How much do you need in your Sperrkonto?
Visa duration, dependants, and your specific scholarship status set your exact Sperrkonto minimum. 2026 figures from the Auswärtiges Amt.
- 1 minute
- No email needed
- Free
How this works
- Choose your visa months
- Add any scholarship
- See the amount to block
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Common questions
For a 12-month student visa, the German Foreign Office requires 11,904 EUR (992 EUR per month) in a blocked account. The figure is anchored to the BAfoeG maximum support rate (paragraphs 13 and 13a(1) BAfoeG) and has been unchanged since the Winter Semester 2024 update, including for 2026. Shorter visa durations scale linearly: 5,952 EUR for 6 months, 992 EUR per month for any partial year.
The Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) uses a higher monthly figure of 1,091 EUR for 2026 because the visa is a job-search permit, not a student visa, and the German Foreign Office assumes you have no university stipend or BAfoeG fallback. For a 12-month Chancenkarte stay you need 13,092 EUR, compared to 11,904 EUR for a student visa.
If your scholarship covers at least the BAfoeG floor (992 EUR per month) and comes from a recognised German or EU public source like DAAD, Erasmus, or Deutschlandstipendium, the embassy will usually accept the scholarship letter as proof of funds and waive the Sperrkonto requirement. The Chancenkarte does NOT have this scholarship exemption: you still need liquid funds in a blocked account.
Expatrio and Fintiba both offer blocked accounts for the German student visa, each with a one-time set-up fee and a monthly fee. Expatrio also sells a Value Package that adds travel and German health insurance. Fees change, so compare each provider's current fee page before you pick.
No. The Sperrkonto only releases up to 992 EUR per month for a 12-month student visa, regardless of how much you deposited. The monthly disbursement cap is the entire point of the account: it's a structural guarantee that a student doesn't burn through their funds in the first three months. Providers charge a monthly fee while the account is open; check the provider's current fee page for the amount.
Both providers return your blocked amount if your visa is rejected. Expatrio's page says it also refunds its service fees; Fintiba keeps its account opening fee and any transfer fees. Check the provider's current refund terms before you open the account.