas (Type D), where it is necessary to prove financial support. However, it is not needed by everyone and not always — here is how it works by category:

Visa	Is a Sperrkonto required?	Amount
Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) - job search (§ 20a)	Yes, if there is no employment contract	€1,091 a month, €13,092 a year
Student visa and Studienkolleg (§ 16b)	Yes, the standard option	€992 a month, €11,904 a year
Finding a study place (§ 17)	Yes	€1,091 a month
Language courses (§ 16f)	Yes	€1,091 per month for the entire duration of the course
Recognition of qualifications (§ 16d)	Yes	€1,091 a month
Professional training, Ausbildung (§ 16a)	Only if the apprentice’s pay (Ausbildungsvergütung) is below the subsistence level	difference to the required amount
Au pair	No. The host family covers living costs: pocket money from €280 per month and €70 for a language course	—
Voluntary service (Freiwilligendienst)	Usually not — accommodation and meals are provided	—

What can replace a blocked account

Option	Conditions
Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of commitment) — the guarantor’s obligation (§§ 66–68 AufenthG)	Guarantor with permanent residence in Germany, undergoing a creditworthiness check. The document is valid for no longer than six months. The fee is usually €25–29. The guarantor remains liable for up to five years from the time of entry, including the costs of potential deportation. A recipient of Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support; Bürgergeld until 1 July 2026) cannot act as a guarantor
Scholarship	From a recognised German public institution (e.g. DAAD) amounting to no less than the monthly minimum. In the case of a partial scholarship, the difference is made up with a Sperrkonto
Employment contract or binding job offer	Accepted for the Chancenkarte: the document must state the hours and earnings
Personal savings, bank statement	Accepted by some consulates, but by no means all. Check your consulate’s guidelines before applying

Important: part-time work of 20 hours a week under the Chancenkarte and a trial work period of up to two weeks are opportunities during your stay. They do not replace proof of financial means when you submit your documents.

Find out more and apply for medical insurance for any type of visa via the link.

More details

Sperrkonto maintenance

One of the long-standing players on the market is Care Concept. It is an intermediary: the account itself is held by the partner bank VietinBank Deutschland, which also issues the confirmation of blocking (Sperrbestätigung) for the consulate. Along with the account, you receive a current account with a German IBAN for everyday payments after arrival.

Russian citizens cannot open this account right now.

Checked 19/08/2026 directly in the application form: in the field “citizenship” (Nationality), the Russian Federation is not in the drop-down list. In the field “country of residence” it does appear — meaning it is specifically the passport that blocks the application, regardless of where you live.

This is not the intermediary’s decision but the bank’s compliance list: the citizenship field excludes 54 countries, including the USA, Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, Lebanon, South Africa, and the Philippines. The list can change at any moment — the bank is not obliged to explain the reasons or notify in advance.

Who this does not apply to: citizenship of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan is on the list — citizens of these countries can open the account.

What to do with a Russian passport. Firstly, look at the section “What can replace a blocked account” above: a guarantor’s undertaking, a scholarship, or an employment contract are accepted instead of a Sperrkonto for many visa categories. Secondly, if a blocked account is strictly necessary, check other providers in the same way — open the application form and make sure your nationality is on the list prior to transferring any money. Banks have different compliance rules, and there is no universal answer here.

General rule for any provider: before transferring money, make sure that your country of citizenship is in the drop-down list of the form. It is better to find out about a restriction before the transfer, not after.

The benefits of Care Concept

The product has been on the market for over a decade and is accepted by immigration authorities.
A current account with a German IBAN and a bank card are included in the package.
Maintenance is €4.90 per month plus a one-off opening fee; the bank additionally charges fees for balance confirmation and account management — the final amount is shown in the application.
The account is opened quickly: usually within one to two working days.
In the event of a visa refusal, the money is refunded; the refund terms and the account closure fee are specified in the bank’s tariffs.
The blocked account and current account are held with VietinBank Deutschland, a bank with a German licence.

