Fintiba Blocked Account vs. Expatrio Blocked Account

Creating your Fintiba account takes about 10 minutes online. After identity verification and payment, your blocking confirmation (Sperrbestätigung) is issued instantly if you pay by credit card. Fund transfers take 2–4 business days via Fintiba Transfer or up to 2 weeks via international bank transfer.

Fintiba charges a one-time setup fee of €159 plus €9.90/month in administration fees. The total first-year cost is €277.80 (€159 setup + €118.80 in monthly fees). These prices were updated on November 3, 2025.

Fintiba Plus bundles the blocked account with health insurance: public health insurance via BARMER (€146.29/month for students under 23 in 2026) for degree students under 30, or private health insurance via MAWISTA (MAWISTA Student or MAWISTA Expatcare Comfort) for language and preparatory-course students and students over 30. MAWISTA Visum travel health insurance is included free of charge.

No, Fintiba does not pay interest on the blocked amount (€11,904 for 2026). Since September 2025, new Fintiba blocked accounts are opened with Frankfurt International Bank (FIB) in Frankfurt am Main; the money is held securely but does not earn interest.

Yes, Fintiba accepts credit card payments (Visa, Mastercard) for the setup fee. Paying by credit card gives you an instant blocking confirmation, which is faster than waiting for a bank transfer.

The Fintiba Scholarship is an annual scholarship for international students who are Fintiba customers. It is not a fee discount — applicants submit a video essay on the year's topic. In 2023, Fintiba received almost 300 video essays and selected five recipients.

Creating your Expatrio account takes just a few minutes online, and Expatrio reviews and approves applications within one business day. Once your funds arrive (international transfers usually take 3–5 business days, domestic transfers 2–3), your blocking confirmation is available for download immediately.

Expatrio charges a one-time setup fee of €119 plus a €9/month service fee (since 7 July 2026). The total first-year cost is €227 (€119 setup + €108 in monthly fees), making it about €51 cheaper than Fintiba (€277.80/year).