🇩🇪 Germany · Business Banking
Opening business and personal bank accounts, remote options, required documents, and fees.
Quick answer
Germany's banking spans big banks, savings banks (Sparkassen), cooperative banks and digital banks (N26). A current account (Girokonto) is essential for salary, rent and utilities; opening one usually needs ID, an address registration (Anmeldung) and often a tax ID.
Banks are supervised by BaFin together with the Deutsche Bundesbank; statutory and voluntary schemes protect deposits. A company needs its commercial-register entry to open an account.
- Deposits are protected by the statutory deposit-guarantee scheme up to the standard limit.
- Opening a business account generally requires the commercial-register extract and owner ID.
- Germany is part of the SEPA area for euro payments.
Official authorities
- BaFin
Federal financial supervisory authority.
- Deutsche Bundesbank
Central bank.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Girokonto?
The standard German current account used for salary, direct debits (Lastschrift), rent and everyday payments.
Do I need an Anmeldung to open an account?
Traditional banks often require proof of your address registration (Anmeldung); some digital banks are more flexible.
Is Germany cash-oriented?
Cash is still widely used, though card and mobile payments have grown and many places now accept cards.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Federal Government of Germany — Germany's Federal Cabinet official website — policy, legislation, news, and government programs
- Federal Office for Migration (BAMF) — German visas, EU Blue Card, asylum, integration courses, and permanent residency
- Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) — Tax ID (IdNr) registration, tax identification lookup, withholding tax refunds — the key authority for foreign taxpayers in Germany