Germany Blocked Account for Indian Students
The 2026 blocked account amount, how the monthly release works, which providers to use, and how to avoid the mistakes that delay a visa.
Quick Answer
How much do I need in my Germany blocked account?
For 2026, Indian students need to deposit €11,904 for the year in a recognised blocked account (Sperrkonto). This is released to you at €992 per month once you arrive in Germany.
What a blocked account actually is
A Sperrkonto is a bank account you cannot freely withdraw from. You deposit a year of living costs into it before you travel, the bank locks the balance, and it then pays you a fixed amount each month once you are in Germany. The word blocked worries people, but nothing is being taken. It is your money, held in your name, returned to you in instalments.
Germany asks for it because a student residence permit requires proof that you can support yourself without working illegally or running out of money halfway through a degree. A bank statement showing a large balance does not prove that, because the balance could be borrowed for a week and returned. A blocked account proves the money is committed and will actually be available month by month.
That is also why a regular savings account cannot be substituted, however healthy the balance looks. The embassy is not checking that the money exists. It is checking that it is locked, scheduled, and held by a provider Germany recognises.
2026 Figures
Blocked Account Amount at a Glance
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total required for the year | €11,904 |
| Released per month | €992 |
| Recognised providers | Fintiba, Expatrio |
| When funds become accessible | After arrival & account activation in Germany |
Step by Step
How to Open Your Blocked Account
Choose Your Provider
Compare Fintiba and Expatrio on fees, setup speed and bundled insurance options.
Create Your Account Online
Complete registration with your passport and personal details.
Transfer the Required Amount
Send €11,904 via an international transfer or a supported payment method.
Receive Your Blocking Confirmation
Once funds are confirmed, you get a certificate to submit with your visa file.
Submit With Your Visa Application
Include the confirmation in your student visa documents.
Activate After Arrival
Activate your account in Germany to start your €992 monthly withdrawals.
Choosing between providers
Fintiba and Expatrio are the two names almost every Indian student ends up comparing, and both are recognised for German student visa purposes. The honest answer is that neither is universally better. They differ on a handful of things that matter differently depending on your situation.
The first is speed. Each has its own verification process, and how quickly a confirmation letter is issued can vary. If your visa appointment is already booked and close, this is the factor that should decide it.
The second is what comes bundled. Both offer packages pairing the blocked account with health insurance, which can be convenient because you need insurance for the visa anyway. Convenient is not automatically cheaper, though, and it is worth seeing the two costs separately before deciding whether the bundle suits you.
The third is fees. There is generally a one-time opening charge and an ongoing monthly maintenance charge. These are published on each provider’s own site and they change, so treat any figure you read in a forum post as out of date until you have checked it directly.
We take no commission from either provider, which is precisely why we will compare them against your intake date rather than recommending one by default.
Not sure which provider fits your situation? We'll help you compare.
What You Need
Documents to Open a Blocked Account
- Passport Copy: A valid passport with clearly visible details.
- Personal Details: Name, date of birth and contact information matching your passport.
- University Admission (if available): Some providers ask for it, though it isn't always mandatory.
- Transfer-Ready Funds: €11,904 ready for an international transfer from India.
- Valid Email & Phone: For account verification and communication with your provider.
Sending the money from India
This is the stage that catches people out, because it is the one part of the process that happens on the Indian side and nobody warns you about it. Sending money abroad from an Indian bank is not the same as a domestic transfer.
You will be making an outward remittance under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, which means paperwork: an A2 form declaring the purpose of the transfer, your PAN, and usually supporting documents such as your admission letter and the blocked account details. Many banks still want this done at a branch rather than online, and some branches handle student remittances far more often than others.
Budget three to seven working days for the transfer to land, and more if your bank comes back with a query. Then add the provider’s own confirmation time on top of that.
One detail worth getting right: send more than the required amount. If your bank deducts its charges from the transfer rather than adding them, the account receives less than the requirement and your confirmation letter will show a shortfall. Covering the fees separately avoids a reissue you do not have time for.
Start this six to eight weeks before your visa appointment. Not because it takes six weeks, but because if something goes wrong at any stage you still have room to fix it without losing your slot.
Avoid These
Common Blocked Account Mistakes
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Depositing the wrong amount
Using an outdated figure instead of the current €11,904 is one of the most common visa-delay causes.
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Starting too late
Bank transfers and confirmations take time — leaving this for the last moment adds risk.
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Mismatched insurance package
Choosing an insurance bundle that doesn't meet visa requirements can cause complications.
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Transfer errors
Incorrect reference details or account information can delay fund confirmation by days or weeks.
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Forgetting to activate after arrival
Your monthly release doesn't start automatically — you need to activate the account once you land.
Getting your money after you land
Students often assume the monthly release begins automatically on arrival. It does not, and the sequence surprises people in their first weeks.
The chain runs like this. You need somewhere to live before you can complete your Anmeldung, the city registration. You generally need that registration certificate before a German bank will open a current account for you. And you need that account before your provider can pay the monthly release into it.
Each link is straightforward. The problem is that they are sequential, and appointment availability for Anmeldung in larger cities can run to weeks. A student who lands with no accommodation plan can spend a month unable to reach their own money.
Which is the practical argument for sorting accommodation before you fly rather than after, and for carrying enough independently accessible money to cover your first four to six weeks. Plan for the chain and it is an administrative afternoon. Ignore it and it is the most stressful month of your degree.
Setu Global Solution
How Setu Global Solution Helps
Provider Comparison
We help you compare Fintiba and Expatrio for your specific situation.
Application Walkthrough
We guide you step by step through setting up your account correctly.
Amount & Document Match
We make sure your figures and paperwork match embassy requirements exactly.
Timeline Coordination
We align your blocked account setup with your visa and intake timeline.
Arrival Support
We help you activate your account and start withdrawals once you're in Germany.
If your visa is refused
The money is not lost. Every recognised provider has a refund process for a refused visa, and you will need to send them the refusal letter along with a refund request. Expect it to take a few weeks rather than days.
What you generally do not get back is the account opening fee, which pays for work already done. The deposit itself returns to you.
It is worth knowing this before you transfer, because the fear of losing eleven lakh rupees to a refusal is the single biggest reason families hesitate at this stage. The deposit is recoverable. The intake, if you miss it while hesitating, is not.
Still unsure about something? Book a free call with our team anytime.
For 2026, the required amount is €11,904 for the year, which works out to €992 per month.
Once you arrive in Germany and activate your account, you can withdraw up to €992 each month to cover living costs.
Fintiba and Expatrio are the two most commonly used providers among Indian students, both officially recognised for German student visa purposes.
No. The embassy requires a dedicated blocked account (Sperrkonto) from a recognised provider, not a regular bank account.
Open it as soon as your finances are ready, well before your visa appointment — see our Germany student visa guide for the full timeline.
The account is meant to fund your living costs in Germany. Any process for withdrawing unused funds depends on your provider's terms — we help you understand this before you commit.
As an outward remittance under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Your bank will want an A2 form, your PAN and usually your admission letter, and many branches still handle this in person. Allow three to seven working days, and send enough to cover the transfer charges so the account is not left short.
Not immediately. The monthly release usually needs a German bank account, which needs your Anmeldung city registration, which needs an address. Carry enough independently accessible money for your first four to six weeks.
Not always. Some providers let you open the account while your university application is still pending, which helps if you are trying to get ahead of the timeline. Requirements differ, so check rather than assume either way.
Depositing an outdated or incorrect amount is one of the most common causes of visa delay. We double-check your figure against the current requirement before you transfer funds.
Planning your Germany journey?
Book your free 1:1 consultation with Setu Global Solution.
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