In this article we will guide you step by step to activate your accounts in Expatrio.
Wherther you will need to do a step or not will depend 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 is the next step for you in your Expatrio App if you go to "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 of 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" and click "Start Account Activation" directly. In the next step, enter the IBAN and BIC of your own SEPA bank account to complete identity verification and complete the Blocked Account activation process.
Step 4: Enter your German address, 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 need to provide a German phone number to receive a mobile verification code. Please make sure that your phone number is correct and your phone has a very 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 that you have been in Germany, please choose the payout start date on the activation process accordingly. In your first monthly payout, you are eligible to get up to 3 monthly disbursements.
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 from August, September and October.
Step 5: Confirm your Tax Identification Number
If you do not know what is your Tax Identification Number, please check this article.
Step 6: Select an identity verification method
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.
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 aggrements missing signatures is not valid address proof documents.
Please note: If you have a Techniker Krankenkasse Public Health insurance with Expatrio, you will not be asked to upload an address proof.
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 that you got the visa.
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: Complete the identity verification
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 10: Pairing your mobile phone
Pairing a mobile device is to connect your mobile device to the App to ensure a more secure login.
1. You need to enter the verification code received on your phone.
2. You need to answer 3 questions correctly to verify your identity. Including: date of birth, place of birth (consistent with the information on the front page of your passport), passport number, and postal code of your German address and your national identification number.
You can always go to the Menu on the top right corner of your Expatrio App or User portal, and click to "personal data" section to see the details registered on our system. Please bear in mind that your replies to those security questions has to match the details we have of yours in our systems.
3. Set a password for each account-related operation. At this point, your Blocked Account and Bank account* have been activated at the same time!
Then your accounts are active!
Your payouts are going to be sent to your Bank Account instantly and you can simply go to your Banking tab of your App to create a digital card and start using your money!
If you have questions related to 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.
*Bank account powered by 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.