Can I legally hold multiple current accounts in Germany?

Short answer: Yes, you can legally keep multiple current accounts in Germany; there is no statutory limit, and many expats run one everyday account and a second for rent or savings goals.

Multiple current accounts in Germany are perfectly lawful because German banking law places no cap on how many giro accounts a private individual may hold. In practice, every new account must still pass the bank’s own know-your-customer (KYC) and Schufa credit check, but regulators do not restrict the number.

We often recommend a two-account setup for newcomers:

• Daily spending account with a mobile bank such as N26 or Vivid for instant notifications, fee-free card payments and travel perks.
• Standing-order account at a traditional provider like DKB or Deutsche Bank to separate rent, utilities and incoming salary—landlords like the familiar IBAN prefix, and you keep a tidy audit trail for visa renewals.

Holding more than two accounts can also make sense if you receive payments in different currencies, need a dedicated business giro, or want to maximise ATM networks. The only downsides are extra card fees, a busier personal Schufa file and the risk of forgetting to monitor low-usage balances.

At Finance for Expats we compare fee tables, check how additional accounts influence your credit score and handle the paperwork if you later decide to consolidate via our bank switch service. We also set up automatic alerts so no account slips into the red unnoticed.

Key take-aways:

• German law allows unlimited personal giro accounts.
• Use one account for daily spending and another for fixed costs to stay organised.
• Finance for Expats sets up, monitors and—when the time is right—merges extra accounts for you.