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Blocked Account and Formal Obligation Letter
As a part of the application process applicants are required to provide financial proof that they can cover their costs of living in Germany.
Depending on the purpose of application for a National Visa, the applicant has to deposit a certain amount in a blocked account for a period of 6 months or 12 months.
Please check below table for details:
Zweck des Nationalvisumsantrag | Purpose of National Visa | Average monthly amount |
BA-zustimmungsfreie Beschäftigungen, die nicht unter das Mindestlohngesetz fallen, wie z.B. bestimmte Praktika (nach §§ 16a und 16e AufenthG vgl. § 22 Abs. 1 MiLoG)3, sofern hierfür Arbeitslosigkeits- und Rentenversicherungspflicht besteht, insbesondere freiwillige Praktika im Rahmen eines Studiums. | Employment (e.g. internship) that does not require Labour Office approval and is not covered by the minimum salary act, such as certain internships (in accordance with §§ 16a and 16e AufenthG cf. § 22 Para. 1 MiLoG)3, provided that unemployment and pension insurance is compulsory, in particular voluntary internships as part of a course of study. | 855 EUR netto
1030 EUR brutto |
| Betriebliche Berufsausbildung (nach § 16a Abs. 1 AufenthG) - | Vocational training & apprenticeship (§ 16a AufenthG) | 822 EUR netto
990EUR brutto |
| Studium (einschl. studienvorbereitende Sprachkurse, § 16b AufenthG) | study (incl. language course, § 16b AufenthG) | 992 EUR netto |
| Schulbesuch (§ 16f Abs. 2 AufenthG) | boarding school (§ 16f Abs. 2 AufenthG) | 992 EUR netto |
Sprachkurse, die nicht der Studienvorbereitung dienen. (§ 16f Abs. 2 AufenthG) | language course (§ 16f Abs. 2 AufenthG) | 1091 EUR |
| Betriebliche Maßnahmen zur Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen. (§ 16d AufenthG) | Recognition of foreign professional qualification (§ 16d AufenthG) | 941 EUR netto 1133 EUR brutto |
| Ausbildungsplatzsuche und Studienplatzsuche (§ 17 AufenthG) | Apprenticeship / student admission seeker (§ 17 AufenthG) | 1091 EUR netto |
| Chancenkarte (§20 AufenthG) | Opportunity Card (§20 AufenthG) | Generally 1091 EUR netto |
| Forscher (§ 18d AufenthG): nur Stipendiaten und Selbst-finanzierer, bei Beschäftigung: Mindestlohn) | Researcher (§ 18d AufenthG): only scholarship holders and persons who are funding themselves, in case of employment, the minimum salary bracket applies | 1091 EUR netto |
Blocked Account
This is a special bank account, where an applicant has to deposit a sufficient amount of money for the first 6 months / 1 year of his stay in Germany. Each month, the applicant shall not be allowed to withdraw more than 1/6 or 1/12 of the blocked amount. This ensures that enough funds are left on the account throughout the year and the applicant is not running out of money. The German Ministry of the Interior has fixed the amount required per month. This amount varies depending on the purpose of application – please refer to the above table for the exact amount suitable for your case-. This is the minimum amount that needs to be deposited into the account. It is possible to deposit more money into the account. To our knowledge, several banks as well as online service providers in Germany offer this service to foreign students at the moment (for example Deutsche Bank, Fintiba (online only), Coracle, Expatrio, Sparkasse, etc.). However, you can approach any bank in Germany without personally being present in Germany. Please contact the bank or the online service provider directly. The Consulate cannot help to download and to fill out the form. |
Formal Obligation Letter
As a rule, only formal obligation letters (Verpflichtungserklärung §§ 66-68 AufenthG) issued at the competent Aliens Authority in Germany (Ausländerbehörde) with the remark “financial capacity proven” will be accepted. |
Disclaimer: Although the information in this leaflet has been prepared with utmost care, we cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein.