Study abroad5 min read
Moving to Germany as a student: Anmeldung, blocked account and work rules
The Draimo team
Short answer
Most non-EU students show they can support themselves with a blocked account (Sperrkonto) holding €11,904 for 2026, released to you at €992 a month after you arrive. Within two weeks of moving in, register your address (Anmeldung) at the local citizens' office. You may then work up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year, and no more than 20 hours a week during lectures.
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Ask about your move to Germany
- I am moving to Munich for a master's. What do I need to do in my first two weeks?
- I work 4 hours a day, three days a week. How many days of my 140-day limit is that each year?
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The blocked account
For 2026 the required amount is €11,904 for a year, which is €992 a month. You deposit it before applying for your visa, the embassy accepts it as proof you can support yourself, and after you arrive the bank releases €992 a month to you. A scholarship or a formal declaration of commitment from a sponsor can replace it.
Anmeldung: register within two weeks
Everyone who moves into a home in Germany must register the address at the local citizens' office (Bürgeramt) within two weeks. You need your passport and a confirmation from your landlord (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung).
The registration certificate unlocks the rest: your tax ID arrives by post, and you need the address for a bank account, a phone contract and your residence permit appointment. In big cities, appointments go fast, so book as soon as you have a move-in date.
Work while you study
- Up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year. A full day is more than four hours of work.
- No more than 20 hours a week while lectures are running.
- The count restarts on 1 January.
- Work as a student assistant at your university usually has its own rules, which your university explains.
Where Draimo helps
Ask Draimo in English or German what your city's registration office needs, how many of your 140 days a job uses, or what your university's semester fee covers. It reads your university's official pages and links the one it used, and with Agent Mode on a monthly plan it reads the city and immigration office pages too. Draimo does not apply for you.
Questions people ask
- How much is the German blocked account in 2026?
- €11,904 for a year, released to you at €992 a month after you arrive.
- When must I do my Anmeldung?
- Within two weeks of moving into your home in Germany, at the local citizens' office.
- How much can international students work in Germany?
- Up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year, and no more than 20 hours a week during lectures.
Sources we checked
- Federal Foreign Office: studying in Germany
- Handbook Germany: registering your address
- Make it in Germany: working while you study
Checked 30 September 2026. Dates and amounts change every year. Draimo reads the current pages when you ask.
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