What Is the Best Bank Account for Students in Germany? (2026)
The verdict
You are studying in Germany on a student budget: the account has to be free, open without a salary, and ideally speak English. Das Junge Konto leads this ranking at no monthly fee. The branch banks run free youth tiers against an Immatrikulationsbescheinigung and an age cap; the direct banks are free on age alone, up to 28 at ING, DKB and comdirect and up to 31 at Consorsbank. Check which one you still qualify for next year, not just this one.
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Which bank account is best for students?
Sorted by pre-arrival opening, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by english support, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by opening time, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Deutsche Bank
Das Junge Konto
Free to 30 with enrolment proof; branches help with bureaucracy
Open a Deutsche Bank account- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
IBAN
A German IBAN starts DE. Some German employers and utilities still refuse foreign IBANs, which is unlawful under EU rules and reportable to BaFin.
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Debit Mastercard; optional credit card
- English support
- German only
- Anmeldung needed
- Yes, registered German address
- Opening time
- 1 day
More details
- Fee waiver
- Free for students, apprentices and school pupils up to age 30 with proof (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung / training contract)
- Free ATM network
- Cash Group (~7,000 ATMs)
- Outside that network
- Not published (typically 5.95+ EUR or %-based at third-party ATMs; check Preisverzeichnis)
- How to identify yourself
- VideoIdent, PostIdent, branch
- Branches
- ~380 Deutsche Bank branches end-2024; ~100 further DB+Postbank closures by end-2026
- Tax ID needed
- Steuer-Identifikationsnummer required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- Contracts
- German only
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Branch plus digital banking for under-30s
- Cash Group ATM access nationwide
Cons
- Requires German residence and Anmeldung in practice
Best for Students who want the strongest overall fit.
Commerzbank
StartKonto
Free with enrolment proof, branch support included
Open a Commerzbank account- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
IBAN
A German IBAN starts DE. Some German employers and utilities still refuse foreign IBANs, which is unlawful under EU rules and reportable to BaFin.
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Girocard; Young Visa credit card from 18
- English support
- German only
- Anmeldung needed
- Yes, registered German address
- Opening time
- 1 day
More details
- Fee waiver
- Free up to age 27 for pupils, apprentices, students (proof: Immatrikulationsbescheinigung or equivalent)
- Free ATM network
- Cash Group
- How to identify yourself
- VideoIdent, PostIdent, branch
- Branches
- ~400
- Tax ID needed
- Steuer-Identifikationsnummer required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- Contracts
- German only
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Free to age 27 with status proof
- Optional Young Visa credit card
Cons
- Requires German residence
Best for Students who need a different bank or setup.
HypoVereinsbank
HVB StartKonto
Free student account with branch access
Open a HypoVereinsbank account- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
IBAN
A German IBAN starts DE. Some German employers and utilities still refuse foreign IBANs, which is unlawful under EU rules and reportable to BaFin.
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Debit card
- English support
- German only
- Anmeldung needed
- Yes, registered German address
- Opening time
- 1 day
More details
- Fee waiver
- Free up to age 26 (pupils, apprentices, students; Immatrikulationsbescheinigung for students)
- Free ATM network
- Cash Group
- How to identify yourself
- VideoIdent, PostIdent, branch
- Branches
- ~300
- Tax ID needed
- Steuer-Identifikationsnummer required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- Contracts
- German only
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Free to age 26
- Cash Group ATMs
Cons
- Age cap 26
Best for Students who need a different bank or setup.
- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Virtual Mastercard debit free; first physical card 10 EUR one-off
- English support
- App and support
- Anmeldung needed
- No
- Opening time
- 0 days
More details
- Fee waiver
- Unconditionally free
- Free ATM network
- 2 free EUR withdrawals/month; Cash26 retail cash-in/out
- Outside that network
- 2 EUR per additional withdrawal; 1.7% non-EUR ATM
- How to identify yourself
- VideoIdent, photo ID in-app
- Tax ID needed
- Not required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- Contracts
- Available in English
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- German IBAN without Anmeldung requirement
- Opens in ~10 minutes from abroad
Cons
- Only 2 free ATM withdrawals monthly
Best for Students who need a different bank or setup.
- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Virtual card; physical card paid/limited on Free
- English support
- App and support
- Anmeldung needed
- No
- Opening time
- 0 days
More details
- Fee waiver
- Unconditionally free entry tier
- Free ATM network
- Limited free withdrawals on Free tier
- How to identify yourself
- in-app photo/video ID
- Tax ID needed
- Not required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- IBAN note
- Dutch bank, but German-resident customers can receive a GERMAN (DE) IBAN (bunq help centre, quoted Aug 2026); NL IBANs also offered
- Contracts
- Available in English
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Opens pre-arrival without Anmeldung
- German IBAN available despite Dutch licence
Cons
- Free tier feature-light
Best for Students who need a different bank or setup.
- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Mastercard debit free
- English support
- German only
- Anmeldung needed
- No
- Opening time
- 1 day
More details
- Fee waiver
- Unconditionally free
- Free ATM network
- 4 free withdrawals/month (DE/EU); worldwide free at 0% FX
- Outside that network
- 2 EUR beyond 4/month
- How to identify yourself
- VideoIdent
- Tax ID needed
- Steuer-Identifikationsnummer required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- Contracts
- German only
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Unconditionally free with DE IBAN
- 0.5% interest on balance
Cons
- Account-freeze wave after BaFin AML measures
Best for Students who need a different bank or setup.
- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Visa debit (virtual free; physical card one-off fee per plan)
- English support
- App and support
- Anmeldung needed
- No
- Opening time
- 1 day
More details
- Fee waiver
- Unconditionally free
- Free ATM network
- Free withdrawals worldwide from 100 EUR
- Outside that network
- 1 EUR below 100 EUR withdrawals (per 2026 reviews)
- How to identify yourself
- VideoIdent
- Tax ID needed
- Steuer-Identifikationsnummer required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- Contracts
- Available in English
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Free full-bank account with DE IBAN
- 1% Saveback on card spending to savings plan
Cons
- Support historically weakest in class (chatbot-first)
Best for Students who need a different bank or setup.
- Monthly fee
- Free
- IBAN
- German (DE)
- Cards included
- Visa Debit
- English support
- German only
- Anmeldung needed
- Yes, registered German address
- Opening time
- 10 days
More details
- Fee waiver
- Statutory ZKG account, free of charge per Finanztip-sourced table (May 2026)
- Free ATM network
- ~97% of German ATMs (Visa)
- Outside that network
- Operator surcharges possible
- How to identify yourself
- VideoIdent, PostIdent
- Tax ID needed
- Steuer-Identifikationsnummer required
- Deposit protection
- EUR 100,000 per depositor
- Contracts
- German only
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Free statutory basic account
- Same cash network as standard ING
Cons
- Digital application only
Best for Students who need a different bank or setup.
Also a strong fit
Compare two accounts
Already down to two? Each comparison declares a winner on every criterion that decides the purchase.
How we ranked this for students5 criteria, weights published
A reader on a student budget is not the average reader, so this page does not use the average weights. Eligibility carries 40% here against 15% on the general ranking, and Cost abroad carries 10% here against 25% on the general ranking. The weights were fixed on 17 August 2026, before the prices were collected.
Criteria weighting
Fixed 17 August 2026, before pricing was collectedWhich Other Accounts Did We Compare?
The three above are picked from 70 current accounts in the catalogue. The full set lives on the bank and fintech overviews.
See the best bank accounts comparedFees, IBAN, English support and opening time side by sideFrequently Asked Questions
Are student accounts really free?
The student tiers waive the monthly fee against proof of enrolment and an age cap: Deutsche Bank runs Das Junge Konto free up to 30, Commerzbank's StartKonto up to 27, HypoVereinsbank's HVB StartKonto up to 26, and Targobank's Starter-Konto free for students, apprentices and pupils. The fee-waiver row on each card states the condition.
Can I open an account before I arrive?
The app accounts open with a passport and no address registration, so they work before the Anmeldung is done. A branch-bank student tier wants the Meldebescheinigung, the Steuer-Identifikationsnummer and the Immatrikulationsbescheinigung.
What happens once the age cap passes?
You land on the standard adult tier and its price. Deutsche Bank's AktivKonto is EUR 6.90 a month with no monthly-incoming waiver, and Commerzbank's GiroKonto is EUR 4.90, free only with EUR 50,000 in deposits or securities since the income-based waiver was abolished in May 2025. Diarise the date and compare before it arrives.
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