There are multiple requirements one needs to keep in mind when considering moving to Germany. Whether you plan to become a student at a German university, learn German in one of the local language schools or aspire a career at one of the German corporations – it is important to be able to prove that you can support yourself financially throughout your entire stay abroad. Many European countries adopted this common requirement, and it helps the authorities to ensure that visa applicants will be able to maintain an acceptable standard of living, allowing them to fulfil their desired purpose of stay.
In this section, you will find extensive information about the proof of financial resources required for a German visa (in German, “Finanzierungsnachweis”).
All you need to know about Proof of Financial Resources
What is a Proof of Sufficient Financial Resources?
The Proof of Sufficient Financial Resources is required for obtaining a visa or residence permit for Germany. Based on the requirements of specific German authority, different documents can be accepted from internationals as financial proof upon application. Usually, it needs to be an official confirmation issued by a renowned organisation either showing the amount of funds available in the name of an applicant or the support he or she will be receiving from a guardian or an institute.
Who needs to provide Proof of Financial Resources?
As long as you are required to obtain a visa or a residence permit for your stay in Germany, proving sufficient funds is unavoidable. Basically, every non-EU citizen (apart from the residents of Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein) wishing to stay in Germany for other than tourist purposes needs to be able to provide evidence of financial security.
How much money do I need to show to the authorities?
Based on your purpose of stay, the required amount might vary. For example, the required blocked amount for a student visa application is entirely dependent on the current BAföG rate – the national standard that defines the absolute minimum of expenses that a student needs to cover for an appropriate standard of living.
From the 2022 winter semester, students will have to prove an amount of € 934.00/month or € 11,208.00/year.
Important! This amount is subject to annual change due to continuous growth of costs related to accommodation, electricity, food, etc.
There are certain kinds of visa that require a 10%-increase of the standard monthly blocked amount. This applies to the following types of visa: visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications, visa for language acquisition and visa for the purpose of applying for a course of study or apprenticeship (§§ 16d, 16f (1), 17 AufethG – German Residence Act). If you plan to apply for one of the mentioned visas, please make sure to increase the monthly amount by 10%.
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How you can prove sufficient financial resources to German authorities
There are various alternatives available for internationals, however, we strongly recommend consulting with the local authority you are going to submit your visa or residence permit application to, as the requirements might differ. In the overview below you will find the most common ways foreigners can prove sufficient financial resources for their stay in Germany:
Blocked Account
A blocked account is a form of a bank account that was invented specifically to comply with the visa requirements in Germany. For most of the authorities, this is the preferred way one can prove financial stability, required for a stay abroad.
What is a blocked account and how does it work?
This type of a bank account is used to “freeze” or “block” the amount required to support oneself while living in Germany over a certain period (typically, one year). Once the money is in the account, the respective organisation issues a blocking confirmation – this document needs to be taken to the authorities to prove that you have the necessary funds available for your stay. After your visa or residence permit is issued, you will be able to set up your monthly pay-outs from this account to a regular bank account (called current account or Girokonto in German).
It is important to know that you will not be able to access all money at once after you arrive in Germany. The concept of a blocked account implies that money will be transferred to you in parts on a monthly basis – this way, the authorities have a guarantee that an applicant will have enough resources throughout the entire period and the risk of everything being spent at the very beginning is eliminated.
Open your Blocked Account with Fintiba
If you want to know more about the Blocked Account, the requirements, and the instructions on how to open one – we recommend you check out a dedicated page on our website. The most convenient way to open such an account is to do so digitally – with Fintiba it is quick, secure and will be accepted by all German authorities with a 100% guarantee.
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Video: How to open a German Blocked Account with Fintiba
In this detailed tutorial, we will take through the full process of opening a Blocked Account with Fintiba from account registration to money transfer to setting up your monthly payouts once you are in Germany. The video is also sectioned into chapters, so that way you can only watch the section you need.
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Parental support
If you are a student getting substantial financial support for your studies from your parents, you can also submit documents proving that they have enough funds available for that purpose.
In situations like these, embassies and foreign offices usually require a current employment contract of either one or both of your parents and/or their current account statements.
Verpflichtungserklärung
Another alternative to a blocked account is a guarantee letter from a relative or a friend that is a permanent resident of Germany. This document is called “Verpflichtungserklärung” and it requires the above-mentioned person to take full financial responsibility to support you during your stay in Germany as well as to bear the consequences of your actions. This guarantee can be applied for and issued by the local registration office in the resident’s area.
To issue such confirmation, your “guarantor” needs to demonstrate a statement of income to assure that he or she has enough financial resources to support you during your stay.
Scholarships
Should you be awarded a scholarship from a recognised institution, you can include a valid award confirmation as the proof of financial resources to support your stay in Germany in your application for a visa or residence permit. We strongly recommend consulting with the embassy beforehand to make sure that the document you submit is in line with the authority’s requirements and will be accepted.
Sometimes scholarship amounts are only partially covering the amount required for sufficient funding. In those cases, it is best to combine such a confirmation with a blocked account covering the rest of the sum (or another alternative that will prove that you are financially supported).
Bank guarantee
There are certain forms of bank loans that are accepted by the authorities as proof of sufficient financial resources as well. For it to be recognised, the bank needs to issue a confirmation that you will be provided with full financial support while you study and live in Germany.
Authority recommendation: Blocked Account
To sum up, there are various alternatives to proof of financial resources available for everyone who wants to apply for a German visa. However, it is often depending on a concrete authority whether options like a bank guarantee or parents’ statement of income will be accepted.
The blocked account is a solution that is recommended for both visa and residence permit applications by all German authorities. If you are searching for a quick and convenient online tool to open such an account, do not hesitate to get in touch – we are the experts in the field.
Interesting fact about Fintiba
Fintiba is the first-ever digital blocked account provider that accompanied more than 100,000 international students on their way to Germany. Watch our video and see how we celebrate this huge milestone.
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Last update: January 17, 2024