Once you know how much you need in a Sperrkonto, the next decision is which provider to open it with. Expatrio and Fintiba dominate the Nigerian market, and the right pick depends on whether you value lower total cost, faster confirmation, or how the refund works if your visa doesn’t come through.
Current pricing:
- Expatrio: €119 setup fee and €9 per month, a price that only took effect on 7 July 2026, up from €89 and €5 a month before that, so older comparisons still quoting the lower figure are out of date
- Fintiba: €159 setup fee and €9.90 per month, unchanged for some time, running on a direct German banking licence with Sutor Bank
On pure cost, Expatrio is still cheaper across a typical 12-month wait even after its July increase. Fintiba’s advantage is processing speed, particularly when the account is funded by credit card rather than international transfer, which matters if your visa appointment is close. Both providers ask for a refundable buffer of around €100 to cover potential shortfalls from SWIFT transfer fees, so budget slightly above the headline blocked amount.
The two also differ on what happens if your visa is refused. Expatrio refunds the full amount you paid, deposit, setup fee, and monthly fees included. Fintiba refunds only the blocked deposit itself, not the setup or monthly administration fees, so factor that into your choice if a rejection is a real possibility in your case. A third provider, Coracle, has paused new applications since August 2025, so these two remain the only realistic options for Nigerian applicants at the time of writing.
For the underlying deposit amount both providers are built around, see Germany Blocked Account Amount 2026.