How To Get Proof of Sufficient Funds for Studying in Germany
There are there (3) proof of financial funds sources that you can use to show sufficient funds to support yourself while studying and living in Germany. In fact, one of them involves studying in Germany without blocked account. We will discuss all these options for how to show them during visa interviews in this article.
In one of our previous articles, we explained how to find universities that offer tuition-free courses in Germany. In other words, universities in Germany where you don’t pay tuition to study.
It gets better, these universities offer these degree programs in English Language and they have many course offerings at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. You can watch a video on how to find courses in tuition-free universities in Germany.
So, it doesn’t matter whether you are looking for a Bachelor, Master or PhD program. You will find schools that offer them for FREE.
Now to the topic of this article – proof of financial support for international students in Germany.
Proofs of Financial Support for International Students In Germany
After publishing the video we linked to on YouTube, many people who watched appreciated the content but wanted to know more. They were particularly interested in how they would get funds to take care of their living expenses.
Yes, tuition is FREE but you still have to show that you can pay for your housing, feeding, books and semester contributions. It is one of the most important requirements for a German student visa. And this requirement is only for residents of non-EU countries who wish to study in Germany.
They ask you to show proof to this amount in your visa application. In other words, do you have enough funds to support yourself while studying and living in Germany.
So, how much is this amount that you need in a block account?
It is a minimum of 10,332 Euros. You can deposit more.
We will address how to open a block account in Germany and the options you have in a different video. So, make sure you like this video and subscribe to this channel.
Back to funding your study in Germany, we will discuss 3 options for showing proof of financial funds.
3 Proofs of Fund Sources for Studying in Germany
The following are the proofs that you can use to show that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while living in Germany. Next, we are going to explain each of these proof of fund option in details:
Deposit Cash in a Blocked Account?
The first one, which is also the most common is opening a blocked account and depositing the prescribed amount. Here you put the stipulated amount of money in a block account. If you don’t have proof of this amount of money, you won’t be grated visa.
As an applicant for a German student visa, you must deposit at least 10,332 euros into a special account known as a “German blocked account” to demonstrate that you have the financial resources to support yourself during the first year of your study.
Until you arrive in Germany, this sum will be blocked in the bank. In other words, you don’t have access to the money until you get to Germany.
A maximum of 861 Euros can be withdrawn each month while the student is in Germany. You will only be allowed to withdraw more than 861 Euros per month if you deposited more than the minimum 10,332 Euros in the blocked account.
I have seen people take loan to deposit into the account and find work to make money to repay the loan while already in Germany. Your parents and family members may also contribute money for this account. You know your options better.
Get the Bank Statement of a Sponsor
The second option for proof of financial funding for your German Student Visa is Sponsorship Letter
This is a letter of sponsorship by someone who lives in Germany stating that they will cover all your costs throughout your stay in Germany.
This letter is officially called a Declaration of Commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung)
Visa applicants must provide evidence of their ability to pay for their travel to and stay in Germany. A commitment declaration, also known as a letter of financial support, must be provided by the applicant and must be signed by the person who would be covering the applicant’s expenses while in Germany. That is, the sponsor.
Who Can Give Declaration of Commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung)?
A person that has sufficient incomes or savings to take care of themselves and you. So, their income must be able to cover your expenses and theirs.
Therefore, you need the following evidence from them:
- Salary statements of the past 6 months.
- Contract of their employment. With a validity period covering at least 6 upcoming
- Formal letter of the employer issued over the past 2 weeks. The letter must confirm that the host is still their employee.
Find a Scholarship to Fund Your German Education
The third and last option to show financial support for international students in Germany is through Scholarships:
Yes, there are many scholarship options out there for undergraduate and postgraduate students looking to study in Germany. If you provide a proof of scholarship, it suffices as proof of financial fund.
To search for scholarship, you can go to DAAD.DE — they have a database you can search for various graduate scholarship options.
DAAD scholarships are aimed primarily at graduates, doctoral students and postdocs and are awarded for study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. In some programmes, internships are also funded.
The scholarships usually consist of a monthly scholarship payment (currently, for example, € 861 for graduates (Master) and € 1,200 for doctoral/PhD students) and a flat-rate travel allowance.
In many cases, DAAD also provides you with health, accident and personal liability insurance. Depending on scholarship programme, here are also additional benefits such as a one-off research allowance, family benefits or funds for language courses.
Once again, the website is www.daad.de — You can also find an article on it in the description.
Other Scholarships Sources for International Students In Germany:
Your university website — they usually list scholarships that are available to international students. Take advantage of those scholarships.
There are also other private organizations that give out scholarships every year. You can use the scholarship awards you get from them to show that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while living in Germany. They are grouped as follows:
Party-affiliated foundations:
This scholarship includes names like Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung. You can check the direct links to their websites below:
- Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung,
- Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung,
- Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung,
- Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung,
- Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung and
- Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung.
Denominational Organizations for Studying In Germany:
These are religious organizations, so if you are a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Catholic, there are organizations out there that give scholarships. You can read the details about these organizations by clicking their links below:
- Protestant,
- Catholic,
- Jewish and
- Muslim
Corporate Foundations Scholarships In Germany:
Many companies have foundations with their own scholarship programs that are related to their issues and goals. You have to check your school websites or use Google search to get these scholarships.
European Union (Erasmus+)
Students from EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey, and North Macedonia are eligible for the Erasmus+ exchange scholarship. It promotes three to twelve-month long study abroad programs through bilateral agreements between European higher education institutions.
For details: Go to Erasmus+ Website.
Federal States
Germany’s federal states award scholarships mainly based on financial circumstances. This is more like a need-based scholarship. Good grades is required to qualify for the scholarships.
Socially-Oriented Organizations
There are funding organizations that grant scholarships based on a student’s social, familial, and personal circumstances rather than on academic merit. e.g. for single mothers’ scholarships provided by the Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Foundation.
Research Institutions
Scholarships are given out by academic research organizations like the German Research Foundation and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation based on academic accomplishment. Outstanding young researchers pursuing an academic career can typically find funding.
Examples include the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Research Foundation.
Student Organizations
There are other organizations established by students for students, typically on a volunteer basis. For instance, the Bundesvertretung der Medizinstudierenden in Deutschland (BVMD) arranges for medical students to participate in overseas exchange programs. Students from Eastern Europe are supported by the Gemeinschaft für Studentischen Austausch in Mittel- und Osteuropa (GFPS).
The links for these organizations are as follows:
- Bundesvertretung der Medizinstudierenden in Deutschland (BVMD)
- Gemeinschaft für studentischen Austausch in Mittel- und Osteuropa (GFPS).
In the event that you took a loan and want to pay back when you get to Germany. You can work to raise money. You can also apply for some not-very-known scholarships provided by organizations like NGOs, Churches and so on.
These are the three most popular and easiest ways to get financial support for international students in Germany. You must have a way to pay for your expenses when studying in Germany.
