Blocked Accounts, Bank Accounts and Paying Tuition From Abroad: Money Logistics for Students

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Before you study in Europe you move money three times: to prove you have it, to pay the university, and to live on. Each step has its own rules, and mistakes here delay visas more often than missing diplomas do. This guide covers the seven countries in our catalogue as of October 2026.

Showing proof of funds

Every consulate asks non-EU students to prove they can pay for their stay. The amount and the accepted form differ by country; the figures are in our visa comparison. The usual forms are:

• a bank statement in your own name, covering recent months
• a blocked account, required in practice for Germany
• a scholarship award letter
• a formal sponsorship declaration from a relative, with that person's bank statements

Consulates look for money that has been in the account for some time. A large deposit made the week before the appointment raises questions.

The German blocked account

Germany asks most non-EU students to deposit a year's living costs in a blocked account (Sperrkonto) before applying for the visa.

• The amount follows the maximum student grant: €992 a month, which is €11,904 for a year.
• You open the account online with a provider accepted by the German missions, transfer the full sum from abroad, and receive a confirmation for the visa file.
• After you arrive and open an ordinary German current account, the provider releases one monthly instalment at a time.
• Providers charge a set-up fee and a monthly fee. The Federal Foreign Office publishes the list of accepted providers; compare fees there, not in advertisements.
• The money remains yours. If the visa is refused, the provider returns it on presentation of the refusal.

A scholarship or a formal commitment by a resident of Germany can replace the account in whole or in part. See student visa for Germany.

Opening a local bank account

You will need an account in the country where you study for rent, a phone contract, wages and, in Germany, the monthly release from the blocked account.

• Documents: passport, proof of enrolment, proof of address, and in several countries a tax number or the residence permit.
• Timing: banks often ask for the residence permit or registration of address, which you obtain only after arrival. Plan for two to four weeks without a local account.
• IBAN rules. Within the EU a company may not refuse a euro payment because your IBAN is from another member state. In practice an account from the same country still avoids arguments with landlords and utilities.
• Switzerland and Czechia use their own currencies, so an account in francs or koruna saves conversion on every payment.

Paying tuition and deposits from abroad

• Use the university's reference exactly. Payments are matched by a reference number; a missing one can leave you recorded as unpaid.
• Send the amount in the currency of the invoice. If your bank converts, both the exchange rate margin and the transfer fee matter. Ask for the total cost, and compare it with a specialised money transfer service.
• Allow time. Transfers from outside the European payments area take several working days. Do not pay on the deadline day.
• Keep the proof. Save the payment confirmation as a PDF; consulates and universities ask for it.
• Card payments through the university's portal are convenient for small sums but may carry a foreign transaction fee.

Paying a deposit for housing

Never send a deposit by cash transfer service or to a personal account in a third country for a flat you have not seen. Our guide to finding student housing lists the common scams.

Living on money from home

• A multi-currency account or a card without foreign transaction fees avoids losing a few percent on every purchase.
• Regular transfers from family are simplest from an account in your own name; some countries ask for them as ongoing proof of funds at permit renewal.
• Keep statements. Renewal of a residence permit usually requires showing means again.

Budget alongside tuition

Proof-of-funds amounts are minimums set by law, not living costs. Rents in capital cities exceed them. The typical dormitory price in our catalogue ranges from €139 a month in Czechia to €545 in Spain, and private rooms cost more. See the cost guides for Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czechia and Switzerland.

Official sources

• German Federal Foreign Office: blocked account
• Study in Germany (DAAD)
• Your Europe: payments, transfers and cheques
• Your Europe: bank accounts in the EU

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.