Blocked account 2026: €11,904 and 4 mistakes that delay your visa

The blocked account amount for 2026 is €11,904 for one year. It's the same as in 2025.

You must put this money into a Sperrkonto before you apply for your German student visa. A Sperrkonto is a blocked account. Your money stays locked, and you can take out only a fixed amount each month.

That fixed amount is €992 a month. Twelve months of €992 adds up to €11,904.

What is the blocked account amount for 2026?

As of 2026, the amount for a student visa is €11,904. The monthly limit is €992.

The number stays the same because it follows the maximum BAföG rate. BAföG is the German law for student financial aid. That rate hasn't gone up for the current semester, so the blocked account amount hasn't gone up either. Rules can change, so check the Federal Foreign Office and the German missions in India before you pay.

If you're a professional and not a student, the number is higher. The Chancenkarte (the Opportunity Card) is a visa for finding a job in Germany. Its blocked account amount is €13,092 a year, which is €1,091 a month. We explain that route in our post on the Chancenkarte and the €13,092 you need.

Which Sperrkonto provider should you choose?

In 2026 you have two active choices for opening the account online: Expatrio and Fintiba. Coracle has paused new sign-ups because of a banking system update. Its website shows its fees as "coming soon".

Now let's work out the real cost for 12 months. Expatrio is €119 plus 12 times €9, which is €227 in total.

Fintiba is €159 plus 12 times €9.90, which is €277.80 in total. So Fintiba costs about €51 more over a year.

On price alone, I would pick Expatrio. The gap is small, though. If a friend or your university had a good experience with Fintiba, that's a fair reason to choose it. Check both sites on the day you apply, because fees can change: Expatrio and Fintiba.

Don't wait for Coracle to come back. Your visa appointment date won't wait for it.

How much money should you actually transfer?

Not just €11,904. Send the full amount, plus the provider's setup fee, plus a buffer of €100. The provider refunds the buffer later.

With Expatrio, that's €11,904 + €119 + €100 = €12,123. With Fintiba, it's €11,904 + €159 + €100 = €12,163.

Always check the exact figure your provider shows in your account.

How fast can you get your money out?

Not on the day you land. This surprises many students.

To get your first €992, you must do these things in order:

1. Arrive in Germany.
2. Complete your Anmeldung (registering your address with the city).
3. Open a normal German current account, called a Girokonto.
4. Give the new IBAN (your German bank account number) to your blocked account provider.

After that, the provider pays €992 into your Girokonto each month. Check your provider's help page to see how long the first payout takes.

Book your Anmeldung appointment well before you arrive, so the payouts don't wait on it. If you still need a room, our guide to finding student housing in Germany can help.

Carry some cash or a card that works in Germany for your first days. Your blocked account won't pay you anything yet.

What mistakes delay a student visa?

Four mistakes can slow down your financial proof. Each one is easy to avoid if you know about it.

1. Sending exactly €11,904

Your money passes through an intermediary bank on its way from India to Germany. That is a bank in the middle that passes your money along. It may take a small fee. The exchange rate can also move while the money travels.

So the amount that arrives can be a few euros short. The provider won't issue your Sperrbescheinigung until the full minimum arrives. That is the blocking confirmation, the paper that proves your money is locked.

The fix is simple. Send the setup fee and the €100 buffer as well.

2. Sending money from the wrong person

The money must come from your own bank account or from a direct family member, such as your parents. Transfers from friends, businesses or unverified sponsors get rejected. That delays your confirmation.

3. Writing your name differently from your passport

Your name on the blocked account application must match your passport. A missing middle name is one example of a mismatch. The German mission can reject your financial proof if the names don't match.

Before you press submit, put your passport next to the screen and check every letter.

4. Forgetting TCS when you count the rupees

TCS means Tax Collected at Source. It's an extra tax that your Indian bank collects when you send money abroad. It comes under the RBI's LRS rules. LRS is the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, which sets the rules for sending money out of India.

For education remittances above ₹7 lakh (₹700,000), the TCS is 5% if you pay from your own money. It's 0.5% if the money comes from an official education loan.

That is a big difference, and Indian students often get their rupee total wrong because of it. Ask your bank for the full rupee cost, including TCS, before you start the transfer. If you use an education loan, tell the bank so it can apply the lower rate.

What should you do, step by step?

1. Choose Expatrio or Fintiba. Coracle is paused for new sign-ups.
2. Open the account online 6 to 8 weeks before your VFS Global appointment. VFS Global is the company that takes visa applications for the German mission in India.
3. Check that your name matches your passport.
4. Ask your bank for the total rupee cost, including TCS.
5. Transfer €11,904 plus the setup fee plus €100, from your own account or your parents' account.
6. Download your Sperrbescheinigung when the provider issues it.
7. Submit it with your visa application at VFS Global or the German mission in India.
8. Book your Anmeldung appointment in your German city before you land.

The blocked account is not the only document that takes time. The APS certificate, a check of your Indian academic records, needs time too. Read our post on starting the APS early.

Your next step today: open your provider's website and write down the total you need to send, with the fee and buffer included.

Cover photo: Padmathilaka Wanigasekara on Pexels