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| I never knew how bright Euros were when they were new! |
As I'm sure you can imagine, using your American bank account is not practical due to fees, but having a German bank account is actually a requirement in order to obtain your visa (or visa sticker, if you are here for less than a year). Here goes!
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| It says bank, which is clearly all I was going for here. |
As a foreign national in Germany, you will probably have to make an appointment in order to meet with the person responsible for accounts like yours (Germans are able to walk in and open them, as we do in the U.S.). When you arrive for your appointment, you should have your matriculation paperwork, rental agreement for your housing, your passport, and your residency paperwork from the city (you are required to register at the city hall; the university will explain this to you). The good news is that if you don't have the residency paperwork, they can give you a little leeway on it, though you will need to get a copy to the bank ASAP.
Best Bank Options:
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| The banker is a nice guy! |
The bank which I have seen the most throughout my (relatively) limited travels through Germany is Sparkasse. The branch shown on the left is their largest office in Leipzig, though you may be able to get an appointment at one of their others. This particular one is located on Humboltstrasse (head from the Hauptbahnhof towards the Zoo; their name is on the side of the building). They also have an office on the University's Augustusplatz campus, though depending on your arrival date, the ATM will most likely be your most common stop.
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| The inside is modern! ...ish! |
The next best option is Deutsche Bank, which has a number of ATM locations and branches throughout the city and Germany as a whole. Though they are primarily not geared towards student accounts, they do offer them, and some students do opt to use them. This branch is on Petersstrasse, between the New City Hall and the University's Augustusplatz campus.
Other Options:
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| Right by the Hauptbahnhof! |
Santander Bank is also another possible choice. I have seen branches in a few different cities here in Germany, but at least as I have seen, they are an uncommon choice. If you happen to have an account with them already, they may make more sense for you, but that is on an individual basis. This one is between the Hauptbahnhof and Goerdelerring tram stops.
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| Not my first choice, but they are there. |
The last option I'll put up here (I'm sure there are more, but this is getting into very regional bank territory) is the Leipziger Volksbank (Leipzig People's Bank). They are very convenient for people who are staying exclusively within the city, but as their name suggests, they do not have branches outside of the greater Leipzig area. This one is on Karl-Liebknecht Strasse ("Karli" for short).
And that's it! Getting the bank account set up isn't terribly difficult, but it always helps to have a place to start. See you next time!
Tips:
- The banks here are able to put American currency into your account if you have it, but it takes a few days to have it cleared before it appears in your account balance.
- Make sure you have all of the information needed to complete a bank transfer, as that is how you pay your rent to the University, if you are living in a Studentenwohnheim.
- The Immigration office requires that you have a bank account showing proof of funds (less 1 month's rent and deposit that you have to pay the University up front for your housing) equivalent to 659 Euros times the number of months that you are staying. They're pretty spot on about it.
Proverb of the Day:
Today I witnessed someone getting stopped for riding the train without a ticket.
We both got on at the same stop, and walked past the ticket checker to get on. Why??
*Source links are included for stock images.
**The background music is from a personal music project in progress.
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