Request to convert an account into a garnishment-protected P-Konto (Germany)
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This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
A letter asking your German bank or Sparkasse to run your current account as a garnishment-protected account (Pfändungsschutzkonto, P-Konto) — possible at any time, even when the account is overdrawn or already garnished (§ 850k of the German Code of Civil Procedure, ZPO). The bank must switch at the latest from the fourth business day after the request, and protection applies retroactively if you ask within a month of the garnishment. It includes the assurance that you hold no other P-Konto and covers the certificate of higher amounts (§ 903 ZPO). Since 1 July 2026, €1,590 a month is protected; the figure changes every 1 July. In German.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Customer
- Customer's address
- Bank
- Address of the bank that holds the account
- City
- Date
- IBAN of the current account
- Customer number at the bank
- Date of birth
- Garnishment of the account (whether there is one, and when it was served)
- Certificate of higher protected amounts (§ 903 ZPO)
- Attachments
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- How much money is protected on a German P-Konto, and does the figure change every year?
- Since 1 July 2026, €1,590 a month is protected from garnishment: the § 850c ZPO exemption of €1,587.40, rounded up to the next €10 (§ 899 of the German Code of Civil Procedure, ZPO). Until 30 June 2026 it was €1,560. The amount is adjusted every year on 1 July, so check the current figure if you use the letter from July 2027. The letter itself states no amount and so stays valid.
- How do I raise the protected amount on a German P-Konto, for example for children or child benefit?
- With a certificate under § 903 of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO). It shows higher protected amounts, for example where you pay maintenance or receive child benefit or certain social benefits. It can be issued by, among others, your employer, the Familienkasse, the benefits office and a debt advice service. Hand it to the bank with the request or send it later; in the letter you choose which applies.
- From when does protection apply if my German account has already been garnished?
- The bank must run the account as a P-Konto at the latest from the start of the fourth business day after your request (§ 850k of the German Code of Civil Procedure, ZPO). If you ask for the conversion within a month after the garnishment was served on the bank, protection applies retroactively from the garnishment. So act at once when you learn of a garnishment. Hand the letter in at a branch and have the date of receipt confirmed — the time limits run from that day.
- Can I hold several P-Konten in Germany or convert a joint account?
- No. Each person may hold only one garnishment-protected account and must assure the bank that they hold no other (§ 850k(3) of the German Code of Civil Procedure, ZPO). Only an account in one person's name can be a P-Konto, not a joint account with someone else; ask the bank how to get an account of your own instead. Conversion is, however, possible even if your account is overdrawn (§ 850k(1) ZPO).
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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