You can activate the Expatrio Bank Account* we offer via your Expatrio mobile app.
We combined the activation process for the blocked account and the bank account to make the experience as smooth as possible for you. You can start the process with the Activate button on the Blocked Account section of your Expatrio user portal or app. Our activation tool will then walk you through the process step by step.
You will need a smartphone with the Expatrio app, your own German phone number, and the below documents to activate your bank account. Please read about the requirements in detail below.
What documents will I need?
Having both your blocked account and bank account through Expatrio will save you a lot of time. You will have to provide your documents only to Expatrio and have both your blocked account and bank account activated! You will not have to go through this process with two different providers, which will make the process easier and faster for you.
While activating your blocked account and bank account, you will need the below documents:
-
Passport, which:
- must be in your name
- must be still valid
-
Proof of address, which:
- must be less than 3 months old
- must have your full name
- must have your German address
- can be one of these document types:
- a utility bill (electricity, water, or gas bill)
- a letter from a health insurance company
- a rental agreement (signed by both parties and dated)
- an official municipality document (for example, the Anmeldung/address registration form or a letter from Deutsche Rentenversicherung)
-
Proof of residency, which:
- must be in your name
- must be for Germany
- must be still valid
- Can be one of these document types:
- a visa document
- a temporary residence permit card (Fiktionsbescheinigung)
- a residence Permit (Aufenthaltstitel)
Exceptions:
- If you have TK public health insurance with Expatrio, you will not need to provide a proof of address. Your insurance certificate will be automatically used as your proof of address.
- If you arrived in Germany less than 90 days ago and you are from Australia, Canada, Israel, or Japan, The Republic of Korea (South Korea), New Zealand, or the US,A you will not need proof of residency:
Tips:
If you do not have one of the above-listed proofs of address document types that is less than three months old, you can get one from your insurance provider. You can ask them to send you a confirmation of your insurance via post or email with your address showing. In German, this document is called "Bestätigung des Krankenversicherung." This way, you can get a sufficient document stating your address with a recent date.
Device Pairing
Once your documents are verified, you will need to pair your smartphone with your bank account to start using it.
You will need your own German phone number to do this. If you do not have a German phone number yet, we recommend checking out our Top Mobile Network Providers in Germany article for some tips.
To start the device pairing, please go to the Banking tab on your Expatrio app and follow the steps there.
Please note: an SMS code will be sent to your phone number to ensure that your device is being paired to your bank account.
You will also have to answer a set of questions to verify your identity. You have to answer all 3 questions correctly for the device pairing to be successful.
Should you fail to answer the questions correctly too many times, our customer support team will be ready to help you. You can contact us here.
To get more details, please read this article.
When can I activate the bank account?
You can activate your Expatrio bank account after you arrive in Germany.
You can activate your blocked account and bank account at the same time, but it is important to note that you can keep all of your funds blocked for up to 3 months even after activating the accounts. This means that you can start using your bank account right away, even if you do not want to start your monthly blocked account payouts yet.
*Banking services are provided by our partner Aion Bank