Money and sanctions: getting funds to Germany
Read this before you open anything. Most routes need proof of money, and bank sanctions make it difficult to move euros out of Iran. We give general information only; we did not verify which banks, payment routes or blocked-account providers work for people in Iran today.
What you must show
- Study (§ 16b): a blocked account (Sperrkonto) with €11,904 for one year; at most €992 a month can be withdrawn. Open it before you apply for the visa.
- Language course, study-place search (§ 17): €1,091 a month (§ 2 (3) sentences 5 and 6 AufenthG).
- Opportunity Card: €1,091 a month (§ 20a (4) sentence 1 AufenthG; amount per administrative practice and Make it in Germany).
- Ausbildung: dual €822 net (€1,048 gross) a month, school-based €959 net, see Ausbildung.
The account is paid in euros. The Federal Foreign Office names no provider and recommends none; we do not either.
Why sanctions matter
- Financial sanctions apply to Iran. The German authority that explains them is the Deutsche Bundesbank (financial sanctions); the EU lists the measures on the EU Sanctions Map.
- Since 29 September 2025 the EU measures under Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 apply again (the "snapback"). Most Iranian banks, among them the Central Bank, Bank Melli, Bank Mellat and Bank Saderat, are listed.
- In practice, transfers from Iranian banks to accounts in Europe are often refused or delayed, and banks and providers may ask many questions about where the money comes from. We could not confirm the rules of any single provider.
Legal alternatives to a transfer from Iran
- Funds already held abroad (by you or a relative outside Iran) can be paid into the account from there. Whether a provider accepts a payment from a third person, and what proof of origin it asks for, differs; ask in writing first.
- Declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung, § 68 AufenthG) from a person in Germany who has enough income. The person applies at the immigration office; for Berlin, see LEA Berlin. The commitment is binding and can be expensive for them.
- Scholarship that covers the amount, for example through the DAAD.
What to avoid
- Informal transfer networks, "friends who carry cash" and anyone who offers to "lend" you the blocked-account sum. Providing payment services without a licence is a criminal offence (§ 63 ZAG). The person who sends the money can also be liable: Art. 41 of Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 prohibits circumventing the sanctions, and violations can be punishable under § 18 AWG. False funding papers lead to refusal and an entry ban. See Avoiding scams.
- Carrying cash: travellers entering the EU with €10,000 or more must declare it to customs (Zoll). Cash is not a way to fill a blocked account, and keeping everything in a traceable account protects you.
Ask a lawyer or your bank if a transfer is stopped. We cannot assess your individual case.
A question this page does not answer? Contact us. Free orientation only, no legal advice for individual cases.