In this article, we will guide you step by step through activating your accounts* in Expatrio. You can also watch our video below on activating your account.
Whether you need to complete a step depends on your personal data and account type. Our activation tool will ask you to complete a step only if it applies to your case.
You can always see what the next step is for you in your Expatrio App by going to the "Banking" tab.
Step 1: Download the Expatrio App
Step 2: Log in to your App
⚠️You will receive a verification code in your registered email address. Please enter the verification code within 3 minutes to complete the login!
Step 3: Click "Activate" to start the activation process
We open a free German Bank Account* for you automatically** when you activate your blocked account. Please make sure to click "I confirm" to agree to the bank's terms and conditions for the service!
If you already have other SEPA (Single European Payment Area) bank cards to activate your Blocked Account and do not want to open an Expatrio Bank account, do not click "I confirm"; please click "Start Account Activation" directly. In the next step, enter the IBAN and BIC of your own SEPA bank account, complete identity verification, and finalize the Blocked Account activation process.
Step 4: Enter your German address and German phone number, and set the month you would like to start receiving the funds.
Please fill in your German address in detail and accurately. If you order a physical bank card, it will be sent to this address!
If you change your German address later, please click the three lines in the upper right corner of the app and click Personal Data to update.
You must provide a German phone number to receive a mobile verification code. Please ensure your phone number is correct and your phone has a good signal to receive the verification code.
You can choose your preferred payout start month. Please note:
- The payout start month can be up to 2 months in the past or up to 3 months in the future.
- You can get a maximum number of 3 payouts at the time of activation, the funds for the current month included.
- The payout start month can not be earlier than the month you arrived in Germany.
If you arrived in Germany some months ago and would like to receive the funds for those past months, please choose the payout start date on the activation process accordingly. You are eligible for up to 3 monthly disbursements in your first monthly payout.
For example: your visa starts in July, you enter Germany in August, and it is activated in October. You can choose to get your payouts in August, September, and October.
Step 5: Confirm your Tax Identification Number
If you do not know what is your Tax Identification Number, you can check these articles:
- How can I find my TIN (Tax Identification Number)?
- How can I apply for a TIN (Tax Identification Number)?
Step 6: Select an identity verification method and complete the identity verification
You can choose either online identity verification with ID Now or offline verification with Postident where need to visit a post office in order to perform the identity verification. Please bear in mind, available options will be shown to you on the App, if you do not see ID Now or Postident option it means it is not available for you.
If you choose video verification, you need to make sure you are in a quiet, well-lit, and strong signal environment, and have your passport ready, and you can start the verification. You can choose English or German to answer the other party's questions. This process is only to verify your passport and identity, not an oral test, so don't be nervous or worried. We have sorted out the questions that the staff usually asks for you.
- Please look at me and I will take a photo
- Please show me the personal information page on your passport
- Please move your passport back and forth to show the passport hologram
- Please cover a place on your passport with your finger
- Please tell me where your passport signature is
- Please show me the cover of your passport
- Please close your passport and tell me your date of birth
- Please open your passport again and tell me your passport number
If you choose postal verification, you will receive a Postident Coupon. Take this coupon with a QR code and your passport to the post office. The post office staff will scan the code to verify your passport and address information. After signing, the verification is completed. The review result will take a few hours to 2 working days to confirm, please be patient!
Note: If you choose postal verification multiple times, you will receive multiple coupons. Please make sure to use the latest coupon to complete the postal verification.
Step 7: Upload German address proof
German address proof can be one of the following documents, which must reflect your full name and German address, and should not be older than 3 months.
- Lease contract: Please upload the lease contract as a single document, which must have the names, handwritten signatures, and signing dates of both parties.
- Address registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
- Utility bill
- Medical insurance certificate
Unfortunately, Airbnb or hotel receipts or rental agreements missing signatures are not valid address proof documents.
Please note: To finish your Blocked Account setup, you must submit your Proof of Address document within 90 days after activation. This is a legal requirement for all Blocked Account users in Germany.
Step 8: Upload your Visa or Residence Permit
Please upload your German visa or residence permit page. The issuing authority is Germany, and the issuing country is the country where you got the visa from.
Please note that reviewing your documents and the required information usually takes around 30 seconds, but sometimes, additional checks might be needed, and this can take up to one business day.
If you arrived in Germany less than 90 days ago and you are from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan. the Republic of Korea (South Korea), New Zealand or the USA you will not need a visa or residence permit document to open your Expatrio Bank Account. You will asked for these documents after 90 days of arrival to Germany.
Step 9: Pairing your mobile phone
If you accepted the T&C at the beginning to have an Expatrio Bank Account*, the next step is pairing your device. Pairing a mobile device means connecting it to the app to ensure a more secure login.
1. You need to check if the phone number you see on the screen is correct, belongs to you, and can receive SMS. If so, please click 'continue.' If not, please click on the "change phone number" button before starting the device pairing.
2. You need to enter the verification code received on your phone.
3. To verify your identity, you need to answer three questions correctly, including your date of birth, passport issue date, passport number, and the postal code of your German address.
You can always go to the Menu at the top right corner of your Expatrio App or User portal and click on the "personal data" section to see the details registered on our system. Please bear in mind that your replies to those security questions must match the details we have of you in our systems.
4. Set a passcode for each account-related operation. At this point, your Blocked Account and Expatrio Bank account* have been activated at the same time!
Then, your accounts are active!
Your payouts will be sent to your Bank Account instantly. You can simply go to the Banking tab of your App to create a digital card and start using your money!
If you have questions related to the Expatrio Bank account*, please check our article here.
Should you have transferred more than the required Total Blocked Amount, you will receive the excess amount with the first disbursement.
The monthly payouts for future months are scheduled automatically. We send the funds for each usage month on the last days of the previous month.
Your buffer will be transferred one week after the last monthly disbursement.
Once all the monthly payouts are done, your blocked account will be automatically closed.
💡Note: You can activate your health insurance at the same time as your blocked account. If you prefer, you can also activate your insurance later by following the instructions here.
* Banking services are provided by our partner UniCredit (Formerly Aion Bank).
**Unfortunately, users of the Mangopay banking infrastructure are not eligible for an Expatrio Bank account; they have to open SEPA (Single European Payment Area) accounts and connect it to their blocked account during the activation.