Open a Sperrkonto

Apply online to open a blocked account easily and quickly:

Please enter your personal details in the online application form and upload a copy of your passport.
You will receive your account numbers for your blocked account and current account (IBAN) from VietinBank within one working day.
Transfer the selected hold amount and the base amount, as well as the fee, to this account number.
Once the bank has received the money, VietinBank will issue the confirmation of blocking for your visa application directly to you.
Your journey to Germany begins!
On arrival in Germany, activate your blocked account and current account – it’s easy to do online using WebID.

Six mistakes that lead to rejection

Error	How to avoid
Confirmation missing the two mandatory figures. Consulates state explicitly: the Sperrbestätigung must indicate both the total deposited amount and the monthly payout limit	Universal “funds in account” certificates are not accepted. Check the document before submitting
Amount at the old rate. €11,208 and €934 a month were in effect until autumn 2024	Calculate at the current rate: €992 or €1,091 per month depending on the visa category
Wrong category. You deposited €992, but your visa requires the 10 % surcharge	For language courses, finding a study place, qualification recognition and the Chancenkarte, the amount is €1,091 a month
Transfer from a third party. Some banks accept money only from the account of the applicant themselves or their parents.	Check the rule with the provider prior to transferring: returning a payment from someone else takes weeks
Fees and buffer forgotten. You transferred exactly the blocked amount, so the confirmation was issued for a lower sum	Transfer the blocked amount plus all fees and the mandatory buffer, if applicable
Expired Verpflichtungserklärung. The guarantor’s document is valid for no longer than six months	Have it issued just before you apply

Another detail: the account must be opened and funded prior to submitting visa applications. One opened later will not help.

After arrival: unblocking, renewal, standard account

Who holds the key to the account

The account is opened in favour of the so-called beneficiary of the block (Sperrbegünstigter). Prior to the issuance of the visa, this is the consulate, and after entry, the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) at the place of residence. The block can only be removed or modified with their consent. If the visa is refused, the refusal decision itself is sufficient for unblocking.

How to get paid

The monthly amount is not paid out in cash but transferred to a standard account. Therefore, a Girokonto (current account) with a German IBAN is required before the first payout — you either receive this as part of the provider’s package or open one at any bank. Some providers require additional identity verification before the first payout, the conditions of which depend on your citizenship and passport.

You will have to prove the amount again

This is the most common misconception on the subject. A Sperrkonto is not a one-off. The standard validity period for the account is one year, and when extending the residence permit, the immigration office will once again require proof of financial support for the next period. Plan for this in advance: the account can also be topped up after arrival.

Taxes on interest

In practice, this is hardly ever an issue: none of the major providers pay interest on the balance. If you do, however, receive investment income in Germany, the tax-free allowance (Sparerpauschbetrag) in 2026 is €1,000 per person and €2,000 for married couples; any amount in excess of this is subject to tax at a rate of 25 % plus the solidarity surcharge. You can only submit an application for exemption (Freistellungsauftrag) if you have a German tax identification number (Steuer-ID), which you will not have before entering the country.

Transfers, sanctions and citizenship restrictions

For our audience, this is the most painful part, and it is important to distinguish between two different limitations here.

1. EU sanctions limit

EU Regulation 833/2014 (Article 5b) prohibits accepting deposits exceeding 100.000 € to a single credit institution from Russian citizens and persons residing in Russia. For Belarus, a mirror provision of Regulation 765/2006 applies. As of 2026, the text has not changed.

For a Sperrkonto, this limit is not an obstacle: €11,904 and €13,092 are well below the threshold. But there are two details that are hardly ever written about:

the restriction is tied to citizenship OR place of residence. A Russian citizen living, for example, in Kazakhstan, falls under it—even though Kazakhstan itself is not affected by EU sanctions;
the exemption from the ban applies to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, as well as to persons with a temporary or permanent residence permit in these countries. At the time of opening the account, you do not yet have a residence permit — only a visa.

