Germany · Answer
Can a German bank refuse to open a bank account?
Newcomers are often turned away at the counter — no Schufa, no permanent address, not enough German. Here is the legal position, straight from the Payment Accounts Act (Zahlungskontengesetz).
Every consumer lawfully resident in the EU has a legal right to a basic payment account (Basiskonto). A bank that offers consumer accounts must offer you one, and must do so within ten business days of your application. Source ↗
A bank may refuse a basic account only on narrow legal grounds — for example if you already have a usable account at another German bank, or were convicted of an intentional offence against the bank in the last three years. If you're refused without good reason, you can complain to BaFin free of charge, and BaFin decides whether the bank must open the account. Source ↗
Rules v2026-07-15.1 · verified 2026-07-14
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Rules last verified: 2026-07-14.