Germany Raises Blocked Deposits For International Students

This is going to change as of January 2020 and international students who will be applying for admissions to Germany universities will have to deposit 10,236 Euros into a blocked account before they are granted a student visa.

All applications that shall be made September onwards for a visa at the German embassies will have to accompany proof that the deposit has been made. This is germane to students from non EU and non EEA countries and is called the Sperrkonto account.

Most countries demand that you prove that you have sufficient financial resources before you are granted your student visa. In the case of Germany the method has been that you put in adequate money into a blocked account that the government thinks shall suffice towards your expenses for one year. It has now been deemed that the existing deposit amount is not sufficient and given the expected expenses of a student, the amount is being raised.

Are you going to be able to access this account? The answer is yes only if you are in need of cash for subsistence and you have registered yourself with the local authorities, you will be allowed to withdraw a portion that is considered necessary towards your expenses for one month. This has been set at between 720 and 853 Euros. At the end of the year, before you are granted extension of your visa you will have to make good the deficit.

All said and done the amount is quite fair compared with many other countries. If for example you were to be joining a university in the U.S. you would have to show financial resources of between US$ 20,000 to 50,000.

Photos: Shutterstock / Collage: Martina Advaney

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