2. Internal bank rules

This is a separate and more practical issue. Each bank applies its own compliance rules, and they are stricter than the law: some banks simply do not open blocked accounts for citizens of certain countries. The only way to find out about this is via the application form — check whether your country is in the nationality drop-down list, before transferring money.

3. How to transfer money

International transfers usually take from three to five working days, or longer in some cases. Some providers accept card payments, in which case confirmation is issued faster. Bear in mind the conversion fee: it can eat up a noticeable part of the sum, and a shortfall means confirmation for a smaller amount.

Popular money transfer services do not help everyone here: accounts with a Russian address have been closed since 2022, and cards for citizens of Russia and Belarus are blocked — unblocking is possible if you have EEA citizenship, a residence permit or a visa document.

Frequently asked questions

How much is required for a Sperrkonto in 2026?

€992 a month and €11,904 a year for a student visa and Studienkolleg. For language courses, finding a study place, qualification recognition and the Chancenkarte — €1,091 a month and €13,092 a year. Provider and bank fees are not included in these amounts and must be transferred on top.

Can I open an account without a German address?

Yes, that’s the point: the account is opened online from your country of residence, before getting a visa. Usually, a passport and an application form are enough. A German address and Anmeldung (address registration) will be needed later – when activating the account after arrival.

What will happen to the money if the visa is refused?

The money is refunded. To unlock it, a refusal decision from the consulate is sufficient—there is no need to obtain a separate certificate. The provider usually retains an opening fee and transfer fees, and sometimes also an account closing fee; check the terms and conditions in the tariffs before transferring.

Can I withdraw the full amount as soon as I arrive?

No. Exactly a monthly share is unlocked. The only exception is the amount you transferred in excess of the required one: it is not blocked and is issued in full with the first payment.

Do I need to close the Sperrkonto after the first year?

It is not necessary, and often it is disadvantageous: when renewing your residence permit, you will have to prove your financial means all over again, and it is easier to top up an existing account than to open a new one and pay the opening fees once more.

Does a Sperrkonto replace health insurance?

No. These are two separate requirements: the consulate checks both proof of financial means and the availability of insurance for the entire duration of the stay. Some providers sell them as a package, but legally they are different documents.

Who else offers blocked accounts?

The German Foreign Ministry specifically notes that there is no longer an official list of providers: the list, which was published until mid-2022, was removed without replacement, the department does not recommend anyone and is not responsible for the bankruptcy of the provider. Therefore, the phrase “approved by the German Foreign Office” on the website of any intermediary should be treated with scepticism. At the same time, the market has thinned out noticeably: some major banks stopped opening such accounts back in 2022, while others closed the acceptance of new applications in 2024.

What else to read on finber.de

Current account in Germany — which bank to choose upon arrival and how the tariffs differ
Useful telephone numbers in Germany — emergency and information numbers for the first few weeks
Sick leave in Germany — how to set it up and what the employee’s obligations are
Internet in Germany — how to connect home internet and what is available without a Schufa check

Sources

Amounts and rules checked against original sources on 19/08/2026:

Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) — blocked account section and information leaflets (Merkblätter) of German consulates regarding the student visa and Chancenkarte, March and April 2026 editions
Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act) — Section 16a, Section 16b, Section 16d, Section 16f, Section 17, Section 20a, Sections 66–68
The maximum BAföG rate (€992 per month) has been in effect since the winter semester of 2024/25; the bill to increase it from the summer semester of 2027 was approved by the cabinet in August 2026.
Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) — information sheet on the Chancenkarte, 2026
EU Regulation 833/2014, Article 5b, and Regulation 765/2006, Article 1u — consolidated versions as of 01/01/2026
Provider tariffs and conditions are based on their official websites as of the verification date

Amounts, fees and provider rules change. Before submitting your documents, check the figures against the guide of the consulate you are applying to. This material is for informational purposes and does not replace a consultation with an immigration lawyer.