Your blocked account will be terminated automatically after your last payout has been transferred to you.
In those cases, where you wish to close your Fintiba account earlier, whichever circumstances there may be, you can find the proper procedures in this article.
Kindly note, the primary condition for closing your Fintiba account depends on wherever you have already received a blocking confirmation or not and if you have travelled to Germany already. In case you have not received a blocking confirmation yet, you can continue with the account closure process described below. Otherwise, see the following explanations for your given situation:
Scenario A: Blocking confirmation received, NO arrival in Germany
Important: Fintiba is unable to help you with authority requests to acquire the below described confirmation. You will need to get in touch with them yourself.
These may be the reasons why you may want to close your Blocked Account before arriving to Germany:
- You did not even apply for your visa yet, but you want to cancel your blocked account
- You withdrew your visa application
- You received a visa, but want to cancel your trip to Germany
- Your visa application was rejected
- You received a visa, but never travelled to Germany
For all these cases, we need an official unblocking confirmation with the instruction for us to remove the block on your account from the German Embassy or Consulate that processed your visa. Accepted documents are:
- Official rejection letter: You receive this in case your visa was rejected.
- Sperrfreigabe (or unblocking confirmation, consulate certificate): You may request an appointment with your responsible authority. This document states your name and other identifiers (such as passport no., blocked account no.) together with a message of approval for closing the account.
- Your authority reaches out directly to us to approve for the account closure.
In case you received a visa, but never travelled to Germany:
- If it is still valid, your authority needs to invalidate your visa first, before they can issue a Sperrfreigabe.
- If your visa is expired, you can also provide it to us. Our team will check, if the duration period of your blocked account is over as well to initiate the account closing.
Documents we cannot accept:
- De-registration letter.
- Grenzübertrittsbescheinigung (border-crossing confirmation).
- Home-country re-entry stamp.
- Self-made documents without authority approval.
- Forwarded emails of your authority through you.
- Editable files (.doc, .rtf).
Scenario B: Blocking confirmation received, entered Germany
Important: Fintiba is unable to help you with authority requests to acquire the below described confirmation. You will need to get in touch with them yourself.
If you want to close your blocked account for any reason after arriving in Germany, we need an official unblocking confirmation with the instruction for us to remove the block on your account from your responsible foreigner's office (Ausländerbehörde). Accepted documents are:
- Sperrfreigabe (or consulate certificate): You may request an appointment with your responsible authority. This document states your name and other identifiers (such as passport no., blocked account no.) together with a message of approval for closing the account.
- Your authority reaches out directly to us to approve for the account closure.
Note your visa is likely still valid at this point and the authority needs to invalidate it first, before they can issue a Sperrfreigabe.
You were in Germany, but left before being able to get the Sperrfreigabe document?
No worries, in this case get in touch with your responsible German Embassy or Consulate to follow the same steps.
Documents we cannot accept:
- De-registration letter.
- Grenzübertrittsbescheinigung (border-crossing confirmation).
- Home-country re-entry stamp.
- Self-made documents without authority approval.
- Forwarded emails of your authority through you.
- Editable files (.doc, .rtf).
For Finitba Plus users - If you came to Germany and have already activated your health insurance, you will need to directly contact BARMER or MAWISTA, as applicable, to cancel your insurance.
You can close your Blocked Account directly from your Fintiba account.
Step-to-step guide on account closure
- Go to the Blocked Account section and click on Close Account and provide the documents that are mentioned below. Make sure that your mobile phone number is connected to your Fintiba account via the Profile section.
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Choose the target account for the return payment.
- By default, original account is available, meaning to the account you originally sent the money from.
Important: In case you made use of a non-partnered payment provider, we highly recommend to make sure you understand their refund policy before initiating the return payment.
In case you made use of Transfermate or Flywire through our deposit process, funds will be returned through them back to you. Expect a notification from their end once funds reached them to complete the return payment. -
Other account lets you choose the target account for the return payment
Note for this option to be available, you are required to be fully identified (legitimated). Check this article for details on the process:
How can I access my money when I arrive in Germany? - Step 2: Complete your legitimation (identification) process
- By default, original account is available, meaning to the account you originally sent the money from.
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Upload your unblocking confirmation (if needed).
In case you already received a blocking confirmation and your account is not yet expired, you will need an unblocking document. See above Scenario A & B for details on how to obtain it.
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Confirm your account closure.
Be aware, that account closures are irreversible and wanting to use Fintiba services in the future will need you to reopen your account, requiring you to go through the onboarding process again.
Make sure you do not expect any deposits to your blocked account when requesting closure of your account as deposit attempts will fail and be rejected, causing potential delays and fees for you.
You will be asked to confirm via OTP to finalize your account closure.
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Await confirmation of your account closure document (if applicable).
Our team will check your case.
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Provide details to your receiving account (if you chose 'other account').
Check your next to-dos. You will find input fields to confirm the receiver information of your return payment.
To avoid delays or issues during the return payment process, make sure you enter all required details correctly and truthfully. Click "Save Data" once done.
Once the details are entered, confirm them via OTP.
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Done!
Depending on your selection, the return payment can take up to one week to be completed.
Cancelling account closure process
As long as you are not too deep in the process yet (past unblocking confirmation verification), you are able to cancel your account closure.
Simply click on the "Close Account - Cancel account closure" button shown in the Blocked Account section.
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💡 Do you need a template to request an official confirmation from the Embassy or Consulate? - Here are some forms in which you can state the reasons for closing your blocked account and submit them to the German visa authorities to formally request for their written consular certification: