Blocked Account

State-recognized Blocked Account for your German visa

Are you an international student moving to Germany?

You may need to open a blocked account to secure your German visa.

Suppose you are moving to Germany for university studies, language courses, preparatory courses (Studienkolleg), job search, and more. In that case, a Blocked Account allows you to prove sufficient financial resources during your stay in Germany.

What is a Blocked Account (Sperrkonto) in Germany?

The Blocked Account (Sperrkonto) is a special type of bank account required by German law for many internationals to secure their German visa.

At Expatrio, you can quickly open your Blocked Account entirely online in just a few minutes. Expatrio Blocked Account is officially approved by the German Federal Foreign Office and accepted by all foreigners' authorities to secure your German visa.

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Benefit from a simple and fast service

Expatrio’s Blocked Account is the fastest way to secure your proof of sufficient funds for your German visa. Our process is fully online and super simple. On your profile in the Expatrio User Portal, you have easy access to detailed information about your Blocked Account and other Expatrio services.

To open your account, just follow our application flow, and you’ll have your German Blocked Account within a few minutes. Should you have any questions, our Customer Service is happy to help you throughout your entire journey.

Enjoy low fees

Our low monthly and set-up fees allow you to save some money on what really matters during your relocation to Germany.

One time set-up fee: €49
Monthly fee: €5

Tip: get our Value Package and receive the set-up fee as a cashback!

Transfer money in your local currency

To minimize high rates when transferring funds from your home country to your German Blocked Account, we offer you the option to transfer your money in your local currency. That is possible due to Expatrio Payments, offered in partnership with the international payment provider, Cohort Go.

With CohortGo, customers can pay in their local currency and with the latest payment methods, like Alipay. Paying in your local currency is usually way faster and more affordable than transferring from a local bank to one’s own German Blocked Account. But do not worry, we also offer you the traditional bank transfer option.

International transferring funds to blocked account

Need health insurance for your visa application?

Open a Blocked Account and get a Health Insurance bundle with Expatrio's Value Package.

Find out more

How to open your Blocked Account:

#1. Applying

Fill in our form and open your Blocked Account within a few minutes.

#2. Transferring

Once your Blocked Account is open, you can transfer your funds to it.

#3. Activating

Activate your Blocked Account upon arrival to receive your monthly payouts.

Blocked Account

State-recognized Blocked Account for your visa application!

Fast: official Opening Confirmation within 24h
Affordable: set-up €49 & €5 (per month)
Secure: approved by the German Federal Foreign Office
Compliant: individual Account number - of course!
Fast Customer Service with a 24-hour response guarantee
Money-back guarantee in case of visa rejection
Monthly cancellation or extension possible
Optional: free Current Account for payouts
Faster activation and Blocked Account monthly payouts
Higher security standards

Open Blocked Account

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How much does it cost to open a Blocked Account with Expatrio?

Our 12-month Blocked Account break down for you

The current blocked amount established by the German government is €934 per month of one’s stay in Germany. It means you have to calculate the total amount based on the months you plan to live in Germany. Do not worry. For stays over one year, you need to confirm your blocked amount for one year. After that, you can extend your Blocked Account. We will break down the costs for you for a 12-month period in Germany:

Required blocked amount: €934 * 12 months = €11.208
One time set-up fee: €49
Monthly fee: €5 * 12 = €60
Buffer: €100
Total: €11.417

Tip: get our Value Package and receive the set-up fee as a cashback!

Your funds are safe with Expatrio

We operate with trustworthy partners and technology

Expatrio Blocked Account is officially approved by the German Federal Foreign Office. We also provide our customers with a money-back guarantee in case of visa rejection.

We have brought many partners under one roof to provide you with the best service. Our partner MANGOPAY enables us to serve ten thousand customers every year through their partner banks in Germany. And we have implemented Cohort Go’s solution to make the international transfer to your Blocked Account more affordable and convenient.

