To get a German student visa you must show you can cover your living costs. The best-known way is a blocked account (Sperrkonto): you deposit a full year’s amount and can only withdraw a fixed sum each month.
How much in 2026?
For students: €11,904 a year, i.e. €992 a month.
This figure appears on German embassy pages updated in 2026, such as Amman (September 2026 sheet) and Tehran, as well as on the Paris embassy page and the government’s Make it in Germany portal.
Where does it come from? According to the Federal Foreign Office, the amount follows the maximum BAföG student grant. That maximum rose from €934 to €992 a month from winter semester 2024/25, and the BAföG page mentions no new change for winter semester 2026/27.
How the account works
- Monthly withdrawal: at most €992 a month — one twelfth of the yearly amount.
- Duration: usually opened for one year, unless your stay is shorter.
- Closing: requires the consent of the embassy or the local foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde). If your visa is refused, the refusal notice counts as consent to close it and get your money back.
- Provider fees: paid on top of the blocked amount.
Where to open it
The Federal Foreign Office removed its list of providers, published until mid-2022; it makes no recommendations and the choice is yours.
Some embassy pages give examples — the German embassy in Italy (July 2025), for instance, mentions Fintiba, Expatrio, Sparkasse banks and Deutsche Bank. Compare fees and opening times, and check that the provider issues a blocking confirmation (Sperrbestätigung) accepted by your embassy.
Official alternatives
According to the Federal Foreign Office FAQ, you can prove funding with:
| Method | Notes |
|---|---|
| Parents’ income | With official evidence |
| Formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) | Signed by someone living in Germany at the foreigners’ authority; no older than 6 months and marked as proof of solvency. The Quito embassy warns it is not always considered sufficient |
| Blocked account | The most common route |
| Bank guarantee | From a German bank, renewed annually |
| Scholarship | From public funds, a recognised German organisation such as DAAD, or a home-country government scholarship placed through a German body |
If your scholarship is below €992 a month, you only prove the difference. The Italy embassy’s example: a €300 scholarship means blocking €692 a month.
Different amounts for other visas
| Visa type | Monthly amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| University studies | €992 (€11,904 a year) | Embassies in Amman, Tehran, Paris |
| Study applicant (searching for a place) | €1,091 | Paris and Rabat embassies; Make it in Germany (January 2026) |
| Searching for a training place | €1,091; for 6 months according to the Cairo embassy | Make it in Germany; Cairo embassy (August 2026) |
| Vocational training (Ausbildung) | The training salary must be at least €1,048 gross in year 1; a blocked account covers any shortfall | Cairo embassy |
| Language course | Varies by embassy: Cairo asks €1,091 a month (€13,092 a year); Amman, Quito and Tbilisi ask €992 | Embassy sheets |
Note: embassies differ slightly — Amman, for example, writes €1,092 for the study-applicant visa while others write €1,091. Your local German embassy is the final reference.
Beware of outdated pages
Some embassy pages still show old amounts such as €11,208 (€934 a month) or €10,236 (€853 a month). Before depositing:
- Open your local German embassy page and find the study-visa information sheet (Merkblatt Studium).
- Check the sheet’s date and that it states €11,904 or the 2026 figure.
- If sources conflict, follow the sheet of the embassy where you apply.
Health insurance for the visa
Embassies also require travel health insurance until your student insurance starts in Germany. Example from the Cairo, Tehran and Amman sheets: at least €30,000 cover, valid across the Schengen area, for at least 3 months from travel.
Practical tips
- Open the account early: some providers need weeks to receive the transfer and issue the confirmation.
- Factor in transfer fees from your country — the full amount must arrive.
- Keep the original blocking confirmation; the embassy asks for it with your visa file.
- If you have a scholarship, ask the funder for an official letter stating the amount and duration — it may replace the account fully or partly.