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Do you plan to study or work in Germany? Do you require a German visa and/or residence permit for this purpose? If your answer to both questions is "yes," there is a strong likelihood that you will need a Blocked Account (Sperrkonto) to secure the necessary visa or permit. A blocked account is a special bank account required by German immigration authorities for visa applicants. It proves you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in Germany.
Nowadays, students have a choice of quite a few blocked account providers in Germany and abroad. These providers differ in various aspects, including their banking model and security, the scope of additional services and the pricing structure.
This article compares two of those providers: Fintiba and Coracle*.
*Coracle has temporarily suspended its blocked account services due to a banking system update (more information).
We have a paid partnership with Fintiba. For more info, please read our disclaimer.
Coracle vs. Fintiba: Quick Overview
Are you in a hurry? Here is the quick answer:
Both Fintiba and Coracle are among the most popular German blocked accounts and are recognized by German authorities worldwide. Fintiba is the only online provider with a German bank (Coracle has an escrow account via a French payment provider), but both providers are highly trusted.
Overview
 #1 in Germany |  | |
Banking Model | Banking Model Providers with direct partner banks | Banking Model Providers that don't offer any accounts anymore |
Partner Bank | Partner Bank  German Bank (FIB Frankfurt International Bank) | Partner Bank  Escrow account via French payment provider (Lemonway SAS) |
Availability | Availability Worldwide | Availability Worldwide |
Service for Minors | Service for Minors Yes | Service for Minors Yes |
Total Amount for 1 Year | Total Amount for 1 Year €277.8 | Total Amount for 1 Year €179 |
Basic Facts
Before we get into the details, here are some basic facts about the two companies.
Fintiba
Fintiba is the #1 blocked account provider on the market, based on the total number of customers. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company was founded in 2016 and has been offering fully online blocked accounts since 2017. It is noteworthy that it has a background in banking.
In addition to Blocked Accounts, Fintiba also offers health insurance, travel insurance and other services.
Coracle
Coracle is a Hamburg-based provider of blocked accounts. Founded in 2015, the company has been offering fully online blocked accounts since 2019. Notably, it has a background in the insurance industry.
In addition to blocked accounts, Coracle also offers health insurance, travel insurance and other services.
Fintiba and Coracle in Comparison
Overview
#1 in Germany | | |
Banking Model | Banking Model Providers with direct partner banks | Banking Model Providers that don't offer any accounts anymore |
Partner Bank | Partner Bank German Bank (FIB Frankfurt International Bank) | Partner Bank Escrow account via French payment provider (Lemonway SAS) |
Availability | Availability Worldwide | Availability Worldwide |
Service for Minors | Service for Minors Yes | Service for Minors Yes |
Total Amount for 1 Year | Total Amount for 1 Year €277.8 | Total Amount for 1 Year €179 |
Blocked Account Fees
#1 in Germany | | |
Initial set-up fee | Initial set-up fee €159 | Initial set-up fee €99 |
Monthly Fee | Monthly Fee €9.9 | Monthly Fee No Info |
Blocked Account buffer | Blocked Account buffer No Info | Blocked Account buffer €80 |
Total Amount for 1 Year | Total Amount for 1 Year €277.8 | Total Amount for 1 Year €179 |
Standard Services
#1 in Germany | | |
Recognition by German authorities worldwide | Recognition by German authorities worldwide Yes | Recognition by German authorities worldwide Yes |
German IBAN | German IBAN Yes | German IBAN Yes |
Fully digital application process | Fully digital application process Yes | Fully digital application process Yes |
English-language support | English-language support Yes | English-language support Yes |
Bundle Offers
As a student or a professional, you need the following 3 things for your German visa application and your subsequent stay in Germany:
- Blocked Account: As proof of finances for your German visa and German residence permit applications;
- Travel Health Insurance: Mandatory (almost always) for your visa application. You need it for the first few days/weeks until the regular health insurance gets activated.
- Health Insurance: Everyone residing in Germany is obliged to have health insurance. For students: you cannot enroll at your University without it.
Hence, we strongly advise you to book these products right away. You can do that through almost every blocked account provider's bundle offers.
Regarding Fintiba and Coracle, both have special “package” offers, which include a Blocked Account, Travel Insurance and Health insurance (specialized in helping internationals).
Insurances
#1 in Germany | | |
Bundle name | Bundle name Fintiba Plus | Bundle name Coracle Prime |
Health Insurance (Statutory) | Health Insurance (Statutory) Barmer €146.29-€151.42 per month #1 Best Service for Students (Focus Money Magazine 16/2024) | Health Insurance (Statutory) AOK (depending on the local AOK branch) Barmer €146.29-€151.42 per month TK €139.11-€144.24 per month |
Health Insurance (Private) | Health Insurance (Private) Mawista From €25 per month | Health Insurance (Private) No Info |
Travel Insurance | Travel Insurance Free Travel Health Insurance (worth €95.00) | Travel Insurance Free Travel Health Insurance |
Our recommendation: Fintiba
The market leader, Fintiba, performs best in our comparison. This is because Fintiba is the only provider that offers the blocked account at a German bank with German deposit protection. Fintiba is also the best provider overall in terms of expertise (years since launch, number of customers) and is one of the best in terms of customer satisfaction.
Why do we recommend Fintiba? 🤔
🥇 Market leader with the most extensive experience: more than 300,000 customers since 2017
🏦 Direct connection to German partner bank (FIB Frankfurt International Bank)
🛡️ Fully protected by the German Deposit Protection
🌎 Worldwide availability (with a few exceptions, including the USA)
*Paid partnership with Fintiba. For more info, please read our disclaimer.
Additional Disclaimers
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You can also visit the Fintiba website to open your blocked account: 
