How to proof that you have sufficient Funds for a Student Visa
In order to obtain a visa for studying and attending a Studienkolleg or a pre-study language course in Germany you have to ensure you can provide for yourself. There are several ways to prove this. One of the two most common ways is you can ask a family member with sufficient assents to be a guarantor either in your home country or in Germany. The second most common way is to open a blocked account.
If a family member in your home country can provide for you financially furing your time in Germany they have to present the embassy with plausible proof of their income and financial assets sufficient to uphold you in Germany.
Declaration of Commitment
If the family member is a permanent resident in Germany, they can be your guarantor. They have to sign a form in which they pledge to provide you with enough funds to pay all your expenses every months for the whole duration of your stay. This form is called declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung). They have to contact the foreigners registration office (Ausländerbehörde) in the town where you will study. There they will receive information on the precise procedure. They must have at least the following documents:
- Proof that they have enough assets or sufficient income.
- Copy of your passport.
- Their passport with resident permit or, if they are naturalized, a German identification card.
- Completed and signed form called „Zusatzerklärung zur Verpflichtungserklärung“ in which they pledge that they will provide for you for the whole duration of your stay.
- Information about spouse and family members (Famlienstand)
- Information on their maintenance obligations to family members (Unterhaltspflichten)
- Information on the main residence (Meldebescheinigung) if not stated in the identification card
- Fee
Blocked Account
If you have no such guarantor and want to be independent from your parents’ monthly alimentations, you can open a blocked account at a German bank. The blockage of the account means that you cannot withdraw money before you enter Germany and can only withdraw a fixed amount of money each month in Germany.
Opening a blocked account is a complex process. Many German banks have solutions that you can find on their website.
In most cases, the procedure goes as such:
- Go to the website of a German bank and look for blocked account (Sperrkonto).
- Fill in the form to open the account, print and sign it. Please take note to which address you have to send the form by mail. It is important.
- Take the form as well as the necessary documents to the German embassy or consulate
- The documents are:
- Passport
- A copy of the course admission letter from your university and Studienkolleg
- Evidence of the source of your funds (e. g. bank statements)
- A prepaid envelope (from a private service provider such as FedEx, DHL or UPS) addressed to the address given by the bank
– The embassy will verify your documents and send the envelope to the German bank.
- The envelope must also contain verified copies of
- Passport
- Admission letter of University and Studienkolleg
- Evidence of the source of your funds.
After the account has been opened, transfer the minimum amount and if necessary the service fee.
In Germany, you have to visit the bank, identify yourself and fill in a form to activate the account and withdraw money.
The minimum amount of money you have to transfer to the blocked account for obtaining a visa is currently 10,332.00 Euros for one year with 861.00 Euros a month. It might rise to 11,172 Euros with 931.00 Euros a month for the coming winter term.
The service fees of traditional German banks can be higher than of some specialised online service providers. However, make sure the providers are trustworthy. There have been scams where students lost all their money.
If you feel unsure or uncomfortable with handling this procedure, make sure to contact us. We can provide further information and in some countries, our local branches or cooperation partners can assist you.
