My fiancée moved from Germany to America, and the biggest hassle has been the German bank. They wouldn't close it when she was in person due to her not having an American bank account yet, and they have been a nightmare to deal with since. They keep giving us different information of how to close it, then when we get them the requirements they change the process, rinse and repeat over and over. Now they're claiming they can't close the bank account at all. We're getting frustrated, and don't want to pay the monthly fees for a bank account she doesn't even need. Is there anything we can do?

by DisasterAdult

21 comments

  1. Struggled with the same problem, moved out of Germany 3 years ago, the account is still open. No one wanted to close it as much as I tried.

  2. You need to give bank details as written in the email. Volksbank closed my account as soon as they can transfer the remaining balance. It is written in the email…

  3. unless you have outstanding loan or an overdraft pending with the bank, you can close the bank account at your discretion with or without any reason and the bank technically cannot refuse. refusal can also happen if the account is actively being investigated for money laundering.

    tell your fiancée to go to the bank *with* her other bank account, asking them to transfer the money and close your account. if they refuse, ask for a written statement and/or file a complaint with the bank’s ombudsman. last option is to contact a lawyer with the letter from the bank refusing to close the account.

  4. Attach the original. Looks like a bad translation…

  5. Any bank cannot close an account if it has a non-zero balance. This is true for both positive and negative balances.

    Give them details of where they can transfer the money as they asked.

    Besides, this is not specific to Germany.

  6. It was a pain in the neck to close my German bank account. I had to send two registered letters, the first one they rejected because they said my signature “didn’t match.” Send a registered letter demanding that you close it under the account terms and conditions and threaten legal action if they don’t.

  7. It is impossible. I want to close my account due to new charges and the custoner support keeps lying to me about how to close or rhat it is closed but it’s not

  8. Please try providing the bank with the requested information and once again ask them to close the account afterwards. If that does not work, you can send me a pm – coincidally a family friend works at that specific branch of Sparkasse.

  9. Legally, they have to accept a written Kündigung, so ask them for address where to send the letter. You may add that if they don’t do it, you’ll file a complaint with BaFin, because the bank is obligated to allow written account closing.

  10. When I closed my Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank accounts a few years ago I just found a Kündigungsschreiben online for closing a bank account, filled it out, and mailed it to them. This had my account info as well as the account info for them to transfer a balance. Never had an issue with that. Maybe try it out if nothing else is working?

  11. Good luck in the US.

    You gonna beg for shitty German bureaucracy if you go to that shithole rn 😂

  12. I think the problem is the SWIFT/IBAN incompatibility. Did you try using a Wise or Revolut account which works on both banking networks?

  13. You need to show them the Abmeldung also to close an account

  14. And what is the problem? Give them a bank account to transfer the money to.

  15. Make an online account with an European country, like a Revolut or something similar. Transfer the money to the new account yourself, via online banking. When the account is empty, ask them to close the account.

    *(If you do it via online banking, a lot of information is retrieved automatically from the databases based on the IBAN number you input, and it’s your responsibility if you screw it up. If you ask a teller to do it, they will need to check all the values they get on the computer with the ones you provide them with, including the SWIFT, registration address of the bank, etc…)*

    When I closed by first account in Germany, they gave me the contents in cash. I was panicking carrying around 300€ in cash to the airport. Don’t mock me, I was very spoiled as a kid and I’m really afraid of getting robbed or mugged, and 300€ is not something I would just throw away…

  16. If you have still friends in Germany, you might be able to give them a PoA just to close the bank account to handle the whole issue.

  17. Don’t close it. Just transfer all funds to somewhere else. With zero balance, there is no monthly fee they can take. 

    Also, if you need it one day (say you go back to Germany), it’s waiting for you there. No real harm.

  18. They can not close it, since it still has money on it.

  19. Open a wise account
    Transfer the money
    Close the account

  20. You can transfer the funds to your current bank account.

    I still advise keeping some funds if you ever intend to visit.

    (Also can use online bankings like revolut etc to transfer money)

    In theory if you have money in the account, it is illogical and security reasons for bank not to close it unless some specific circumstances.

  21. Just give them an account to transfer the remaining money to and they’ll close it. I did that. Told them to send it to my friend’s account.

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