Money
How much a German blocked account needs to hold
In short
German missions currently require proof of a blocked account in the applicant's name holding EUR 11,904 for the first year, with no more than EUR 992 withdrawable per month. The amount rose from EUR 11,208 in 2024 and is tied to the maximum BAfoeG student support rate, which is why it moves when that rate does.
The blocked account is the clearest financial requirement in European study admissions: one number, one account, no interpretation. The questions are what it covers and when it changes.
Figures below are as stated by German missions in 2026. Confirm on your own mission's checklist, because the checklists are country-specific.
The current figure
The German Embassy in India states that the blocked account must hold the amount currently required for the first year of studies, EUR 11,904, and that no more than EUR 992 per month may be withdrawn. The arithmetic is twelve months at EUR 992.
The previous amount was EUR 934 per month, or EUR 11,208 a year, which applied until the figure increased in 2024. If a guide quotes EUR 11,208 or the much older EUR 10,332, it is out of date.
Student checklists published by other German missions carry the same figures, worded as a minimum balance with a monthly disposal limit noted on the account confirmation.
Why the number moves
The Federal Foreign Office explains that the required deposit varies by purpose of stay and is based on the maximum rates of BAfoeG, the German student support scheme. The blocked account is therefore pegged to what the German state considers a student needs, not to a figure set for foreigners.
A BAfoeG reform approved by the German cabinet in August 2026 would raise those rates from 2027 onward. It was not yet law at the time of writing, and whether mission figures follow automatically is not something the published pages state. Treat a future increase as likely rather than scheduled.
What it does not cover
The blocked account is living costs. Tuition, where a programme charges it, semester contributions and health insurance are separate questions, and public universities in several federal states charge no tuition but still levy a semester fee.
A scholarship, a formal declaration of commitment from a sponsor in Germany, or a bank guarantee can substitute in some circumstances, and the mission checklist is the authority on which of these it accepts.
Germany's documents are the real work
Compared with the financial step, the academic file is where German applications are won or lost: the APS certificate for Indian applicants, uni-assist processing where the university uses it, and a motivation letter that reads like an argument rather than a biography.
If you are writing that letter, our motivation letter guidance and the note on researching a department in an hour are the two most useful starting points, in that order.
Related questions
Can I withdraw more than EUR 992 in a month?
No. The account confirmation states a monthly disposal limit, and the limit is the point of the instrument. Money above the monthly amount stays blocked.
Does the blocked account include tuition fees?
No. It is the living-cost proof. Tuition, semester contributions and insurance are dealt with separately, and the mission checklist sets out what else must be shown.
Will the amount rise in 2027?
Possibly. The figure is tied to BAfoeG maximum rates, and a reform raising those rates was approved by the German cabinet in August 2026 but was not yet law. Check your mission's checklist close to your application date.