Step-by-Step Manual for Opening a Deutsche Bank account
Last update: 30 August 2022
Don’t know how to open a Deutsche Bank account? We will show you step by step how to do it and what requirements you need to meet! Still wondering why you should open a Deutsche Bank account? Well, let us give you some good reasons why:
Deutsche Bank Account – Main Features
English & German Online Banking (Web & App)
No monthly fees if you are a student & younger than 30 (otherwise 6.90 EUR/month)
Free & unlimited cash withdrawals in more than 60 countries worldwide
If you are not a student or older than 30 years you can open the Deutsche Bank AktivKonto for 6.90 EUR/month:
First Page
Select if you are a new customer (Nein, noch nicht) or an existing customer (Ja, ich bin Kunde)
Select if you would like to open a single bank account (Ich möchte ein Einzelkonto eröffnen) or if you would like to open a joint bank account (Wir möchten ein Gemeinschaftskonto eröffnen)
If you see the question “Arbeiten Sie als Selbstständiger”, select if you are self-employed (Ja) or if you are not self-employed (Nein)
Section “Wunschkonto” – Account Details
In this section you will see a summary of the conditions of the selected bank account (so either the free “Das Junge Konto” for students that are 30 years or younger or the “AktivKonto” for 6.90 EUR/month).
First of all select if you would like to request an extra line of credit (by default Nein – No). This means you can go below zero with your bank account for a limited time at a certain interest rate (approx. 10-12% interest rate). If you go for an extra line of credit (Ja – Yes) you can specify the amount. Your extra line is of course dependent on your credit worthiness.
In the second step select the cards you would like to have. By default the Deutsche Bank account comes with a debit card. However you can add additional cards to your bank account for the annual fees specified.
Select if you use the bank account as your salary account (Ich benutze dieses Konto als Gehaltskonto)
Select if you would like to activate the “Finanzplaner”. This is a functionality provided by Deutsche Bank that classifies your monthly income and your expenses so that you can easily keep track of your financial status. This is optional and you can either tick the box or leave it unticked.
Select if you would like to receive regular information about current offers from Deutsche Bank either by phone (Ja, per Telefon) or by email (Ja, per E-Mail). This is optional.
Section “Persönliche Daten” – Personal Data
Select your gender (Frau – woman or Herr – man)
Akad. Titel: Academic Title (Dr. / Prof. / Prof. Dr.), this is optional
Vorname: Enter your first name(s) here as stated on your ID/passport
Nachname: Enter your last name as stated on your ID/passport
Geburtsname: Enter your maiden name as stated on your ID/passport (if applicable)
Familienstand: Select your Family Status:
ledig: single
verheiratet, steuerlich zusammen veranlagt: married, jointly assessed for taxation
geschieden: divorced
verwitwet: widowed
ledig, eheähnliche Gemeinschaft: single, marriage-like relationship
verheiratet, getrennt lebend: married, living separately
verheiratet, steuerlich getrennt veranlagt: married, separately assessed for taxation
eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft, steuerlich zusammen veranlagt: civil partnership, jointly assessed for taxation
eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft, getrennt lebend: civil partnership, living separately
Geburtsdatum: Enter your date of birth (Format: DD.MM.YYYY)
Geburtsort: Enter your place of birth as stated on your ID/passport
Staatsangehörigkeit: Select your citizenship
If you have selected the “Das Junge Konto” for students who are 30 years or younger you will have to specify in which year (Jahr) and quarter (Quartal) your education ends.
You will also have to specify if you have any connections to the United States of America:
Ich wurde in den USA geboren: I was born in the USA
Ich besitze eine US-Staatsbürgerschaft: I have a US citizenship
Select where you are a tax resident:
Ich bin ausschließlich in Deutschland steuerlich ansässig: I am only in Germany a tax resident. You can enter your German tax ID (optional)
Ich bin in Deutschland und in den folgenden Ländern steuerlich ansässig: I in Germany a tax resident and in the following countries
Ich bin nicht in Deutschland, sondern nur in folgenden Ländern außerhalb Deutschlands steuerlich ansässig: I am not a tax resident in Germany, but in the following countries outside of Germany
Straße und Hausnummer: Enter your street and house number. The address has to be the one that is on your ID/proof of residence
PLZ: Enter your postcode
Ort: Enter your city
Versandadresse: If you would like to receive your documents and debit card to a different address than specified above tick this box
Kontakt:
Mobilnummer: Enter your mobile number
E-Mail: Enter your email address
Section “Rechtliches” – Legal
You agree to have read the information about the deposit protection
You agree to open your Deutsche Bank account for yourself and not for another person
Make sure to download the contract details
By ticking this box you allow Deutsche Bank to check your credit history (Check this article on how to check your Schufa score)
Make sure to download the overview of charges
By ticking this box you agree to the deposit fees of Deutsche Bank (for deposits above 50,000 EUR)
Section “Aktivieren” – Activation
In this section you will see a summary of your bank account and you can specify your PIN for the online banking
After specifying your PIN, click on “Produkte kostenpflichtig abschließen”
Section “Legitimieren” – Prove your identity
In the last step you will have to prove your identity. You can choose between VideoIdent and PostIdent.
