No, you cannot use the Blocked Account directly to pay your monthly rent and other expenses. The Blocked Account is to secure your living costs while in Germany. The money from the blocked account is not directly accessible.
Please do not provide your blocked account information (IBAN/BIC) to your mobile phone company or other agencies to debit your bills from the blocked account as they will be refused.
How can I manage my daily expenses?
You will need to open a personal bank account (Current Account) to pay your monthly rent and other expenses. The money from the blocked account will be transferred to your current account on a monthly basis. From there, you will be able to manage your daily expenses. Find out more about current account providers here.
How can I access the funds from my blocked account?
Once you arrive in Germany and would like to receive the monthly disbursements, you will need to login to the Expatrio User Portal and activate your blocked account via the button "Activate" on your Blocked Account page.
From here you will need to provide the information required, once your documents are confirmed we will transfer your funds. It will take 3-5 business days for the funds to arrive to your current account.