Germany Student Visa Proof of Funds in 2026: The Amount and How to Prove It

If you need a German visa or residence permit to study, you must show that you can pay your living costs in Germany. For 2026 the minimum is EUR 992 a month, or EUR 11,904 for one year, as set by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

German embassies and consulates (missions) ask for this proof for at least the first year of your stay. You can use a blocked account (Sperrkonto), a scholarship or a formal obligation letter from a sponsor.

What is proof of financial resources for a German student visa?

It is evidence that you can pay for rent, food, transport and other daily costs while you study. You can show it with a blocked account, a scholarship, a formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) and, in some cases, your parents’ income or a bank surety. For the full application process, see our Germany student visa guide.

Who needs to prove their funds?

You need this proof if you need a German visa or residence permit to study. This includes university students and students on a preparatory course (Studienkolleg). Both fall under Section 16b of the Residence Act (AufenthG). Related routes have their own figures:

How much money do you need in 2026?

For study, the 2026 minimum is EUR 992 a month. Over 12 months that is EUR 11,904. The Federal Foreign Office says the amount is based on the maximum BAföG rates, the state support paid to students in Germany.

Is this the same as what you will really spend?

No. It is the standard minimum set in law, not a budget. DAAD estimates that students need between EUR 900 and EUR 1,200 a month, depending on where you study. Rent is the largest part and varies a lot by city. Our guide to the cost of living in Germany breaks these down.

How can you prove your funds?

Blocked account (Sperrkonto)

You pay the full amount for the year into a blocked account before you apply. Each month you can withdraw only one twelfth of it, so in 2026 that is EUR 992 a month. You cannot take out the whole sum at the start of your stay.

You choose the provider, and many accounts can be opened online. The Federal Foreign Office does not recommend providers, and banks charge their own fees on top of the blocked amount. The account usually runs for one year unless your stay is shorter.

The account names a beneficiary: the German mission before you use the visa, and the foreigners’ authority after you arrive. The beneficiary cannot withdraw your money. If your visa is refused, the refusal notice is enough to lift the block.

Scholarship

A scholarship counts if it is paid from public funds, by an organisation recognised in Germany, or from public funds in your home country where the Federal Foreign Office, DAAD or another German scholarship body placed you at a German university. The award letter should show the monthly amount and how long it runs. If it pays less than EUR 992 a month, you must cover the rest, for example with a blocked account or bank statements.

Formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung)

A sponsor declares that they will cover all your costs in Germany. Missions such as those in France, Kenya and Kuwait ask for a sponsor who lives in Germany. The sponsor makes the declaration at the foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde) where they live, which checks their finances. The Federal Ministry of the Interior’s standard guidance says a sponsor who lives abroad makes it at the German mission responsible for where they live, but not every mission accepts this for a student visa, so ask the mission where you apply.

The letter should cover your whole stay. Some missions, such as those in France, also want it to be no older than six months when you apply and to carry the note “Bonität nachgewiesen” (creditworthiness verified).

Parents’ income or a bank surety

The Federal Foreign Office also lists your parents’ income and financial situation, and a bank surety deposited with a bank in Germany and renewed every year. Not every mission includes these on its checklist, so check with the mission where you apply.

Does proof of funds cover tuition fees?

No. The EUR 992 a month is for living costs. Tuition, if your programme charges it, comes on top.

Tuition. State universities generally charge no tuition for bachelor’s and most master’s programmes. Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students EUR 1,500 per semester, and Bavarian universities may charge students from outside the EU and EEA. Check the fees for your programme; our list of the best universities in Germany is a starting point. If your university charges tuition, some missions ask for proof that the first year is paid, or for a higher blocked balance.

Semester contribution. Every student pays a semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag). It varies by university, roughly from EUR 70 to EUR 430 per semester.

Health insurance and first costs. You need health insurance. If you qualify for statutory student health insurance, it starts only once you live in Germany and have enrolled, so you need private cover from the day you arrive until then. Students aged 30 or over may not qualify and should check with an insurer. Budget separately for your flight, a rental deposit and your first weeks in Germany.