Learn more about Cohort Go

Cohort Go logo Expatrio’s partner, Cohort Go, is an international payment provider specialized in the education industry. With Cohort Go, customers can transfer funds in their local currency, which is usually more affordable and faster than traditional banking options.

Cohort Go solution is completely embedded in Expatrio’s digital process. And it is automatically shown as an option to customers before we ask them to transfer funds to their own Blocked Account. Customers can still choose not to use Cohort Go and transfer their money with another international money transfer method.

Learn more about MANGOPAY

Magopay logo MANGOPAY is an online payment technology provider. MANGOPAY provides the payment technology for Expatrio's Blocked Account, enabling a real-time reconciliation and handling of funds. MANGOPAY holds a European license as a payment service provider and is allowed to perform banking services in Germany under the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz, KWG) by the German Financial Service Authority (BaFin).

MANGOPAY also administrates the underlying banking infrastructure of your Blocked Account and has partnered with several banks for this purpose. Your Blocked Account will always be with a German bank, e.g., Commerzbank, which is fully licensed according to the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz, KWG) by the German Financial Service Authority (BaFin).

How to open your Blocked Account?

When moving to Germany, a blocked account is one of the first things you have to figure out.

So what exactly is a blocked account? How can you open one?

All the info you need to know on this special type of bank account, you can check in our video!

Legal background about German Blocked Account

Expatrio Blocked Account fully complies with the applicable immigration law.

The German Federal Foreign Office thoroughly assessed the Expatrio Blocked Account and approved it as proof of financial means during the visa application process.

The Expatrio Blocked Account is approved by the highest instances and complies with all German authorities’ laws, provisions, treaties, and requirements regarding visa applications and residence permits. Including but is not limited to § 2 (3) Residence Act (AufenthG) and 16.0.8.1 Administrative Order of the Residence Act (VwV-AufenthG). The monthly Blocked Amount is regularly €934 (€11,208 per year), which is specified in the §§ 13 and 13a (1) Federal Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetzes - BAföG) for students at secondary schools and universities in Germany.

Please refer to STCBA for further information on the Special Terms and Conditions for the Expatrio Mangopay Blocked Account.

FAQs

What is a Blocked Account?

Blocked Account is a bank account required by the German Authorities as a proof of sufficient financial means necessary to receive a German visa. Blocked Account is essential for international students, au-pairs and job seekers that want to move to Germany. The monthly amount that should be blocked is being changed regularly and is adjusted to the minimal cost of living in Germany. In 2022, the required blocked amount is €934 per month or €11,208 for the whole year.

Why should I open a Blocked Account?

If you are going to Germany for long term and need a visa, most probably you will be asked for a confirmation of your financial resources. In such a case, you would need to open a Blocked Account and bring the confirmation to the German Authorities in order to apply for the visa.

Is the Blocked Account by Expatrio accepted to get a German visa?

Yes, the Blocked Account Expatrio is providing is officially accepted and approved by the German Federal Foreign Office, and can be found on their official website as one of the few specialized providers of Blocked Accounts for visa applications.

How can I open a Blocked Account?

In order to open a Blocked Account with Expatrio you just need to go to our webpage, choose Blocked Account among the services listed, and then go through the questionnaire. After that, you would 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 money transfer. When the funds reach your bank account, you will get the confirmation document necessary for your visa application.

How much does it cost to get a Blocked Account?

The Blocked Account fees paid for Expatrio services are €49 for account set up (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.

How can I transfer money to my Blocked Account?

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

How long does it take for my money to arrive to the Blocked Account?

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.

How do I know that the funds have arrived to my Blocked Account?

When the funds arrive at your Blocked Account you will immediately receive an automatic email confirmation. Such confirmation can be brought to your visa appointment as proof of your financial resources.

How long does it take to get the first payment from my Blocked Account?

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 (otherwise we would come back to you asking to provide more details if something is missing). After the documents are validated, it would take 2-3 business days for the transaction to take place and the money to arrive.

What happens if my visa is rejected?

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