Germany/Banking

When living in Germany, having a German Bank Account (or a Euro account) can be useful. Here's a list of accounts for people having an address in Germany. For some banks, having a registered address is not necessary.

This article covers accounts for individuals, also called current account or giro account (Girokonto).

For other account types, see

• List of German Business Bank Accounts
• List of German Savings Accounts
• List of German Credit Cards

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a German bank account?

In this article, German bank account are accounts that have an account number (IBAN) starting with DE….

Do I need a German or a Euro bank account?

To pay rent and most bills or receive salary, you usually need an account that can send and receive SEPA transfers in EUR.

So your bank account does not necessarily be from Germany. It must only be able to send and receive SEPA transfers in EUR. Many accounts from other EU and EEA countries can do that.

However, some companies and authorities have problems using non-German account number (IBAN). This is illegal but it may happen. Then, a German account is more convenient.

Which bank account can I use for my freelancing?

To receive income from freelancing or your business, you usually need a business bank account. Regular bank accounts listed here are for individuals who want to receive their salary from being an employee, their scholarship or similar.

Do I get interest on my money?

On giro accounts in Germany, you usually do not get interests paid out. For such offers, check List of German Savings Accounts.

Which bank account is the best for me?

A bank account that

• speaks your language. There many offers with support in English or even more languages.
• has free cash withdrawals. While all supermarkets already allow card payments, you will still need to use cash at smaller shops, cafés, restaurants or food trucks
• has no monthly fees. There are so many bank accounts even without fees, so you don't need to pick one that costs money
• lets you sign up with our documents. If you don't have an registered address (Anmeldung) yet, this can be difficult.

Lists of (Giro) Bank Accounts for Individuals

Bank Accounts With English Support

• Bunq, speaks also: Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
• Commerzbank (online banking, after signup)
• Deutsche Bank (online banking, after signup)
• Insha
• Lydia
• Monese, speaks also: Bulgarian, Czech, German, Estonian, Spanish, French, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
• N26, speaks also: French, German, Italian, Spanish
• Nuri
• Revolut, speaks also: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish
• Tomorrow
• Vivid Money, speaks also: French, German, Italian, Spanish
• Wise, speaks also: Chinese, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish
• Yuh

Bank Accounts With German Account Number (IBAN)

• 1822direkt
• comdirect
• DKB
• ING
• N26
• Norisbank
• Nuri
• O2 Banking
• Tomorrow
• Vivid Money

Bank Accounts With No Monthly Fees

• DKB
• Insha
• Lydia (free plan with limited features)
• Monese (Starter plan)
• N26
• Nuri
• Revolut
• Vivid Money
• Wise
• Yuh

… if you receive money on it regularly

• 1822direkt if you receive minimum €700 every month
• Commerzbank if you receive minimum €700 every month
• comdirect if you receive minimum €700 every month
• ING if you receive minimum €700 every month
• Norisbank if you receive minimum €500 every month
• O2 Banking if you receive minimum €700 every month

… for young people

• comdirect if you are under 28
• ING if you are under 28
• Norisbank if you are under 21
• O2 Banking if you are under 28 and a student, apprentice or trainee

Bank Accounts With Free Cash Withdrawals

… on all bank machines

• Bunq: 4 per month are free
• DKB
• Nuri: more info
• Revolut: 200 GBP / 5 per month are free
• Wise: 200 GBP / 2 per month are free

… on all bank machines in EEA

• Insha 2 free withdrawals per month

Bank Accounts With Multiple Currencies

• Bunq: more info
• Lydia: EUR & GBP
• Monese: EUR, GBP and RON (RON only with Romanian ID
• Revolut: AUD, BGN, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HRK, HUF, JPY, NOK, PLN, RON, SEK, USD, ZAR
• Vivid Money: up to 105 currencies, but can be topped up only in EUR
• Wise: 50+ currencies
• Yuh: CHF, USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, AUD, CAD, SEK, HKD, NOK, DKK, AED, SGD

Bank Accounts With A Broker

These accounts allow you to trade shares and funds / ETFs. The term in German is usually Depot.

• 1822direkt: more info
• Commerzbank: more info
• comdirect more info
• DKB: more info
• ING: more info
• Norisbank: more info
• O2 Banking: more info
• Revolut: more info
• Vivid Money: more info
• Yuh: more info

Bank Accounts With Crypto Currencies

These accounts allow you to trade Bitcoin etc.

• Nuri: more info
• Revolut: more info
• Vivid Money: more info
• Yuh: more info

Bank Accounts With Bonuses

These accounts will pay you for signing up.

• 1822direkt: €25 or €75 bonus (depending on account type) if you receive 3 salary payments of min. €1000 each within the first 6 months (conditions)
• Commerzbank: €50 welcome bonus if you send or receive 5 payments per month of min. €25 (salary, providers etc.) and agree to sales calls (conditions)
• Norisbank: €50 welcome bonus if you use their account switching service (more info)
• Vivid Money: €20 welcome bonus + up to €90 cashback, if you receive top up and spend €20 within the first 90 days

Comparisons of Bank Accounts

These finance services compare current bank accounts on the market and let you filter the list by specific features:

Bank Accounts for Individuals Compared

• Accounts compared by FinanceAds*
• Accounts compared by FinanceQuality*

Bank Accounts for Students Compared

• Student bank accounts compared by FinanceAds.

Bank Accounts Recommended for Foreigners

All listed banks also accept non-Germans. But some make it easier than others.

Bank accounts suitable for expats:

• have support in English (or even more languages)
• do not require you to have a registered address (Anmeldung)
• accept many foreign passports and identity cards for opening

Recommended bank accounts for expats are:

• N26: accepted documents, IBAN from Germany
• Vivid Money: accepted documents], IBAN from Germany
• Revolut: accepted documents, IBAN from Lithuania
• Wise: accepted documents, they initially do not ask for your address but might later, IBAN from Belgium