How to apply for a bank loan in Germany
GUIDES

APPLYING FOR A BANK LOAN IN GERMANY

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If you are an expat living in Germany, you might have wondered about the procedure of how to get a (fast) bank loan in Germany. Whether it is the same as in the home country or completely different as an Expat in Germany. In this article, we will inform about the types of personal loans in Germany, how to apply, and the requirements of how to be granted for a loan. Especially what to consider as a foreigner in Germany when applying for a loan, and finally you will find a comparison of all loan providers. Let’s start with the differences between the various types and provider  like Maxda, Auxmoney, Creditolo where there is no Schufa required.

Types of loans for Expats in Germany

  • Installment Loans: also known as Ratenkredit which is a personal loan.
  • Personal credit loan: known as Rahmenkredit but with a difference that it has a fixed monthly payment compared to installment loans with a variable monthly payment.
  • Car Loans: known as Autokredit
  • Home Loan: known as Wohnungskredit which is a credit for buying a home/mortgage
  • Instant Credit: known as Sofortkredit
  • Overdraft facility: known as Dispokredit, a possibility to overdraw money up to a certain limit
  • The usual credit card: Check out the comparison of all credit cards in English here.
  • Securities Loan: by providing a security to the bank (securities account with funds and stocks)
  • Self employment loan: for private persons for their businesses
  • 30 day loan: Short term loan which can be obtained for 30 days for a regular period of time
Tip: compare different loan provider directly here: free Loan calculator or use the quick loan calculator here.

How to get a loan

Some of the very basic requirements have to be met in order to apply for a loan in Germany:
  • A permanent residence permit or a permit which is valid for the entire period of loan
  • Good Schufa score.  Know more about Schufa here
  • Stable income – by providing salary slips for a certain period of time.
 

Bank Loan

This is the best option to get the lowest interest rates (2-4% interest) and not much documentation because you are already a client of the bank. You might have to show that you are in Germany for many years with stable income, permanent residence permit or any visa with a long validity. Some of the banks from which you can get different loans in Germany are:
 
Hint: compare different loan provider directly here: free Loan calculator or use the quick loan calculator here.
 

Credit institutions

These are online organizations which give you a credit with higher fees compared to banks, but the process is not so difficult. For a short term loan, it has low interest rates and it comes with faster payment terms (4-10% interest). Some of them are:
  • Ferratum money (Mikrokredit, Ratenkredit, Autokredit)
  • CrediMaxx is a credit intermediary headquartered in Switzerland.
  • Barclays credit
  • Easy credit

As a credit intermediary, CrediMaxx itself does not grant loans. The service searches for the most suitable lender on the basis of your credit request and arranges the loan for you.

The possible credit line is between 4,000 and 60,000 euros, the period between 12 and 120 months. Loans without Schufa are also possible if you can prove a regular monthly income of 1,150.00 euros or more.

 

Mini Loans for Expats in Germany

If you need a very small amount of money (for example, 500-1500€) you can opt for mini loans. They have a high interest rate (up to 15%), but they serve as emergency money which you might need until you get the next month’s paycheck. They are also called as payday loans as they run for mostly 1-2 months. Some options for mini loans are:

An alternative for a mini loan could also be a (free) credit card.

Peer-to-peer lending

There are several online platforms which offer peer-to-peer lending, which is like an interface between borrowers and lenders. Their interest rates are high and also dependent on the credit score. This might be one of the options for foreigners who have been living in Germany for a short time period. Even if you have no or a negative Schufa score, you can get money from this option, with an interest ranging from 3-14% on short term loans.
 
Some of the peer-to-peer lending providers are
 

Tips for Expats applying for a loan

  • As Expats, you might not have a creditworthiness history for a long time, so one of the options would be to go to your bank and consult with them directly for applying. Since your bank has details about your financial status, they might be willing to provide a loan even if you do not have a creditworthiness history.
  • You can also get Dispokredit (overdraft credit) as explained above
  • Intermediaries who have a good deal with loan providers, some of them are Maxda, Auxmoney, Creditolo (no Schufa required)
  • Most important thing you must remember while checking for loan options is that, you must always make a conditional request (Konditionen Anfrage) rather than making a credit request (Kredit Anfrage). If you make a credit request, it will remain in your credit report which can be seen by others. But in conditional request, it is available only for you and this does not affect your Schufa score. 
  • check you overview of Schufa score online for free here to get an idea before going to the bank

Tip: compare different loan provider directly here: free Loan calculator or use the quick loan calculator here. 

If you want to know more about your credit score: get it here for free or read about Schufa and how to apply online for free in our article here.
 
Good to know:
kredu offers small credits (Kleinkredite) up to 100€ without transaction costs + 25€ FREE opening balance on your virtual credit card immediately
 
 
If you would like to compare other providers in English, you can check below!
Bank accounts
Travel insurance
Sim card
Private insurance
Liability Insurance
Internet
Credit Card

 

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