With VideoIdent you can prove your identity via videochat. You just need a device with webcam (laptop, smartphone, tablet) and your passport/ID. This is definitely the most convenient and fastest way to open your bank account. However in most cases it will only work if you have a German ID/passport or at least a passport/ID issued by the EU.
The second option is PostIdent. With this option you print out your Deutsche Bank contract, sign it and go to the next post office (Deutsche Post). There you will hand in your documents and your passport/ID will be checked. On the Deutsche Post website you can learn more about this procedure. Alternatively you can also go to a Deutsche Bank branch office. You can find the closest Deutsche Bank office here.
Dear Varun,
usually you do not have to send any further documents to Deutsche Bank. I would recommend to get in touch with them and check on the status.
Thanks to you I have managed to open the account and did the verification through videochat. After successfully completing the verification on the website I see this message: “Aus technischen Gründen steht Ihr Konto derzeit noch nicht zur Verfügung. Wir bitten um Entschuldigung. Unser Serviceteam ist bereits informiert und wird sich so schnell wie möglich bei Ihnen melden.” I have waited for a week for this problem to be solved and even tried to contact the bank via chat which did not work at all. I do not know what to do now, can you please guide me?
Hi, i filled the online form for das junge konto, i completed everything postident and stuff, but i still did not get any mail or post from Deutsche Bank and it has been 3 weeks. What should i do?
Dear Ike,
a deposit is not a prerequisite for opening a Deutsche Bank account. You can transfer money onto your Deutsche Bank account, once it’s opened and activated.
Hi, I have filled the online form for Aktive current account and completed the Postident and couriered the documents and it has been more than 5 working days and I still have not received any mail or post from Deutsche bank! How long it actually takes? Thank you.
I have opened an account in deutsche bank, now how can I login in bank application, I have my bank details but dont have Pin, So where from I get 5 digit Pin.
Dear Prabjit,
you have specified your PIN for the online banking during the application process (see Section “Aktivieren” – Activation).
If you cannot remember your PIN, you can request a new one.
Hello. I recently opened bank account online. During the video identification process I was asked only for passport. I received letter from deutsche bank that I should provide tax id within 2 weeks and if I don’t provide it they will report me to Federal tax office. I don’t have tax ID as I haven’t rented apartment yet and I’m living in Airbnb until I find apartment. Will they block my card if I don’t give tax ID?
Dear Alis,
if you do not provide your tax ID, Deutsche Bank will try to retrieve your tax ID from the federal tax office. Unfortunately I do not know the policy of Deutsche Bank, if/when they block your account due to a missing tax ID.
This is something you would have to check with Deutsche Bank directly.
Does it mean that Deutsche Bank does not ask for an Anmeldung? I will be arriving in Bonn in October as an international student, and I want to open up an account as early as possible, before Anmeldung.
Dear Henry,
the documents required for opening the bank account depend on your nationality. Therefore please double-check with Deutsche Bank what exactly is required for opening a bank account with them.
Hello. After I completed the identification process I received online banking credentials and Iban, but I’m unable to log in the deutsche bank app. Shall I first wait for any letters or?
Dear Alis,
you’ll have to wait for the photoTAN activation letter that you will receive via mail a few days after completing the identification process.
Dear Yang,
after successfully completing the VideoIdent process you should receive your card and login credentials from Deutsche Bank. This usually takes between 5-10 business days.
I did PostIndent and it’s been more than 10 business days without any news from DB bank. I tried to reach out via live chat numerous times but no one responded (in fact, they ended my chat just like that). What should I do?
Dear Vania,
sorry to hear that the Deutsche Bank account opening process takes so long… In this case I would go to a local Deutsche Bank branch office and ask there for the current status.
