Coming and living in Germany as a student? Then even more banks offer a free account for you! Find here a comparison of special offers for students, plus in case you need a visa: offers for a blocked account (Sperrkonto).
In Germany, even if you are not a student, you already have a wide range of free bank accounts available. But there are even more as a student! Why? Because banks assume that students become later better paid professionals, so they want to catch you early as a customer.
If you are a student from a non-EU/EEA country and need a visa, you might also need a blocked account (Sperrkonto). Read more below.
Comparison of Checking/Current Accounts
(Can’t see the table? Click this link. *)
Opening most of these accounts is possible online. For particular instructions, read the descriptions at the end of this article.
Blocked Accounts (Sperrkonto)
What is a Blocked Account?
Studying as a non-EU/EEA citizen usually requires getting a visa. And to get this visa, you often need to prove that you have enough funds to sustain yourself while living and studying in Germany.
This can be done by a blocked account (German: Sperrkonto). It is a special type of bank account that
- requires you to initially pay in a big sum that will cover your spending for a whole year. Currently, this is minimum 8700 €
- then allows you to withdraw every month only 1/12 of it, i.e. 725 €
Comparison of Blocked Accounts
There are two online offers for blocked accounts that I know of: Fintiba and X-Patrio.
While X-Patrio is the cheaper option, Fintiba besides a blocked account also offers packages that include incoming health insurance. This is why I decided to include both here.
| Fintiba* | X-Patrio | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial fee | 89 € | 49 € |
| Monthly fee | 4.90 € | 5 € |
| Go to Fintiba* | Go to X-Patrio |
More suggestions for bank accounts suitable for students? Then leave a comment!
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