Germany student visa financial requirement
How much you must show for a Germany student visa, in what form, and for how long you must have held it. This is the requirement that refuses more applications than any other, and almost always on the form of the evidence rather than the amount.
At a glance
| Visa | Nationales Visum zu Studienzwecken — the national "D" visa for study under Section 16b of the Residence Act. It is NOT a Schengen visa: it covers a stay longer than 90 days, and after you arrive and register you convert it into a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) at the local Ausländerbehörde. The same visa type covers a Studienkolleg preparatory course and a language course taken to prepare for a degree — but not a language course taken for its own sake, which is a different visa and a common misfiling. |
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The requirement, as published
As published by the German Missions in India: a blocked bank account ("Sperrkonto") in Germany "with sufficient funds to cover the first year of studies, currently amounting to 11,904.—EUR and with a blocking confirmation stating that no more than 992.—EUR per month can be withdrawn". The account must be open BEFORE you apply, and the confirmation has to state both the amount paid in and the monthly amount available. Three alternatives are accepted in its place: a formal Declaration of Commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) made by a sponsor in Germany before their local immigration office, proof of a German or EU scholarship, or proof of an education loan. Note the figure is the one the India mission publishes — the Federal Foreign Office's general page and other visa types carry different monthly amounts, and those do not apply to this route.
The form of the money matters as much as the amount
Applicants concentrate on reaching the figure and are refused on how the money is held. Across every major student visa route the same four questions decide it.
- Whose account is it in? Routes differ on whether a parent's account is acceptable and what proof of relationship is needed.
- How long has it been there? Many routes require the funds to have been held for a continuous period, and a deposit made last week usually fails.
- What kind of account? Some routes exclude accounts you cannot access immediately.
- Can you evidence the source? A large recent credit without an explanation invites a refusal even when the balance is correct.
Education loans as proof of funds
A sanctioned education loan is accepted as evidence of funds by several routes, which is why the loan timeline and the visa timeline are the same timeline. A sanction letter is usually needed, not an in-principle approval.
- Confirm your route accepts a loan sanction letter, and from which kind of lender.
- Allow for the loan taking longer than the lender indicates — collateral valuation is the usual delay.
- Keep the sanction letter, the disbursement schedule and the lender's letterhead details together.
Our lender pages at /education-loan carry each lender's processing indication and how recently we read it. Work backwards from the visa date, not from the course start.
Financial requirement — FAQs
2 questions
The amount is quoted above from the official source, and it depends on your course length and where you will live. The holding period and the form of the account matter as much as the figure.
Several routes allow it with evidence of the relationship and their consent. Check the requirement above and the official source, because the rules differ by country.
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Sources
Checked against these sources on 10 November 2026.