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Germany's blocked account (Sperrkonto) for students: 992 Euro a month in 2027, and what the BAföG bill could change

Students applying for a German study visa must show they can live on 992 Euro a month in 2027, usually through a blocked account. The figure follows the BAföG student-grant rates and has not changed since 2025. A government bill sent to the Bundestag in October 2026 would raise those rates in steps from 1 April 2027, but the 2027 notice still says 992 Euro.

DevelopingBy Last changed Verified · Confidence: highVersion 1 · See all changesWork and study in Germany · Germany student visa · Blocked account · Sperrkonto · BAföG · Proof of funds

Extreme close-up of a euro banknote showing the word EURO in Latin and Greek letters on orange and cream paperIllustration
Close-up of a euro banknote, used to illustrate the money students must show for a German visa. Illustration, not a photo/footage of the event. Credit: Storyblocks.
Current rule

The official amount for 2027 is 992 Euro a month. A government bill before the Bundestag would raise the BAföG rates the amount is based on from 1 April 2027.

Last changed:

Work out how much you need to show

"Study and similar" covers permits under §§ 16a–16c, 16e and 16f, except language courses that do not prepare for study. "Vocational training" is training in a company or at a school. The surcharge applies to language courses that do not prepare for study (§ 16f(1)), recognition of a foreign qualification (§ 16d) and looking for a training or study place (§ 17).

How the monthly amount adds up
ItemEuro a month

Account fees come on top: the Federal Foreign Office says you pay the blocked account's fees in addition to the blocked amount.

Change proposed, not yet law. A government bill (Drucksache 21/8405) would raise the student-grant (BAföG) rates behind this amount from 1 April 2027, including the €380 housing amount. The notice for 2027 still says €992. Checked when this record was last verified, 10 October 2026.

Amounts from the Federal Interior Ministry's notice for 2027 and the 10% surcharge from § 2(3) of the Residence Act, cited on this page; values from version 1 of this record, last verified 10 October 2026. The embassy or foreigners authority decides. Information, not legal advice.

Latest update

The Interior Ministry's notice for 2027 keeps the amount at 992 Euro a month, while a new government bill would raise the BAföG rates behind it from 1 April 2027.

What changed in this version

Version 1, : Story created.

Key facts

  • For 2027, the Federal Interior Ministry has set the money a student must show for a German study visa or residence permit at 992 Euro a month, unchanged from 2026. It published the figure in the Federal Gazette on 31 August 2026. [1]
  • If you prove accommodation whose rent and service charges are below 380 Euro a month, the amount you must show falls by the difference. [1]
  • In October 2026 the federal government sent the Bundestag a bill (Drucksache 21/8405) that would raise the BAföG housing amount from 380 Euro to 440 Euro and the insurance supplements from 102 Euro to 121 Euro and from 35 Euro to 39 Euro, from 1 April 2027. [9]
Bar chart of the monthly amount a student must show for a German study visa, by calendar year. 2024: 934 euros a month, 11,208 a year, published 30 August 2023, housing threshold 360 euros. 2025: 992 euros a month, 11,904 a year, published 27 August 2024, housing threshold 380. 2026: 992, 11,904, published 29 August 2025, threshold 380. 2027: 992, 11,904, published 31 August 2026, threshold 380.
Graphic by Stories of Record, from the sources below. The student amount for each year since 2024, from the Interior Ministry's notices in the Federal Gazette. Chart by Stories of Record. Credit: Stories of Record (all rights reserved).
Stacked bars of the BAföG monthly need for a student living away from parents. Now, per the 2027 notice and the law in force: basic need 475, housing 380, health insurance 102, care insurance 35, total 992 euros. If the government bill passes: from 1 April 2027, 475 plus 440 plus 121 plus 39, total 1,075; from 1 August 2027, 503 plus 440 plus 124 plus 40, total 1,107; from 1 April 2029, 563 plus 440 plus 132 plus 43, total 1,178. Note: the bill is not law yet, the 2027 notice says 992 euros, and neither says whether visa offices would ask for more during 2027.
Graphic by Stories of Record, from the sources below. How the 992 euros is built from BAföG rates, and the rates the October 2026 bill would set. These are BAföG rates, not announced visa amounts. Chart by Stories of Record. Credit: Stories of Record (all rights reserved).

