Most refusals connected to proof of funds for a job seeker visa requirements are not about the amount. They are about the form. Applicants with plenty of savings get refused because the money is in the wrong kind of account, or is not demonstrably theirs, or is not locked for long enough.
So this covers what actually counts as proof, and then gives the figures, with an honest note about which of them you can rely on.
What counts, and what quietly does not
| Form of proof | Usually accepted? |
|---|---|
| A blocked account, held with a provider the destination recognises | Yes. This is the gold standard and the reason it exists: the money is verifiably yours, present, and released to you monthly |
| A formal declaration of commitment from a person resident in the country | Yes, where the country provides for it. Germany does. The declarant takes on a real legal obligation |
| A part-time employment contract within the permitted hours | Sometimes, and Germany allows it for the Opportunity Card within the 20-hour weekly limit |
| Personal savings in your ordinary current account | Often not sufficient on its own. Nothing stops you spending it, and a recent large deposit invites questions about whose money it is |
| A relative’s account, or a loan | No. Funds generally have to be yours and free of legal restriction. A loan is a liability, not means |
| Investments, property or crypto | Rarely. The test is money you can live on now, not net worth |
Two rules explain most of that table. The money must be yours and unencumbered, which rules out loans and third-party accounts. And it must be available for the whole period, which is why a blocked account beats a bank statement: a statement is a photograph of one day and a blocked account is a commitment.
The practical trap is the recent deposit. A large transfer arriving shortly before you apply looks exactly like borrowed money, whether or not it is. Where you can, let funds sit for several months and show the history rather than the balance.
Germany, the one figure worth relying on
The Opportunity Card requires EUR 1,091 a month, which is around EUR 13,092 for a full year. This figure is consistently reported and it comes with an unusually flexible set of ways to satisfy it:
- A blocked account, which is what most applicants use.
- A formal declaration of commitment, the Verpflichtungserklärung, from someone resident in Germany. If you have family or a partner there, this can replace the deposit entirely.
- A part-time employment contract aligned with the 20-hour weekly limit the card permits.
That third option is the one almost nobody mentions and it changes the economics of the whole route. The Opportunity Card lets you work 20 hours a week while you search, so the funds requirement is not purely a burn rate. Withdrawals from the blocked account are normally capped at EUR 1,091 a month, which is the point: it is designed to fund a year of living, not to be emptied in March. More in our Opportunity Card guide.
The other countries, with the caveat they deserve
Here the honest answer is less satisfying than a neat table would be. Only Germany’s figure came back consistently. The rest are reported by commercial sources that do not agree with each other, and a proof of funds figure that is wrong by a hundred euros gets you refused, so treat these as indications of scale and confirm each one on the national immigration site before you transfer anything.
| Country | Reported requirement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | EUR 1,091 a month, about EUR 13,092 a year | Good. Consistently reported, with three named ways to satisfy it |
| Sweden | Around SEK 13,000 a month for the full duration of the stay | Moderate. Single source type |
| Austria | Roughly EUR 1,000 to 1,200 a month | Moderate on the amount. The 70-point Red-White-Red requirement alongside it is verified |
| Portugal | Reported as either about EUR 3,280 of savings or about EUR 4,300 | Low. Sources conflict, and at least one says the route is not currently open. Check the official position first |
What that table does tell you reliably is the order of magnitude. Budget on roughly a thousand to twelve hundred euros a month of demonstrable funds for a European job seeker route, and you will not be far out anywhere.
How to prepare, in order
- Confirm the current figure on the destination’s own immigration site, not on a blog. This one included.
- Find out which forms of proof that country accepts, and whether a declaration of commitment is an option. It can remove the deposit entirely.
- Move the money early and let it sit, so you can show history rather than a single balance.
- Open the blocked account with a recognised provider, and allow time for the transfer to clear before you apply.
- Budget above the minimum. The requirement is a floor for the application, not an estimate of what a city costs.
- Check whether you may work while searching. Germany permits 20 hours a week. Austria permits none, which makes the same sum last differently.
Related: how to move abroad without a job offer, eight countries with job seeker visas and the German job seeker visa. Browse shortage jobs with visa sponsorship on our board.
Last checked September 2026. Funds requirements are revised annually and job seeker routes open and close with little notice. Only the German figure here is well corroborated; confirm every other one officially before transferring money.
