Blocked Account (Sperrkonto) for Nepali Students: 2026 Amounts, Providers and Embassy Rules

Most advice aimed at Nepali students says: open a blocked account first, then apply for the visa. The German Embassy in Kathmandu says something else. On its study visa page it states that a blocked account is not mandatory when you apply, although the Embassy may ask for one during the procedure. That changes when you need to move around NPR 20 lakh out of Nepal, and it is the first thing to understand before you pick a provider.

Every figure below was checked on 9 October 2026.

How much a blocked account must hold in 2026

The required amount is linked to the BAfoeG support rate for German students, so it moves in steps rather than every year. For study, the Federal Foreign Office's Consular Services Portal sets EUR 992 per month, and Make it in Germany gives the 2026 total for a year: EUR 11,904.

*Converted at the Nepal Rastra Bank selling rate of NPR 173.50 per euro published for 9 October 2026. The rupee figure follows the exchange rate, so recalculate on the day your bank converts. Provider fees come on top of the deposit and do not count towards the EUR 11,904.

Do Nepali applicants need a blocked account at all?

Not always. For a study visa the Kathmandu Embassy accepts several kinds of financial proof:

• a scholarship confirmation, for example from DAAD;
• a formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklaerung) signed by a sponsor who lives in Germany;
• proof of your family's financial standing, such as an employer letter, a land ownership certificate, tax records and personal bank statements;
• a blocked account.

You do not have to open the account before you apply. If the visa officer finds the other evidence insufficient, the Embassy tells you that a blocked account is required. Families who own land but keep little cash in the bank should read this carefully. A lalpurja and tax papers can be part of the file, yet the Embassy decides whether they are enough. Keep the blocked-account option ready so that a request halfway through the procedure costs you days, not weeks. If you are still looking for funding, start with our scholarships page.

Choosing a provider

There is no official list. The Federal Foreign Office deleted the provider list it published until mid-2022, makes no recommendation and says you are free to choose a bank or similar provider. The Kathmandu Embassy names none either. Online providers let you open the account from Nepal without a trip to Germany.

Fees are where providers differ. DAAD puts the usual set-up charge at EUR 70 to EUR 150. Two examples as published by the providers in October 2026:

Before you pay anything, check these points with the provider:

• whether it accepts applicants who are citizens and residents of Nepal;
• who is named as account beneficiary: the Federal Foreign Office explains that this is the mission where you apply for the visa, and later the foreigners authority, and that neither can withdraw your money;
• what it charges, and how fast it refunds, if your visa is refused;
• whether a "bundle" with health insurance is good value. Compare it with the statutory student rate in our health insurance guide before you accept it.

Getting the money out of Nepal

Nepal Rastra Bank's April 2026 circular lets a bank convert the full sum Germany wants to see in the student's own account, a blocked account included, for the student only and after the Ministry of Education's No Objection Letter is presented; the paperwork is explained in our guide to sending money from Nepal under NRB rules.

Once you are in Germany

The deposit is not handed over in one go. Each month the provider releases a fixed sum to a normal German current account in your name, which the Federal Foreign Office says is there so a year's money cannot be spent in the first weeks. After you arrive, the foreigners authority (Auslaenderbehoerde) takes over from the Embassy as beneficiary.

Plan your budget around that monthly payout. DAAD estimates that students need between EUR 900 and EUR 1,200 a month depending on the city, so in the more expensive cities the release alone may not cover rent, insurance and food. Our cost breakdown in Nepali rupees goes through a realistic month line by line.

If the visa is refused or you do not travel

To close a blocked account, the blocking notice has to be lifted, and only the beneficiary can agree to that. A visa refusal notice is enough on its own. If you never applied, withdrew your application, did not use the visa, or left the Schengen area before receiving a residence permit, the Embassy can issue a consular certificate telling your bank to lift the block (Federal Foreign Office).

On the Nepal side, the bank in Kathmandu will have asked you to sign a self-declaration that you will bring the money back if the visa is refused. Keep the refusal letter and the provider's refund statement together so the return transfer is straightforward.

Will the amount change in 2027?

It could. The federal cabinet approved a BAfoeG reform draft on 12 August 2026 that would raise the BAfoeG housing allowance from EUR 380 to EUR 440 from 1 April 2027. Because the blocked-account figure follows the BAfoeG rate, the requirement could rise too, but no new amount has been published and the draft is not yet law. If your Embassy appointment falls in spring 2027, check the Consular Services Portal again a few weeks before you transfer. The wider visa process is covered in our student visa guide.