Proof of Funds: What Happens in Year 2?

The Year 2 Panic

You arrived in Germany, activated your blocked account, and successfully secured your Residence Permit (Aufenthaltstitel) for 1 year.

Month by month, the bank released €934 to you. You used it to pay rent and buy groceries. By Month 12, your blocked account is completely empty.

But your Master's degree takes two years. You now have to go back to the Ausländerbehörde (Immigration Office) to extend your visa for Year 2.

The terrifying question hits you: Do I have to magically produce another €11,208 in cash and block it again?

The Strict Answer: Technically, Yes.

German immigration law requires you to prove you can support yourself for the entire duration of your visa extension. If you want a 12-month extension, you must prove you have access to 12 × €934 (€11,208).

If you simply walk into the immigration office with an empty bank account and say, "Don't worry, my parents will send me money every month," the officer will reject your extension and order you to leave the country.

The Workaround: The Werkstudent Contract

Most international students do not have rich parents who can wire another €11k every single year.

Instead, they use the ultimate German loophole: The Part-Time Job Contract.

During your first year in Germany, your primary goal outside of studying must be to secure a part-time job (a Minijob or a Werkstudent role).

If you walk into the immigration office for your Year 2 extension with an empty blocked account, but you hand the officer a signed, permanent employment contract showing that you earn €950 a month working 20 hours a week as a barista or a software intern, the officer will accept this as your Proof of Funds.

The Math: Because your monthly salary (€950) covers the government minimum (€934), you do not need to block any cash.

The Hybrid Approach

What if your part-time job is only a "Minijob" that pays exactly €538 a month?

€538 is less than the required €934. You are short by €396 a month. In this scenario, the immigration officer will require a Hybrid Proof of Funds.

You must prove you have the difference in cash.

€396 shortage × 12 months = €4,752.

You must deposit €4,752 into a blocked account, and combine it with your €538/month job contract, to get your visa extended.

Do not wait until Month 11 to figure this out. Use our Minijob Salary Calculator to see exactly how your part-time income covers your visa extension requirements.