Record history (timeline)

  1. In October 2026 the federal government sent the Bundestag a bill (Drucksache 21/8405) that would raise the BAföG housing amount from 380 Euro to 440 Euro and the insurance supplements from 102 Euro to 121 Euro and from 35 Euro to 39 Euro, from 1 April 2027. [9]
  2. For 2027, the Federal Interior Ministry has set the money a student must show for a German study visa or residence permit at 992 Euro a month, unchanged from 2026. It published the figure in the Federal Gazette on 31 August 2026. [1]
  3. For 2026 the amount was also 992 Euro a month, published on 29 August 2025. [5]
  4. For 2025 the amount rose to 992 Euro a month, published on 27 August 2024, with the housing threshold at 380 Euro. [6]
  5. For 2024 the amount was 934 Euro a month, published on 30 August 2023, with a housing threshold of 360 Euro. [7]

View full history

What is confirmed

  • The same notice sets 959 Euro a month for vocational training (betriebliche or schulische Berufsausbildung) and 666 Euro a month for a permit under section 16g of the Residence Act. [1]
  • The Residence Act ties the amount to the monthly need under the student-grant law (BAföG, sections 13 and 13a(1)), and the Interior Ministry must announce it for each calendar year by 31 August of the year before. [2]
  • The student amount is the sum of four BAföG amounts: 475 Euro basic need, 380 Euro for housing away from parents, 102 Euro for health insurance and 35 Euro for long-term care insurance. [3] [4]
  • For recognition measures (section 16d), language courses that do not prepare for study, and stays to look for a training place or a university place (section 17), the law asks for the same amount plus 10 percent. [2]
  • For 2026 the amount was also 992 Euro a month, published on 29 August 2025. [5]
  • For 2025 the amount rose to 992 Euro a month, published on 27 August 2024, with the housing threshold at 380 Euro. [6]
  • For 2024 the amount was 934 Euro a month, published on 30 August 2023, with a housing threshold of 360 Euro. [7]
  • A blocked account (Sperrkonto) is the usual way to show the money. You can choose any bank or similar provider, often online; its fees come on top of the blocked amount; the account is normally set up for one year; and only a fixed amount can be withdrawn each month, so the money lasts the whole stay. [8]
  • The block can be lifted only with the consent of the mission or foreigners authority named on the account. If your visa is refused, the refusal letter is enough. The Foreign Office does not recommend providers and is not liable if one fails. [8]
  • The bill would then raise the basic student need from 475 Euro to 503 Euro from 1 August 2027 and to 563 Euro from 1 April 2029, with further rises in the insurance supplements. [9]
  • The Bundesrat criticised that the housing rise comes in the summer semester 2027 instead of the winter semester 2026/2027 promised in the coalition agreement. The government rejected most of its demands. [10]

What remains unconfirmed

No open questions are being tracked.

Why it matters

International students and their families plan a year of savings around this figure, and banks block it for twelve months. Paying in too little can delay a visa; knowing that cheaper rent lowers the figure, or that a bill may raise it, helps people plan.

What happens next?

  • : If passed as drafted, the BAföG bill's first changes, including the higher housing amount, take effect on 1 April 2027. [9]
  • : The Interior Ministry must announce the following year's amount by 31 August. [2]

Questions

How much money do I need in a German blocked account in 2027?

992 Euro a month for a study visa or student residence permit, according to the Interior Ministry's notice for 2027. For a full year that is the monthly figure times twelve, unless your planned stay is shorter.

Has the amount changed since last year?

No. It was 992 Euro a month in 2025 and 2026 as well. It was 934 Euro a month in 2024.

Can I show less money if my rent is cheap?

Yes. If you prove accommodation whose rent and service charges are below 380 Euro a month, the amount you must show falls by the difference.

Will the amount go up when the BAföG reform passes?

The bill would raise the BAföG rates the amount is built from, starting on 1 April 2027. It is still a bill, and the Interior Ministry's notice for 2027 says 992 Euro. Neither the bill nor the notice says whether visa offices would ask for more during 2027. Check your mission's page before you pay in.

Is the amount different for a language course or apprenticeship?

Yes. Vocational training uses 959 Euro a month. A language course that does not prepare for study, a recognition measure, or a stay to look for a university or training place needs the student amount plus 10 percent.

Which bank should I use?

You may choose any bank or similar provider, often online. The Foreign Office does not recommend providers and is not liable if one fails. Account fees come on top of the blocked amount.

How do I get my money back if my visa is refused?

The refusal letter is enough to lift the block. Otherwise the block can be lifted only with the consent of the mission or foreigners authority named on the account.

How much can I withdraw each month?

Only a fixed amount each month, so that the minimum monthly amount is there for every month of your stay and the money is not used up early.

Sources

  1. Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) Official (government)
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  2. Gesetze im Internet (Federal Ministry of Justice) Original document
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  3. Gesetze im Internet (Federal Ministry of Justice) Original document
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  4. Gesetze im Internet (Federal Ministry of Justice) Original document
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  5. Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) Official (government)
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  6. Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) Official (government)
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  7. Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) Official (government)
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  8. Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) Official (government)
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  9. Deutscher Bundestag Official (government)
    Retrieved: 10 October 2026
  10. Deutscher Bundestag Official (government)
    Published: 10 August 2026Retrieved: 10 October 2026

People, places and organizations

organization
Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)
organization
Federal Foreign Office
topic
BAföG