Open current account immediately ► At the Comdirect possible within 8 minutes
In order to use the new free current account of the Comdirect bank, only three simple steps are necessary:
- fill out and send the online application ► go to the online application (www.comdirect.de)
- video chat with the bank for the legitimating (the ID-card or passport is held in front of the camera and one can already enjoy the first positive experience with the customer service; one can get the new account number here right away!)
- you get your access data for the online banking and your new cards free of postage by post.
Explained step by step: The Account Opening
Dana Jacob shows you in this video, how to open the current account. To start the video, simply click with the mouse on the video image.
Tips for the account opening
1. Things you should have ready
It has proven to be advantageous, if you hold ready the following things and information for your account opening:
- name, date of birth, place of birth
- address and phone number
The phone number is needed for the mTAN-procedures. A foreign mobile number is also accepted. - indication of the profession
- ID-card or passport
As you can see, these are all things that do not require a lot of preparation.
2. Start to fill the online application
If you are stuck somewhere, you may look for information on this page or call the telephone customer service of the bank. This is available around the clock – even on weekends – and can help you with the application filling! Telephone: + 49-4106-7088.
These defaults apply to 99 % of people. Currently, business accounts cannot be opened. One can open a joint account with a second person (e.g. life partner).
3. Personal data
Stating your personal data should be a piece of cake. 🙂
4. State the address
Stating the address is important in order to get sent the access data and the cards. Moreover, the creditworthiness check is performed through the address. If you live since less than two years at the stated address, then you will be prompted to state the previous address too.
If you are taxable in another country, then please say so. The Comdirect can manage up to three countries for tax purposes. If you are not taxable in Germany (non-resident tax payer, German: Steuerausländer), you will get all investment income (e.g. interest) credited without the deduction of tax!
5. State your profession
The bank will ask you to state your profession – for whatever reason. Please do not worry about that. Just state the profession, which is closest to yours, if the exact profession is missing. On this page, we have translated the professions into English language, if this will help you.
6. Open extras right away?
These extras are optional. You can apply for them right away or at a later point of time. If you want to get them immediately, then tick the box. When the box is ticked, further form entry fields will appear.
6.1 Order the credit card (optional)
If you simultaneously apply for the free Visa Card (recommended), then your monthly net income will be queried.
Your monthly net income is all the money that you get regularly transferred to your bank account or receive in cash. For most people, that is the salary or pension payment plus possible income from a part-time job or rentals.
Most often, no evidence must be submitted to the bank.
If your income or your creditworthiness is not enough to get a credit card with credit limit, you will receive a prepaid Visa Card. Besides the fact that this needs to be recharged by transferring money from the current account before use, it has the same great features as the Visa Card with credit line.
The Visa Card can be requested at a later point of time. When opening an account, you will automatically receive a German GiroCard, which enjoys a high degree of acceptance in Europe.
Which design will your Comdirect Visa Card have?
Go directly to the application ► www.comdirect.de/cms/visa
6.2 Setup of the overdraft facility (optional)
If you need an overdraft facility (overdraft on your current account), you can check it right away within the online application.
For this, please keep the following information available: desired amount of overdraft, your monthly net income, your employer’s name and location of employer.
You can also apply for the overdraft facility later on, when you got used to your new current account.
When I applied for my own account, I have immediately received double the amount of my then income as overdraft facility. Find the article here.
7. Complete the account application
The last steps on this page are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the bank by checking the boxes and the repeated reading of your data, then confirm and save.
8. VideoIdent-procedure
If you have completed all the previous points, then you can start with the VideoIdent-procedure. For this, you call the customer service of the bank at this hotline + 49-4106-7082548 (available around the clock!)
Some data of your identity document will be queried, the security features will be checked (tilting in front of the camera) and a picture of you and your ID-card will be taken.
The VideoIdent-procedure can be performed on a computer, a tablet or a Smartphone.
Section of the video at the beginning of the article. If you are at the point that you can see in the picture, you are almost done. In a few moments, your account is opened and you will be told your account number. Of course, you will also get all the further documents sent free of charge to your home address.
“Yes, I want to open the current account immediately”
… free current account with additional advantages!
Questions about the account opening?
Please contact me via the comments box at the end of the page. My team and I would be pleased to help you with the opening of your current account at the Comdirect.
Q&A: Frequent questions and answers
Is the account opening really free of charge?
Yes! There are no charges for account management – no matter how or if you use the account at all. There are no conditions, as common at some other banks that require a monthly minimum cash deposit or salary transfer.
Likewise, there is no annual fee for the bank cards (Giro and Visa Card).
Fees may incur, if you use additional services, e.g. an international transfer to the USA (article in German language)! Transfers within the Euro-zone are, of course, free of charge!
Can I open the current account, if I do not have my place of residence in Germany?
Yes! However, for this you require a different form. In the online application, you are informed and forwarded to it. We hope that this will be possible within the same application soon.
Please note that the language of the contract and the online banking is German, as well as the customer support is generally performed via e-mail in German too. Depending on the languages, which the staff member of the telephone customer service speaks, you can talk with him/her in another language.
Is there a minimum age for the account opening?
Yes! The minimum age is 18 years. The Comdirect offers a junior bank account in a “slim” version. There, the minimum age is 7 years. My daughter has this current account and there will be a separate article on this subject too. Please follow our work as a “fan“ (German language) and you will always be up to date. 🙂
Further helpful articles about the Comdirect current account
- Whoever understands it, will love the … Comdirect current account!
- Comdirect credit card and its use abroad
- Further notes about the account opening from within Germany and abroad
Supplement of January 13th, 2016: Legitimating at non-German IDs
Through the das VideoIdent-procedure, people with ID-cards / passports of the countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg can perform the legitimating, no matter their current location or place of residence.
Interested parties with identification documents of other countries can use the PostIdent-procedure in Germany and at a place of residence abroad the legitimating through a notary. However, this does not work for all countries. Please talk directly to the customer service of the Comdirect to find out from which countries a notary certificate is accepted.
You are welcome to post your own experiences and tips to the legitimating here.
Hi Tanja
Very interesting article. I have a UK and Japanese address. Can I open a Combank account to bank in Euros? I need it for receiving and paying within the Euro Zone only.
Have a nice day
Simon
The address does not matter to the bank. However, the way of account opening from abroad is different. For account openings with an address in Germany, please use the above linked online form. From abroad, you currently have to fill the PDF-application. You can get it at the bank.
I have thought about switching to the Comdirect since long. However, I have postponed it several times, because I thought that it is complicated to open a current account. I have opened my old one in a bank branch office many years ago and it took a long time!
This article here has bolstered me up to do it and in fact, the account was opened within a few minutes. The video-conversation with the bank to legitimate was also very good. Therein, I was able to ask some questions and they were answered nicely.
Actually, it is a pity that I waited so long with the account opening. But now I am happy and want to thank you for this great website.
Exactly out of this reason, we create these articles and instructions Thank you for this nice appreciation of our work and have fun with your new current account at the Comdirect!