What if your spouse or children come with you?

The EUR 992 figure covers one student. If your spouse or children join you, you must be able to support the whole family without public funds, and you need adequate housing. The Federal Foreign Office says family reunification for students is usually considered only if you hold a residence permit, your marriage already existed when the permit was issued, and your stay is expected to last more than one year. Each family member applies for a family reunification visa at the German mission, so ask that mission how it assesses funds for your family.

Which documents do you need?

• Blocked account: the official opening confirmation showing the total paid in and the amount available each month. Some missions, such as those in France, do not accept a confirmation without these figures.
• Scholarship: the award letter showing the monthly amount and duration, plus proof of any shortfall.
• Formal obligation letter: the declaration from the authority where the sponsor made it. Some missions, such as those in France, accept it only if it is no older than six months.
• Parents’ funds: the income and bank records the mission asks for.

Each mission publishes its own checklist. Read the current version before you book your German embassy appointment.

Does the amount change each year?

It can. The figure follows the BAföG maximum rates, so it changes when those rates change. The Federal Ministry of the Interior publishes the amount for each calendar year in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) by 31 August of the year before. For 2026 it is EUR 992 a month and EUR 11,904 a year. The notice for 2027 was published on 31 August 2026, so check which year’s figure the mission applies to your application.

In October 2026 the federal government put a BAföG amendment before the Bundestag that would raise the housing allowance for students living away from home from the summer semester of 2027. A bill changes nothing until it is passed and in force.

Before you open an account, check the figure on the website of the mission where you apply or on the Federal Foreign Office’s Consular Services Portal, not in an older guide.

In short

The amount is only part of the picture. The type of proof, your tuition and your family plans all affect what you need to show. If you would like our team to look at your situation, fill in the assessment form.

Frequently asked questions

What if I cannot fund the full blocked account?

You can use a scholarship, a formal obligation letter from a sponsor or, where the mission accepts them, your parents’ income or a bank surety, instead of or alongside a blocked account.

How much money do I need per month for a German student visa?

In 2026 the minimum is EUR 992 a month, which is EUR 11,904 for a year. If you are applying to look for a university place, the minimum is EUR 1,091 a month.

When should I open the blocked account?

Before you apply. Missions ask for the official opening confirmation showing the amount paid in and the monthly amount, so have it ready for your appointment.

Can a relative outside Germany sign a formal obligation letter?

It depends on the mission. Missions such as those in France, Kenya and Kuwait accept a formal obligation letter for a student visa only from a sponsor who lives in Germany, made at the sponsor’s local foreigners’ authority. The Federal Ministry of the Interior’s guidance lets a sponsor who lives abroad make the declaration at the German mission responsible for where they live, but not every mission accepts this for students. Ask the mission where you apply.

Can I withdraw the whole amount once I arrive?

No. Only a fixed monthly amount is released, one twelfth of the yearly sum. In 2026 that is EUR 992 a month.

Official sources

• Make it in Germany: required minimum amounts by purpose of stay (January 2026)
• Federal Ministry of the Interior: minimum amount to secure a livelihood for 2026 (BAnz AT 29.08.2025 B1, in German)
• Federal Gazette: edition of 31 August 2026 listing the notice for 2027 (BAnz AT 31.08.2026 B1, in German)
• Residence Act, Section 2 (in German)
• Federal Foreign Office: opening a blocked account for students
• Federal Foreign Office: how to prove your financing for a student visa
• Federal Ministry of the Interior: standard leaflet on the formal obligation letter, as of 24 January 2024 (in German, copy on the Bodenseekreis district website)
• German missions in France: proof of finance
• German Embassy Kuwait: student visa under Section 16b
• German Embassy Nairobi: visa for higher education studies
• DAAD: costs of education and living
• Social Code Book V, Section 5: compulsory health insurance, including students (in German)
• BAMF: family reunification with third-country nationals
• Federal Foreign Office: studying in Germany, including family members
• German Bundestag: federal government submits BAföG amendment, 8 October 2026 (in German)