Hello I am an international student from Albania living in an hostel in Frankfurt. I have an Anmeldung, work contract but I dont know what else should I have. Do i have to have a residence permit done in germany because i have on from the agency that sent me here?
Dear Erik,
for opening a bank account you usually need a valid passport, residence permit, registration certificate and potentially your work contract (depending on the type of account).
I would recommend to go to a Deutsche Bank branch office and check the requirements with them. In any case you are entitled to a so-called “Basiskonto” (basic payment account). Anyone legally residing in the European Union qualifies for such an account and Deutsche bank also offers this kind of account. All that is needed for you to apply for a basic payment account is valid identification, legal status and a postal address under which you can be reached. You can find more information about the basic payment account here: https://www.germanymore.de/how-to-open-a-basic-payment-account-basiskonto-in-germany/
So I submitted all the application for the bank, I even got the debit card but I don’t understand how do I know my IBAN? How do I login into my online account. Am I supposed to get another mail?
Additionally how do I know the branch number as well?
Dear Clive,
you should receive several letters from Deutsche Bank. Usually it’s a letter with the debit card and a letter with the PIN for the debit card.
In case you have proven your identity via VideoIdent, you should have seen your online banking login credentials after the identification process. Furthermore you will receive a letter for the photoTAN activation.
You can find your branch number on your debit card. Below the signature field you should see a number. The first three digits are the branch number. Alternatively you can find the branch number in one of the letters you’ve received from Deutsche Bank.
I tried to open a bank account as a student, but it requires only German phone number (+49…) . As a new student I do not have a german phone number, only my home country’s. So it is not possible to open it online. Can you fix this problem?
Or do I have to visit the bank on person?
Dear Panagiotis,
the mobile phone number is required for the mobileTAN process and according to the Deutsche Bank website only German mobile numbers are supported.
Check out this article on how to get a German SIM card: https://www.germanymore.de/sim-card-germany/
Dear Marco,
yes, it’s possible but there are usually quite high fees involved (e.g. for Deutsche bank around 30 EUR one-off fee and a variable fee of 1,5‰).
It’s therefore recommendable to use one of the popular money transfer platforms such as Wise or CurrencyFair, as they offer international money transfers at considerably lower fees.
34 Comments. Leave new
I have done my postident about 2 weeks ago and still not heard back. Am I supposed to mail something when I do postident?
Dear Varun,
usually you do not have to send any further documents to Deutsche Bank. I would recommend to get in touch with them and check on the status.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Thanks to you I have managed to open the account and did the verification through videochat. After successfully completing the verification on the website I see this message: “Aus technischen Gründen steht Ihr Konto derzeit noch nicht zur Verfügung. Wir bitten um Entschuldigung. Unser Serviceteam ist bereits informiert und wird sich so schnell wie möglich bei Ihnen melden.” I have waited for a week for this problem to be solved and even tried to contact the bank via chat which did not work at all. I do not know what to do now, can you please guide me?
Dear Tuğçe,
my recommendation would be to get in touch with Deutsche Bank via phone or go to one of their branch offices.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Hi, i filled the online form for das junge konto, i completed everything postident and stuff, but i still did not get any mail or post from Deutsche Bank and it has been 3 weeks. What should i do?
Dear Marchleny,
I would recommend getting in touch with Deutsche Bank directly.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Hello Dominik. When is the first deposit expected after opening a DB account online? Or, is the deposit to be made before the account is approved?
Dear Ike,
a deposit is not a prerequisite for opening a Deutsche Bank account. You can transfer money onto your Deutsche Bank account, once it’s opened and activated.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Hi, I have filled the online form for Aktive current account and completed the Postident and couriered the documents and it has been more than 5 working days and I still have not received any mail or post from Deutsche bank! How long it actually takes? Thank you.
Hi Kiran,
it can take 5-10 business days until you get the confirmation from Deutsche Bank. Did you receive it by now?
Best Regards,
Dominik
I have opened an account in deutsche bank, now how can I login in bank application, I have my bank details but dont have Pin, So where from I get 5 digit Pin.
Dear Prabjit,
you have specified your PIN for the online banking during the application process (see Section “Aktivieren” – Activation).
If you cannot remember your PIN, you can request a new one.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Hello. I recently opened bank account online. During the video identification process I was asked only for passport. I received letter from deutsche bank that I should provide tax id within 2 weeks and if I don’t provide it they will report me to Federal tax office. I don’t have tax ID as I haven’t rented apartment yet and I’m living in Airbnb until I find apartment. Will they block my card if I don’t give tax ID?
