German Blocked Account Got More Expensive
As a guarantee for the German government that the visa applicant can sustain themselves during their stay in Germany, the applicant: be it a student coming for studying in Germany,
A professional coming for finding a job in Germany or just language students coming on a conditional admit to German universities, everybody has to show the proof of finances.
Proof of Finances:
Generally, the following three things are accepted by the German embassies or consulates as proof of financial means to cover the costs for the time the applicant is staying in Germany:
- Confirmation of a scholarship/stipend: If you have received or have confirmation that you will be receiving a scholarship or a stipend from a university, it can be submitted at the time of visa interview.
- Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation letter): This is a letter which your sponsor (relative/friend/family member) would be arranged for you with the help of the local foreigner’s office (Ausländersbehörde) in Germany.
- Blocked Account: A blocked account is a special type of account where you don’t get direct access to the money that you have put in the account at once, rather you are given a fixed amount every single month, which is regulated by the German government, to sustain your stay in Germany. Since students might not have the above two, everybody has a chance to open a blocked account without any major issues. The amount can also be sanctioned from any state bank or NBFCs.
Now the above two proofs of financial means have not seen any change whatsoever. Even the blocked account amount remained the same for a lot of years, which was 8640 Euros (till 31. August, 2019). This same amount used to be 8040 Euros back in 2008, but now it has risen to 10,236 Euros according to the official German government website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Take a look at the screenshot from the page below:
Reason for the change:
Everybody who has read basic economics is familiar with the concept of inflation. The same 100€ which might have given you the possibility to buy 20 kilos of XYZ will only let you buy 10 kilos because of the price increases of different products in the economy.
This raise in the minimum Blocked Account is also a reason for the same and is introduced as a measure so that students have sufficient money to do sustain in Germany and there is lesser stress on them to earn money on the side while studying.
Studying in Germany isn’t easy, and if you have to take up more time than necessary for doing part-time jobs, the chances are high that you would take longer than the regular time in which students generally finish their Masters.
So, instead of seeing it as a negative development, this could rather be a positive one.
Nobody is asking you to spend more money, the money still directly comes to you in installments, and you can decide how much of it you want to save and how much of it you want to spend.
Best Blocked Account Option:
German government allows students a free choice of service providers regarding the blocked account and over the years, a lot of big and small countries have entered the market offering different types of products and services for and around the blocked account.
The best one so far is, although, Expatrio where you can get the blocked account for a total amount of just 60 Euros with its value package
This includes ISIC Card, Liability Insurance, Health Insurance, Travel Health Insurance, Current Account, and of course, the blocked account.
FAQs on the new changes:
Every single change brings about a lot of chaos and misunderstandings, which is totally normal. Below you will find all of the different frequently asked questions regarding this new change.
If you have some other doubts, you can also write to me on Instagram, and I will add them here.
1. I already had the visa interview, does this affect me?
According to the emails sent by the Bangalore Consulate, German Embassy New Delhi and the Federal Foreign Office, you will have to prove from 1. January 2020 that you have the renewed blocked account of 10236 Euros to get the visa extension/residence permit:
Screenshots of the responses from the German authorities
2. I have my visa interview before 1. September 2019, does this affect me?
3. My Visa Interview is scheduled after 1. September 2019, do I need to show proof of the new amount?
4. I saw in some screenshot of an email from a German consulate that I only have to submit 9936 Euros. Should I submit 10236 or 9936 Euros?
Better safe than sorry.
You can’t keep the email sent by the consulate on their heads at the time of the visa interview, but you definitely can keep the update on the official German government website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a proof.
Even if you have added 10236 Euros, it is only better to have the bigger amount as financial proof.
5. I already opened a blocked account and have my visa interview after 1. September 2019, can I ‘top-up’ my blocked account with an additional amount?
Yes, you can! At least, you can with Expatrio without any additional charge whatsoever! If you have your visa interview after 1. September 2019, please don’t think that there will be an exception made in your case. Germans are strict that way.
Shivani
Hello! Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time out to post such informative videos/posts.
I have a sibling who can sponsor my Visa but is having a blocked account still necessary? And what are the documents my sibling has to send to sponsor for me?
Pratik G
Hello Bharat Bhai, I have read the FAQs and still, I couldn’t get a satisfactory answer. My question is about the Visa extensions once the students are in Germany.
As some of us are having Visa Appointments in July last week, we are under the old rule of 8640 Euros. We’ll get visa sanctioned and we’ll fly to Germany. Now, before our 3 months Visa expires, we go for the Resident permit and Visa extension.
My question is – “which amount do we need to show at this application of resident permit – 1. as per old rule OR 2. as per new rule? We will be doing this in the month of December 2019, isn’t it?”
Bharat
I have added the details now. I don’t think it matters when you extend it, they just want you to have the new amount in your blocked account.
Ahmed
Hi.
Ty for compiling these screenshots & all the other relevant info. The two email screenshots appear to be contradicting each other. One explicitly states that new amount will be required for Residence Permit applications made *AFTER* 1st Jan 2020. The other email vaguely suggests otherwise.
I applied for visa at the Karachi Consulate on June 12th & received my student visa on July 8th. My blocked account is of 8640 Euros. New applicants at the Karachi Consulate have reported that the staff there is equally clueless about the new rule & how it applies as some applicants were sent back until they have an updated Blocked Account. Some were made to sign a declaration that they will update the Blocked Account *AFTER* visa issuance but *BEFORE* applying for residence permit. While some were made to sign a declaration that they will update their Blocked Account *BEFORE* issuance of visa.
It’s exhausting to be frank.
Sanjiv Sharma
Hello,
Hope all is well. I have a few questions regarding the blocked bank account. Please reply:
1) Is it necessary to have a blocked bank account even if the university I wish to study in Germany provides student accommodation and meals?
2) The university has informed me that they can provide a letter detailing the duration of student accommodation and meals. Will the Embassy of Germany in India accept it?
3) Can I show funds in a bank account in Germany for my personal expenses? Will the Embassy of Germany accept?
Thank you for your effort.
Regards,
Sanjiv Sharma