All consumers legally residing in the European Union have the right to open a basic payment account in Germany. This also applies to people who have fled to Germany because of the war in Ukraine.

You can find more information about basic payment accounts here.

BaFin has announced the following: banks are also able to open basic payment accounts for refugees who have neither a Ukrainian passport nor a Ukrainian ID card with security features and who do not (yet) have substitute identity documents, such as an arrival certificate. In these cases, the applicant must provide a Ukrainian identity document and a document from a German authority showing that they are officially known by the name stated in the identity document. Suitable German documents for this purpose include, in particular, a certificate directing the person concerned to the nearest reception facility (Anlaufbescheinigung), a probationary certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung) or a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung). Please note that a suitable identity document or substitute identity document must be submitted subsequently, once available.

No. A lack of knowledge of the German language is not a valid reason for a bank to refuse an application for a basic payment account. All consumers legally residing in the European Union are entitled to a basic payment account. This includes people with no fixed address and asylum seekers as well as those who do not have a residence permit but who cannot be deported for legal or practical reasons. This applies to Ukrainian refugees. Furthermore, refusing a basic payment account due to insufficient knowledge of the German language would contravene the ban on discrimination set out in section 3 of the German Payment Accounts Act (Zahlungskontengesetz – ZKG).

The hryvnia exchange programme that was initially set up for refugees came to an end in October 2022. Although the programme has ended, there are still ways for refugees to obtain euros in Germany. Most notably, internationally accepted Ukrainian bank cards can generally be used to withdraw cash from many German ATMs.

The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge – BaMF) has put together a list of questions and answers about entry from Ukraine and residence in Germany. These questions and answers also provide information about who to contact if you do not have the financial means to provide for yourself.

Yes, banks are allowed to decide not to accept or exchange notes and coins from another country or countries. This is their legal right under the freedom of contract principle, which also applies in the banking industry.