German blocked account (Sperrkonto) explained: the 2026 and 2027 amount, monthly payouts and closing it

Quick answers

How much money do I need in a German blocked account in 2026?

For a student visa the required amount is €992 per month, which is €11,904 for a full year. The Federal Ministry of the Interior set this figure for 2026.^1,2

What is the blocked account amount for 2027?

The Federal Ministry of the Interior has published €992 per month for 2027 as well, the same as in 2026. A planned BAföG reform could raise the underlying rates from April 2027 if parliament passes it, so check your German mission before you pay in.^3,4

How much can I withdraw from my blocked account each month?

If you paid in a full year, you can use one twelfth of the amount per month, so €992 when €11,904 was deposited. The limit makes sure money is left for every month of your stay.^2,5

Who is the beneficiary of a blocked account?

Before you use your visa it is the German mission where you applied; after you arrive it is your local foreigners office (Ausländerbehörde). The beneficiary cannot withdraw your money.⁵

How do I close a German blocked account?

The blocking notice can only be lifted with the beneficiary's agreement. If you are already in Germany, ask your foreigners office; if your visa was refused, the refusal notice is enough.⁵

1. What a blocked account is, and why the visa office asks for it

• To get a residence permit, your living costs, including adequate health insurance, must be covered without public funds.⁶
• A blocked account is one way to prove that for certain visa types. Other ways include a scholarship or a Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of commitment) from someone living in Germany.^5,7
• Money is paid in before the visa application, but only a fixed amount per month can be withdrawn after arrival. That way the money meant to last a whole year can't be spent at the start of your stay.⁵
• You need to prove funds when you apply for the visa. At the latest, you'll need proof again when you apply for your residence permit in Germany.⁸

2. How much you need in 2026 and 2027

Purpose of stay	Monthly amount	One year
Study (§ 16b AufenthG)	€992 net	€11,904
Applying for a place at university (§ 17 AufenthG)	€1,091 net	—
Language course that does not prepare for a degree	€1,091 net	—

The study figure comes from the Federal Ministry of the Interior's notices for 2026 and 2027.^1,3 The one-year total is published by the German missions in France.² The €1,091 figures come from the German Embassy in Jakarta's 2026 overview.⁹ The Consular Services Portal also lists €1,091 a month for anyone looking for a university place.⁷

Where €992 comes from: by law, the amount for students equals the BAföG need under §§ 13 and 13a(1) BAföG.⁶ The ministry has to publish the figure for each calendar year by 31 August of the year before.⁶ Today that need is made up of:

• €475 basic need for university students¹⁰
• €380 for housing when you don't live with your parents¹⁰
• €102 health insurance and €35 long-term care insurance supplement¹¹

That adds up to €992.

Cheaper housing lowers the amount. If you can prove accommodation whose rent and utilities cost less than €380, the amount you need to prove drops accordingly.³

Shorter stays. The account is usually set up for one year unless your stay is shorter.⁵ The German Embassy in Rome gives an example: six months at €992 means a deposit of €5,952.¹²

Partial scholarships. If your scholarship is less than €992 a month, you prove the difference. The Rome embassy's example is a €300 scholarship for six months, which leaves €692 a month, or €4,152 in total.^2,12

Longer proof in some cases. The Embassy in Islamabad says it may ask for a blocked amount covering up to two years in particular cases.¹³

Will the amount go up in 2027?

The federal cabinet approved a BAföG reform on 12 August 2026. If parliament passes it, the housing allowance for students would rise from €380 to €440 on 1 April 2027. The basic need would rise from €475 to €503 from the winter semester 2027/28.⁴ The Bundestag held the first reading on 15 October 2026 and sent the bill to its committees, so it is not law yet.¹⁴ The ministry's notice for 2027, dated 19 August 2026, still states €992.³ The official sources we checked don't say whether the visa amount would change during 2027 if the reform passes. Before you transfer money, check the figure on your German mission's website.⁵

3. Opening a blocked account

1. Choose a provider. You can open the account at a bank or a similar provider, and the choice is yours. It can usually be done online. The Federal Foreign Office recommends researching providers carefully because conditions vary. Provider fees come on top of the blocked amount.⁵ DAAD puts typical setup fees at €70–150.¹⁵ Its Study in Germany page gives €50–150.⁸
2. No recommendations from the state. The Federal Foreign Office doesn't recommend providers and isn't liable if a provider fails to pay out. It deleted its old provider list in mid-2022.⁵
3. Name the beneficiary. When you open the account, you name a beneficiary (Sperrbegünstigter). Before you get or use your visa, that's the German mission where you applied. After you arrive, it's your local foreigners office (Ausländerbehörde). The beneficiary can't withdraw your money.⁵
4. Certified documents, if your bank asks. Some banks want the forms and a passport copy certified by a German embassy or consulate first, and they only accept originals, not scans. Opening online is often quicker.⁸ Certification can cost money. The Islamabad embassy, for example, charges €25 for it.¹³
5. Start early. Processing usually takes about a week but can take much longer around semester start.⁸
6. Pay in, then apply. Open and fund the account before you apply for the visa. Missions accept only the official opening confirmation that states the total amount paid in and the monthly amount available. A confirmation without those amounts isn't enough.²
7. Make sure the mission can check it. The Islamabad embassy asks that your provider gives the authorities a way to verify the account, such as a login code or a contact person.¹³

Visa-free nationalities: the German Embassy in Seoul says citizens of Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand and the USA who enter without a visa may open the account after arriving. Everyone else who needs a visa must open it in advance.¹⁶

