If you are applying for a German student visa from Pakistan, India, or Bangladesh, the embassy will ask for one piece of paper that scares everyone: proof that you can pay for a full year of living costs. The standard way to prove it is a Sperrkonto — a blocked account where you deposit €11.904 and the bank then drips it back to you at €992 per month. The money is genuinely yours; it is just rationed so you cannot spend it all in week one. This guide walks through the real numbers, the timeline, and the Fintiba-vs-Expatrio decision.

What a Sperrkonto actually is

A Sperrkonto ("blocked account") is a German bank account that holds your living-cost money under a withdrawal limit. You wire in the full year's amount before your visa appointment; the bank confirms the deposit to the embassy; and once you arrive in Germany, the account unblocks one month's allowance at a time. It exists so Germany knows you will not run out of money and become a burden — the legal term is Sicherung des Lebensunterhalts (securing your livelihood).^{make-it-in-germany.com}

Drag the deposit slider and press Fill vault, then step through the months — watch how €11,904 goes in but only €992 comes out each month. Toggle Fintiba vs Expatrio to see the small admin fee skimmed off every release.

Why €992 a month — and not the full lump sum

This is the part newcomers underestimate. Even though the whole €11.904 is sitting in your name, you can only access €992 in any single month. There is no "emergency, give me €3,000" button. If your first month's rent deposit (Kaution) is €1,500, the blocked account alone will not cover it — you need a small separate buffer.

Fintiba vs Expatrio — the two providers students actually use

Almost every student from Pakistan and India opens their Sperrkonto online with Fintiba or Expatrio. Both are recognised by the Federal Foreign Office, both issue the official blocking confirmation (Sperrbestätigung) the embassy wants, and both can usually have your account ready in 1–3 business days. The differences are in fees, bundles, and how fast the confirmation lands in your inbox.

The timeline: from "open account" to visa appointment

The Sperrkonto is on the critical path to your visa appointment, so start it early. A realistic sequence from Pakistan or India looks like this:

1. 1

   Open the account online

   Day 0

   Pick Fintiba or Expatrio, fill the form with your passport and (provisional) German or home address. No travel needed — the whole thing is app + video/photo ID.

2. 2

   Get your IBAN + transfer instructions

   1–3 days

   The provider issues a German IBAN and a reference code. You'll also see the exact amount to send: €11,904 plus their one-time setup fee.

3. 3

   Wire €11,904 from home

   2–5 days to clear

   Send from a Pakistani/Indian bank or via a transfer service. Budget for FX spread and the receiving bank's processing time — start this the moment you have the IBAN.

4. 4

   Receive the Sperrbestätigung

   Same day once funds land

   The provider emails the official blocking confirmation. This is the document the embassy wants — print it and add it to your visa file.

5. 5

   Visa appointment + decision

   4–12 weeks

   Submit the confirmation with your admission letter, insurance, and passport. Student visa processing typically runs 4–12 weeks.^{auswaertiges-amt.de}

6. 6

   Arrive, register, unblock

   First 1–2 weeks in Germany

   Do your Anmeldung (address registration), finish in-app verification, and the first €992 unlocks. Then it releases monthly for the rest of the year.

How much to actually wire (don't underfund it)

Send the full €11.904 — embassies reject confirmations that fall even slightly short. Then account for the extras so the number that lands is exactly right:

A common mistake is wiring exactly €11,904 and watching fees eat into it, leaving €11,860 in the account — which is below the threshold. Always add a margin so the blocked balance clears the bar with room to spare. Anything above €11,904 simply sits as an unblocked buffer you can withdraw freely.

Alternatives to a blocked account

The Sperrkonto is the default, but it is not the only accepted proof of funds:

For a funded job offer — Blue Card, skilled worker, or many Opportunity Card cases — you generally do not need a blocked account at all, because the salary or required monthly proof covers the livelihood test. Check which route is yours with our visa path overview.

After you arrive: spend the €992 wisely

Once the account is live, the monthly release is your baseline budget. Pair it with the rest of your money setup so you are not paying foreign-card fees on every coffee:

Next steps once the money is flowing: pick a day-to-day account in our banking guide, sort coverage with the health-insurance guide, send money home cheaply via the remittance comparison, and reclaim what the tax office owes you in year one with the income-tax guide.