How Much Money Canadian Students Need in a German Blocked Account

Why you need a blocked account

A German student visa application requires proof you can cover living costs for a full year without working excess hours or running short of money. A blocked account (Sperrkonto) is the standard way Canadian applicants meet this. You deposit a set sum with an approved provider before your visa appointment, the account freezes, and it releases a fixed monthly amount once you arrive in Germany and open a local bank account.

The required amount

The minimum stands at 11,904 euros for the full year, unchanged from 2025 into 2026, working out to 992 euros released per month, according to Expatrio . The German Federal Foreign Office sets this figure annually, tying it to the standard BAföG student support rate. Treat it as a number that moves year to year and confirm the current figure before you deposit, since the year you apply might not match the year you enrol.

Some visa categories require 10 percent more than the standard figure, so check the exact requirement for your visa type with the German mission handling your application rather than assuming the base amount applies.

How the monthly release works

Once your visa is approved and you arrive in Germany, you open a regular local bank account and link it to your blocked account provider. The provider releases 1/12 of your total deposit each month, roughly 992 euros, into your spendable account. You cannot withdraw the full sum at once even for an emergency, since the account exists specifically to prevent that.

Transfer slightly more than the exact minimum when you fund the account. International wire fees or exchange rate shifts between Canadian dollars and euros leave some applicants short by a small margin, and providers withhold your blocking confirmation until the full required amount clears, which delays your visa appointment.

Which providers German consulates in Canada accept

German missions in Canada require the blocked account to come from a provider on their accepted list. Fintiba and Expatrio are the two most commonly used providers for Canadian applicants, both offering fully online setup without a branch visit in Germany first. Confirm the current accepted provider list on your specific consulate's website before opening an account, since using an unlisted provider risks a visa refusal.

Before your visa appointment

• Open the blocked account and fund it in full, allowing extra time for international transfers from a Canadian bank to clear.

• Download the blocking confirmation letter your provider issues once the funds clear.

• Bring this letter, along with your other required documents, to your national visa appointment at the German mission handling Canadian applicants.

• Keep records of your provider account details, needed again after you land in Germany to activate monthly withdrawals.

A blocked account is not the only option. Some applicants use a formal declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) from a German resident guaranteeing their costs, or a scholarship confirmation letter instead. Both substitute for the blocked account requirement, so check with your consulate if either applies before tying up over 11,000 euros for a year.

What happens to leftover funds

If you finish your program early, transfer elsewhere, or withdraw from your studies, any unused balance in your blocked account returns to you, since it remains your money throughout. Contact your provider directly to close the account and transfer the remaining balance back to a Canadian or German bank account.

Currency and timing

The exchange rate between the Canadian dollar and the euro shifts throughout the year, so a transfer sized exactly to 11,904 euros when you send it can land short once it clears and converts. Time large transfers early in your visa preparation and check your bank's international wire fee before sending, since a Canadian bank's wire fee often runs higher than an online transfer service's fee for the same amount. Opening the blocked account itself typically involves a separate, non-refundable administration fee charged by the provider, on top of the deposit you get back later.

Beyond your first year

The blocked account requirement generally applies to your first German student visa. When you renew your residence permit for a second year, your local Ausländerbehörde may accept other proof of funds instead of a fresh blocked account deposit, such as a Canadian bank statement, a parental sponsorship letter, or a scholarship confirmation. Confirm the renewal requirement with your Ausländerbehörde before your first residence permit runs out.