All students who live in the dormitory are required to open an European bank account. You can open a bank account after your arrival in Germany. However, we recommend to open an european bank account (you need an IBAN for payment and transfering money in the EU) before you come to Germany as payments can be done from the beginning e.g. sending you scholarship money. If you decide to open a bank account online, please check if the bank is reliable. 

When opening a bank account in Germany after your arrival, it is recommended to arrange an appointment to avoid long waiting times. It is always helpful to ask your buddy to come with you in order to translate and help with any questions.

In order to open a bank account you will need:  

•  Your passport and the residence permit  
•  Enrollment certificate from the DHBW Karlsruhe  
•  “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung” (confirmation document of the landlord, you can ask the janitor to hand it over )  

Addresses of some banks in Karlsruhe:  

• Sparkasse: Kaiserstr. 223, 76133 Karlsruhe
• Postbank: Kaiserstr. 217, 76133 Karlsruhe
• Deutsche Bank: Kaiserstr. 90, 76133 Karlsruhe
• N26: online bank
• Monese: online bank (Open an instant mobile euro account)

For lost or stolen ATM or Credit Cards, call 116 116 to deactivate the card. For cards lost or stolen outside of Germany, dial 0049-30-4050-4050. These services are available 24/7 regardless of your bank.

Bill payments are usually settled through bank transfer. You have to fill out a transfer form and submit it either to your bank or online. For recurring payments that vary in size, students can give the recipient a direct debit authorization which allows them to withdraw the specific amount from your account each month.