by Amina Jukovic
Securing the required amount in a blocked account is mandatory for all international students applying for a student visa to study in Germany.
Since the blocked account amount cannot remain fixed, as its purpose is to ensure international students have enough money during their first year in Germany, the amount will continue to increase annually as the cost of living rises.
As confirmed earlier this year by Studying-In-Germany, all international students applying for a German student visa must deposit €11,904 into their blocked account (€992 per month), as of this September. While it might not seem like a significant increase to some, securing the required amount for the blocked account can be challenging for many other students and often causes financial stress and burnout during the savings process.
However, international students can study in Germany without a blocked account. Experts from Studying-In-Germany have confirmed several alternative ways for students to prove sufficient financial means, which can also benefit Nigerian students interested in pursuing higher education in Germany. These alternatives include:
Parent’s income and financial status document: Students must provide proof of their parent’s financial status to show they can support them during their studies.
Scholarship certificate from a recognized provider: To confirm secured funding for their studies in Germany, students would need to submit a scholarship certificate.
Letter of Commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung): This is a formal document that is provided by a German resident who guarantees covering student’s expenses during their studies.
Bank Guarantee: This is a guarantee from a bank which ensures that students’ financial needs will be met accordingly.
To ensure that students have a smoother visa application process for studying in Germany, German authorities offered these four other financial alternatives to the blocked account. These alternatives can help international students fulfill the financial requirements, and allow them to prepare more easily considering additional choices.
