The Current Bank Account is one of the essential things which you would definitely need for your life in Germany. Besides the fact that it is necessary for you to be able to receive the funds from your Blocked Account, it would be highly useful for your day to day activities.
There are two ways for you to open a Current Bank Account. First, one is fully digitalized and can be done in advance with the help of Expatrio and Monese. The second way involves conventional German banks (like Sparkasse) and can be applied only after your arrival. Let's talk about each of the Current Bank Account opening options in a little more detail.
Current Bank Account with Expatrio and Monese
Thanks to the special partnership between Monese and Expatrio our clients can open the Current Bank Account for their future usage in Germany way in advance and without any extra paperwork. If you order Value Package, Health Insurance Plus or Blocked Account you receive the Monese account for the whole year for free (normally worth €4.95 per month). To open the account you will need only:
- Internet connection
- Smartphone
- Passport
To start the process just click here.
Apart from Monese, there are several other digitalized banks Expatrio can recommend. You can find the list of those banks in our article about Finance in Germany.
Current Bank Account with any conventional German bank
If it is more convenient for you, you can open a German Current Bank Account in any of the conventional German banks after you arrive in the country. Please be prepared that it might take a while before you will be actually able to go to the bank and open the account. The process might take a while because almost all the banks will ask for some additional documents such as proof of registration or SCHUFA (score that accesses your financial stability).
The full list of documents that might be asked is as following:
- An offline appointment (visit a bank branch of your choice and make an appointment)
- Your passport with visa or national identity card (if you’re an EU citizen)
- Proof of registration (Meldebescheinigung)
- Enrollment Certificate (if you want to open a student account)
- A document to prove your income (if you are working)
- SCHUFA credit score
Note: Most of the German conventional banks would charge you monthly account fees unless you open a student account.
Related articles:
- Which Current Account should I use to receive my funds?
- Do I have to use the Monese account when purchasing the Value Package or can I use another bank account?
- Monese - Current Account Provider