4. After you arrive

• The money can't be accessed until you've entered Germany. After arrival you get an EC or debit card for the account.¹⁵
• With a full year paid in, you can use 1/12 of the amount per month, which is €992 when €11,904 was deposited.² The monthly cap may not apply to money you paid in above the required minimum.¹⁵ Ask your provider how they handle extra money.
• Your foreigners office becomes the beneficiary.⁵ Which office that is depends on where you live. In Aachen, for example, it's the StädteRegion's Ausländeramt, not the city. Our city guides show who's responsible and how appointments work in Aachen, Bielefeld, Darmstadt, Erlangen and Göttingen.
• €992 is the legal minimum, not a budget. DAAD estimates that living costs are €900 to €1,200 a month, depending on the city. The semester contribution comes on top, at roughly €70 to €430 per semester.¹⁵
• Side jobs: with a residence permit for study you can work up to 140 days a year. According to the Consular Services Portal, this limit doesn't apply to part-time jobs for students, and self-employment isn't allowed.⁷ Income from a side job can also count towards securing your living costs.⁷

5. Closing the account or getting your money back

• To close the account, the blocking notice (Sperrvermerk) must be lifted. That needs the beneficiary's agreement, either from the mission or from the foreigners office.⁵
• Visa refused: the refusal notice alone is enough to lift the block.⁵
• You never travelled, withdrew your application, didn't use your visa, or left the Schengen area before getting your residence permit: the mission can issue a consular certificate for your bank. For the first case, contact the mission where you live. Otherwise, contact the mission where you applied.⁵ The embassy in Rome, for example, charges €34.10 for that certificate.¹²
• Already in Germany: ask your foreigners office to lift the block.⁵

6. Checklist

1. Look up the current amount for your purpose of stay on your German mission's website or the Consular Services Portal.^5,15
2. Compare providers' conditions and fees yourself. The state doesn't recommend any.⁵
3. Open and fund the account well before your visa appointment. Make sure the confirmation shows the total and the monthly amount.^2,8
4. After arrival, register your address, then book the foreigners office for your residence permit. Our city guides cover both, step by step.
5. Keep the account until the foreigners office agrees to lift the block, or until you no longer need it.⁵

Tick items off as you go. Ticks are saved only in this browser.

This page explains how the system works. It isn't financial, legal or immigration advice, and it doesn't compare providers. The German mission handling your visa has the final say.

City guides

Who your foreigners office is, and how to get an appointment, depends on the city. See all city guides.

• AachenNorth Rhine-WestphaliaSame-day slots ~7:45; the regional foreigners office is in the same buildingChecked 21 Oct 2026
• BielefeldNorth Rhine-WestphaliaOnline Anmeldung possible with an eAT; foreigners office slots open at 20:00Checked 21 Oct 2026
• DarmstadtHesseWalk-in Wed & Fri from 7:00, English flyer, English-speaking foreigners officeChecked 21 Oct 2026
• ErlangenBavariaWalk-in Anmeldung at City Hall, foreigners office upstairsChecked 21 Oct 2026
• GöttingenLower SaxonyAppointment-only Anmeldung, early-morning same-day slotsChecked 21 Oct 2026

Sources

1. Bundesanzeiger BAnz AT 29.08.2025 B1 – Federal Ministry of the Interior notice on the minimum amount for 2026 (§ 2(3) AufenthG)bundesanzeiger.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 3×
2. German missions in France (Federal Foreign Office) – Proof of financeallemagneenfrance.diplo.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 8×
3. Bundesanzeiger BAnz AT 31.08.2026 B1 – Federal Ministry of the Interior notice on the minimum amount for 2027 (§ 2(3) AufenthG)bundesanzeiger.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 5×
4. Federal Ministry of Research (BMFTR) – Regierung beschließt: Das BAföG bekommt ein großes Update (12 Aug 2026)bmftr.bund.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 2×
5. Federal Foreign Office – Opening and closing a blocked bank account (Sperrkonto)auswaertiges-amt.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 18×
6. Residence Act (AufenthG) § 2 – Definitions (gesetze-im-internet.de)gesetze-im-internet.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 3×
7. Consular Services Portal (Federal Foreign Office) – Studying and seeking a university placedigital.diplo.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 4×
8. Study in Germany (DAAD) – Proof of financingstudy-in-germany.com · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 5×
9. German Embassy Jakarta (Federal Foreign Office) – Lebensunterhaltssicherung im Jahr 2026jakarta.diplo.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 1×
10. BAföG § 13 – Bedarf für Studierende (gesetze-im-internet.de)gesetze-im-internet.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 2×
11. BAföG § 13a – Kranken- und Pflegeversicherungszuschlag (gesetze-im-internet.de)gesetze-im-internet.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 1×
12. German Embassy Rome (Federal Foreign Office) – Opening and closing a blocked bank accountitalien.diplo.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 3×
13. German Embassy Islamabad (Federal Foreign Office) – How to finance your staypakistan.diplo.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 3×
14. Federal Ministry of Research (BMFTR) – Erste Lesung BAföG-Reform (15 Oct 2026)bmftr.bund.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 1×
15. DAAD – Costs of education and livingdaad.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 5×
16. German Embassy Seoul (Federal Foreign Office) – Blocked Account (Sperrkonto)seoul.diplo.de · Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · ↩ cited 1×

Official rules, opening hours and appointment systems change. If something here no longer matches the official page, the official page is right. Please let us know.