Dear Alis,
if you do not provide your tax ID, Deutsche Bank will try to retrieve your tax ID from the federal tax office. Unfortunately I do not know the policy of Deutsche Bank, if/when they block your account due to a missing tax ID.
This is something you would have to check with Deutsche Bank directly.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Does it mean that Deutsche Bank does not ask for an Anmeldung? I will be arriving in Bonn in October as an international student, and I want to open up an account as early as possible, before Anmeldung.
Dear Henry,
the documents required for opening the bank account depend on your nationality. Therefore please double-check with Deutsche Bank what exactly is required for opening a bank account with them.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Hello. After I completed the identification process I received online banking credentials and Iban, but I’m unable to log in the deutsche bank app. Shall I first wait for any letters or?
Dear Alis,
you’ll have to wait for the photoTAN activation letter that you will receive via mail a few days after completing the identification process.
Best Regards,
Dominik
As a uk resident, can I open an account with DB or not ?
Bcz on address , I can’t enter my address, I think it’s only accept Germany .
Dear Maryam,
that is correct. You can only open the account as a German resident.
Best Regards,
Dominik
What do I do after VideoIdent certification？I have not received any indication after videoldent.
Dear Yang,
after successfully completing the VideoIdent process you should receive your card and login credentials from Deutsche Bank. This usually takes between 5-10 business days.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Hi Dominik,
I did PostIndent and it’s been more than 10 business days without any news from DB bank. I tried to reach out via live chat numerous times but no one responded (in fact, they ended my chat just like that). What should I do?
Dear Vania,
sorry to hear that the Deutsche Bank account opening process takes so long… In this case I would go to a local Deutsche Bank branch office and ask there for the current status.
Best Regards,
Dominik
Hello I am an international student from Albania living in an hostel in Frankfurt. I have an Anmeldung, work contract but I dont know what else should I have. Do i have to have a residence permit done in germany because i have on from the agency that sent me here?
Dear Erik,
for opening a bank account you usually need a valid passport, residence permit, registration certificate and potentially your work contract (depending on the type of account).
I would recommend to go to a Deutsche Bank branch office and check the requirements with them. In any case you are entitled to a so-called “Basiskonto” (basic payment account). Anyone legally residing in the European Union qualifies for such an account and Deutsche bank also offers this kind of account. All that is needed for you to apply for a basic payment account is valid identification, legal status and a postal address under which you can be reached. You can find more information about the basic payment account here: https://www.germanymore.de/how-to-open-a-basic-payment-account-basiskonto-in-germany/
Best Regards,
Dominik
So I submitted all the application for the bank, I even got the debit card but I don’t understand how do I know my IBAN? How do I login into my online account. Am I supposed to get another mail?
Additionally how do I know the branch number as well?
Dear Clive,
you should receive several letters from Deutsche Bank. Usually it’s a letter with the debit card and a letter with the PIN for the debit card.
In case you have proven your identity via VideoIdent, you should have seen your online banking login credentials after the identification process. Furthermore you will receive a letter for the photoTAN activation.
You can find your branch number on your debit card. Below the signature field you should see a number. The first three digits are the branch number. Alternatively you can find the branch number in one of the letters you’ve received from Deutsche Bank.
Best Regards,
Dominik
I tried to open a bank account as a student, but it requires only German phone number (+49…) . As a new student I do not have a german phone number, only my home country’s. So it is not possible to open it online. Can you fix this problem?
Or do I have to visit the bank on person?
Dear Panagiotis,
the mobile phone number is required for the mobileTAN process and according to the Deutsche Bank website only German mobile numbers are supported.
Check out this article on how to get a German SIM card: https://www.germanymore.de/sim-card-germany/
Best Regards,
Dominik
Thanks for good information. I wish to open an account at DB Frankfort for my USA company. Do they open accounts for USA companies?
Dear Max,
I recommend getting in touch with Deutsche Bank directly via their Corporate Banking (https://corporates.db.com/).
Best Regards,
Dominik
This is extremely helpful. If my salary is deposited into DB in Germany is it possible to transfer those funds to my Bank in the USA?
Dear Marco,
yes, it’s possible but there are usually quite high fees involved (e.g. for Deutsche bank around 30 EUR one-off fee and a variable fee of 1,5‰).
It’s therefore recommendable to use one of the popular money transfer platforms such as Wise or CurrencyFair, as they offer international money transfers at considerably lower fees.
Best Regards,
Dominik