1. What is the required amount to be blocked for my German Year and does it cover my monthly expenses?
- According to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a minimum amount of 11.208 EUR (plus Fintiba 189 EUR fees) has to be blocked for your German Year. This will come to a total of 11.397 EUR required to be blocked beforehand, It should cover your monthly expenses, but this also depends on your lifestyle, of course.
2. Do German host universities require fees?
- Yes, all German universities require semester fees of about 100-300 EUR. The amount differs from one university to another. In most cases, the money needs to be transferred before you leave for Germany. Some universities additionally ask for service fees from 250 – 700 Euro. Please find detailed information on these on MyGJU.
3. How much money am I supposed to take with me for the first month in Germany?
- In case of any delay in opening your German bank account, you should have an amount of money of around 1000 euros for the first month.
4. How much money do I need monthly to cover my expenses during my GY?
- Depending on the state, city, personal expenses, etc. Generally between 800 – 900 Euro.
- For further information on the cost of living in Germany, please click the link.
5. If I haven't spent the whole 934 Euro in a month, can I spend the rest in the next month?
- If you did not spend the whole 934 EUR in one month, you may spend it during the next month.
6. How much are the transportation costs? Which are the most practical and cheap?
- There are many ways to travel inside Germany and Europe. Some universities offer a so-called "semester ticket", with which a student can use Public transportation inside the same city or region, or maybe the same Bundesland of the university for free. Most of the time the semester ticket fees are included in the enrolment/registration fees.
- In most cities, you will find one of the following means of public transportation: Tram (Straßenbahn), buses, and trains (Deutsche Bahn), which are most commonly used by everybody.
- Other than this, you should be aware of the recently established network of intercity buses ("Fernbusse"). Simply select your city of departure, your destination, and the day on which you want to travel, and you'll be shown a list of possible connections.
- Going by bike is also a very common way to get around in Germany. Please see on Facebook or other groups if some people might sell their bikes or if you can rent one long-term. It is a healthy and quick way to get around, please just adhere to the traffic rules.
7. I need to renew my passport. Should I wait with my blocked account?
- No. Please make the transfer with your current passport details (if not expired yet). You then have to verify your new passport once you received it. To do this, please send an email to support@fintiba.com. Please note: The passport you are traveling with has to match the one indicated on all documents, including the blocked account, health insurance, etc.
8. Is there any deadline for money depositing?
- Yes, there is, it changes every semester (10th of December for Spring outgoings & 10th of June for Fall outgoings), please note that the International transfers may take 10 days, so please make sure that you have your blocking confirmation ready by then the latest. A delay in submitting the blocking confirmation will lead to a cancellation in your German year.
9. If I cancel my German year for any reason. Can I get my money back from my blocked account?
- Yes. There is a specific procedure for that. Please note that it takes up to two months in order to get your money back. The responsible IAD coordinator will give you further details. Please note that if you are moving your German Year to the future, we strongly suggest maintaining the blocked account until you do travel. This will save you the effort of reopening the account, as well as paying fees a second time. No money will be deducted from an existing account until you travel to Germany. You will, however, need to adjust the travel dates in time (relevant for your MAWISTA travel insurance).
10. Do I have to transfer the money in Euros?
- You can transfer the money in any currency that equals the specific amount in Euros.
11. Is it possible that my parents/relatives to transfer the money for me? Even if they live abroad in Jordan?
- Yes, it is possible. Since you are the account holder, so they can transfer it for you.
12. If I am a green card holder, shall I go through the process of having a blocked account via Fintiba?
- No, you will not be able to have a blocked account through Fintiba, you will need to open a blocked account by your own (e.g. Deutsche Bank), or use a similar service called Expatrio (expatrio.com).
13. What happens if I submit my blocking confirmation late?
- Please note that we do not accept late submissions of the blocking agreement. The blocking confirmation document is a key requirement for securing a visa application date and receiving your visa. If this is delayed, you may face serious issues traveling to Germany on time.
14. Can I transfer to the blocked account in installments / can I submit the rest later?
- Please do not submit the funds to the blocked account in instalments. A full blocking confirmation with the full amount for the time you will spend in Germany will be accepted.
15. I entered the wrong dates / I need to adjust information on the Fintiba portal, how can I update these?
- Please note that the International Affairs Department has no direct access to Fintiba’s platform. If you require information changed, please contact fintiba’s support team at support@fintiba.com.
16. I am a scholarship holder, do I still need to block the full amount?
- No, if you have a scholarship, please only block the difference required to reach the yearly blocked amount of 11,208 Euro. For instance, if you have an Erasmus scholarship for 4 months, you would only need to block for the remaining 8 months (7,472 Euro + 189 Euro fees = 7,661 Euro)
17. I didn't receive a confirmation email. How can I block my account?
- As long as your passport has been verified and your information is complete, an IBAN should appear in your account overview. If this IBAN appears, you can make the transfer to it and you don't need to wait for the confirmation email. If the IBAN does not appear yet, it means that your verification is still pending.