€992 a month is the figure today. The projections for the next three intakes are higher, and a budget built on this year's number is a budget that comes up short.
The blocked account requirement is tied to Germany's BAföG student support rates. When those go up — and they are scheduled to — the amount an international student has to show goes up with them.
Where it stands today
€992 a month, €11,904 for twelve months. That is the current requirement and it is what your file needs right now.
What is projected
These figures follow from the announced BAföG changes. They are not yet official immigration policy and they may be adjusted before they take effect:
- Summer 2027 — around €1,052 a month, €12,624 a year (about €720 more)
- Winter 2027/28 — around €1,080 a month, €12,960 a year (about €1,056 more)
- Summer 2029 — around €1,140 a month, €13,680 a year (about €1,776 more)
The underlying changes: the BAföG housing allowance rises from €380 to €440 a month from summer 2027, and the basic allowance goes to €503 a month from winter 2027/28 and €563 from summer 2029.
Treat every figure in that list as a planning number, not a rule. The requirement that applies to you is the one published when you apply, and it is the mission's figure that counts — not ours, and not a blog's.
What this means if you are applying now
For winter 2026/27: nothing changes. €11,904 is the figure.
For summer 2027 onwards: budget for the higher number. If the increase does not happen, or lands lower, you have overfunded a blocked account — and that money is still yours, released to you monthly once you are in Germany. The downside of over-preparing is nil.
The downside of under-preparing is your appointment.
Why it matters more than the number suggests
An underfunded blocked account is not a rejection you can argue with. The consulate checks a figure against a figure, and if yours is short the file goes back — and by then your appointment slot has gone to somebody else and the next one is weeks away.
The rise itself is manageable. Roughly €720 more for summer 2027 is about ₹75,000 at current rates, spread across a year of living costs you were going to have anyway. It is a planning problem, not an affordability one — as long as it is planned.
What we do about it
For any student targeting summer 2027 or later, we build the shortlist and the funding plan on the projected figure and revise down if the official number comes in lower. We also check the education loan sanction against the projected amount rather than the current one, because a loan approved for €11,904 in January is a loan €720 short in May.
If you are already working with a counsellor, ask which figure your file is built on. If the answer is €11,904 and you are applying for summer 2027, that is worth a conversation this week.