Bank Account in Germany for Ukrainians 2026: Basiskonto, Online Bank, or Ukrainian Card

Most articles on banking in Germany explain what a Basiskonto is. Few explain which document the bank will actually accept — and when. Here’s a practical breakdown, plus what to do when a bank says no.

# What documents the bank accepts at each stage

This is the detail branch managers rarely explain clearly. BaFin’s clarification of 7 April 2022 sets the following rules for all banks in Germany:

• A Ukrainian international passport is sufficient on its own.
• A 2015 plastic ID card (with biometric chip) is also sufficient on its own.
• Any other Ukrainian identity document is accepted only together with a German-authority document: an Anlaufbescheinigung (initial registration certificate), Fiktionsbescheinigung (pending-residence certificate), or Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate). Accounts opened on this basis receive closer ongoing scrutiny.

The most confusion surrounds the Fiktionsbescheinigung. It’s a certificate confirming that your residence permit application is under review — not a proof of identity. Banks accept it alongside another Ukrainian identity document. But if you already have an international passport or 2015 ID card, the Fiktionsbescheinigung isn’t needed for the account at all.

If you’ve just arrived and only have an Anlaufbescheinigung, present it together with your Ukrainian identity document.

Once the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ authority) issues a residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (temporary protection), that becomes your primary residence document. Permits valid on 1 February 2026 automatically remain valid until 4 March 2027 without individual renewal. EU temporary protection has been extended to 4 March 2028 (EU Council Decision 2026/1912), but as of 12 October 2026 Germany hadn’t yet published the corresponding extension of individual permits to 2028. Watch for updates from your local Ausländerbehörde.

# Basiskonto: your right, costs, and limits

§ 31 Zahlungskontengesetz (Germany’s Payment Accounts Act) gives every person lawfully present in the EU the right to a Basiskonto — including asylum seekers, people with Duldung (tolerated stay), and those without a fixed address. The bank must offer a contract without delay and no later than 10 business days after receiving a complete application.

A Basiskonto covers the basics: a euro account with an IBAN, cash deposits and withdrawals, transfers, direct debits, and a payment card. That’s enough to receive salary or benefits and pay bills. The bank isn’t required to offer an overdraft, but may do so by agreement (§ 39 ZKG).

On fees: § 41 ZKG requires charges to be “reasonable” (angemessen), but sets no fixed euro cap. Rates vary across banks, so confirm the amount before signing.

# Online banks in Germany: requirements and differences

Online services open accounts remotely — through video verification or in-app document checks. One distinction matters here: the obligation to provide a Basiskonto under § 31 ZKG applies to credit institutions, meaning licensed banks including online banks with a banking licence. Services operating as e-money institutions — Wise, for example — carry no such obligation and can refuse.

Before submitting documents, ask the service directly which documents it accepts for video verification and whether it works with § 24 AufenthG residence permits. Service conditions change, so check each time rather than relying on older guidance.

For one popular service used by Ukrainians abroad, see our review: Revolut in Ukraine 2026: how to open an account, limits, support.

# Ukrainian card in Germany: when it’s enough and when it isn’t

In the first weeks after arrival a hryvnia card may be your only tool — that’s fine. But NBU Resolution No. 18 (version of 17 September 2026) creates limits that bite within the first month:

• Cash withdrawals abroad from a hryvnia card: no more than the equivalent of UAH 12,500 per 7 calendar days.
• Card payments for goods, services, and rent abroad from hryvnia accounts: up to UAH 200,000 per calendar month (from 11 August 2026; previously UAH 100,000). This cap covers purchases — not transfers to yourself or others.

To put those numbers in context: at the NBU rate on 12 October 2026 (UAH 50.31 per €1), UAH 12,500 is roughly €248 in weekly cash, and UAH 200,000 is roughly €3,975 in monthly card spending. Card payments are workable. But a landlord who wants cash or a bank transfer? That’s where the card falls short.

As of 11 September 2026, Ukraine is not part of the SEPA zone (draft law No. 14327-d is still awaiting a Verkhovna Rada vote). So transfers between a Ukrainian and a German account travel as international SWIFT payments, not fast SEPA transfers. Direction matters too: money flowing into Ukraine faces no NBU limits, but outgoing transfers from Ukraine are restricted under Resolution No. 18 to specific transaction types.

Specifically, outgoing P2P transfers from hryvnia cards to foreign bank cards have been banned since 5 October 2022. From a foreign-currency account, you can transfer up to UAH 100,000 per month equivalent to a foreign card.

If you’re keeping a deposit at a Ukrainian bank while living in Germany, note the tax angle. German tax residents must declare interest from Ukrainian deposits in their German return (§ 32d EStG). Ukrainian tax paid is creditable, but only up to the rate permitted under the double-taxation treaty. Compare deposit rates in our article Deposits at Ukrainian Banks 2026: UAH/USD/EUR Rates, How to Choose.

# What to do if the bank refuses

It happens more often than it should. Here’s the sequence:

1. Ask for a written explanation. The bank must respond within 10 business days, free of charge, in writing, with reasons. It may withhold the specific reason only if disclosure would endanger public security — including anti-money-laundering rules — or violate a legal confidentiality obligation (§ 34 ZKG).

2. Check the legal grounds. A bank may refuse a Basiskonto only on grounds listed in §§ 35–37 ZKG: you already have a suitable payment account at any bank in Germany; you’ve committed an offence against this particular bank, or opening the account would violate the law; the bank previously terminated a basic account contract with you for non-payment. Having no fixed address, or presenting a Fiktionsbescheinigung together with a Ukrainian identity document, is not a valid ground for refusal.

3. Complain to BaFin. If the bank refuses, fails to respond within 10 business days, or doesn’t open the account after a contract is signed, you can file a complaint with the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (§ 48 ZKG). BaFin can order the bank to open the account (§ 49 ZKG).

4. Or use an ombudsman. Banking associations run free dispute resolution services (Schlichtungsstellen) — separate bodies exist for Sparkassen and for private banks. Choose one route: while a Schlichtungsstelle is handling your case, a BaFin application is inadmissible (§ 48 ZKG).

A common mistake: people give up after the first refusal and spend months relying solely on a Ukrainian card, paying unnecessary conversion fees the whole time.

# Tax and benefits: what to factor in

If you have a home in Germany or have been there continuously for more than six months, you’re an unlimited tax resident of Germany (§ 1 EStG, §§ 8–9 AO). Germany taxes worldwide income, so interest from a Ukrainian deposit goes in your German return, and rental income from a Ukrainian property is handled under the double-taxation treaty rules.

If you receive Grundsicherungsgeld (which replaced Bürgergeld on 1 July 2026), § 60 SGB I requires you to notify the Jobcenter of all income and assets — including those held abroad — and any changes to them. Deposit interest and Ukrainian rental income count as income (§ 11 SGB II). Savings are disregarded up to an age-dependent threshold: €5,000 under 30, €10,000 from 30, €12,500 from 40, €20,000 from 50 per person (§ 12 SGB II). For benefit periods that started before 1 July 2026, the old rules still apply.

For German tax questions, contact your local Finanzamt or a Steuerberater (tax adviser). For benefits, contact the Jobcenter.

# See also

• Deposit Calculator — returns on a Ukrainian deposit after the 23% withholding tax
• Revolut in Ukraine 2026: how to open an account, limits, support — one of the most popular services among Ukrainians abroad
• Deposits at Ukrainian Banks 2026: UAH/USD/EUR Rates, How to Choose — if you’re keeping savings in a Ukrainian bank
• Ukrainian Banks: directory and comparison — where to open a foreign-currency account and card