Bank Loans in Germany for English Speakers
Some lenders let you apply in an English app, but plan for German paperwork: an English app does not mean an English loan contract. Whether you get a bank loan depends on each lender's credit check, your income and your SCHUFA file.
By the CheckAlle Editorial Team · Last updated:
Key Takeaways
- English service and an English loan contract are two different things. At N26 the English loan documents are a convenience translation and only the German edition is binding in Germany; Commerzbank issues its instalment loan agreement in German.
- A new SCHUFA file works against you at first: if your oldest bank contract is younger than three months, you get zero points for account age in the new SCHUFA score.
- Requests for loan conditions (Konditionsanfrage) are stored by SCHUFA but not shown to other companies. Formal loan applications stay in your file for twelve months.
- For general consumer loans signed after 1 January 2025, payment protection insurance can only be taken out at least one week after the loan contract (§ 7a VVG).
What Types of Bank Loans Are There in Germany?
German banks use a handful of loan names that you will see again in every offer and contract. Once you know them, the German forms are easier to read.
| Loan Type | German Name | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Installment Loan | Ratenkredit | A fixed amount at a fixed interest rate over a fixed term, repaid in equal monthly instalments. This is the standard personal loan. |
| Car Loan | Autokredit | Tied to buying a vehicle. Finanztip notes that purpose-bound car loans can be cheaper than a standard loan. |
| Credit Line | Rahmenkredit | The bank sets a limit and you pay interest only on what you draw. The rate is usually variable. |
| Instant Loan | Sofortkredit | Not a separate product. It means the bank decides and pays out quickly, for example after a digital look at your current account. |
Buying a car? Car loan comparison (in German) | Need a smaller amount? Guide to small loans in Germany
Compare Bank Loan Offers
According to the comparison portal, the requests banks make for this comparison are recorded at SCHUFA as requests for loan conditions, not as loan applications, and the comparison is free for you. The form below is in German; the table above and the sections below explain its terms.
Provided by a partner comparison portal; the form is in German.
Which Banks Work in English, and What Do Their Loans Require?
Four well-known banks, checked on 23 September 2026. English service helps with day-to-day banking; the loan conditions below matter more.
| Bank | English service | Loan contract language | Loan conditions to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| N26 | App and website in English | English documents are a translation; only the German edition is binding in Germany | N26 account at least 90 days old; SCHUFA score required |
| DKB | App can be switched to English; website in German | Ask DKB before you apply | Free special repayments; payout speed depends on the product |
| ING | Loan pages in German; documents accepted in German or English | Ask ING before you apply | Monthly income of at least 1,600 EUR; residence and workplace in Germany |
| Commerzbank | English information pages | Loan agreement issued in German; sufficient German required | Branches for private customers, around 400 locations |
N26
N26 is a mobile bank with a German banking licence and its registered office in Berlin. The app and website can be used in English, and N26 offers customer support in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Personal loans (N26 Credit) are applied for in the app, but only once your N26 account is at least 90 days old, and N26 says it cannot offer a loan without knowing your SCHUFA score. You verify your identity online, with a photo check or a live video call.
Contract language: N26 publishes its N26 Credit documents in English as a convenience translation. For N26 Credit in Germany, the pre-contract information states that only the German edition is legally binding.
Source: n26.com/en-de/credit
DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank)
DKB works as a direct bank for private customers. You can switch the DKB app to English through your phone's language settings, but the website for private customers is in German. The DKB Privatkredit allows special repayments (Sondertilgungen) free of charge. According to DKB, Privatkredit Sofort usually pays out within 30 minutes of a positive decision if you agree to a digital account check; with Privatkredit Klassisch the money usually arrives 1 to 2 days after approval, once DKB has all documents.
ING Germany
ING describes itself as Germany's largest direct bank. Its loan pages cover an instalment loan (Ratenkredit), a car loan (Autokredit), a home modernisation loan (Wohnkredit), a credit line (Rahmenkredit) and debt consolidation (Kredit ablösen). The loan pages are in German. ING asks for a stable monthly income of at least 1,600 EUR, residence and workplace in Germany and a salary account, and accepts supporting documents in German or English. Self-employed applicants must earn their income as freelancers (Freiberufler).
Source: ing.de/kredit
Commerzbank
Commerzbank is the only bank on this list with branches for private customers. Its fact sheet (August 2026) lists around 400 locations in Germany, and it has an English overview page for private clients that also covers borrowing. The loan itself is a different matter: on that English page, Commerzbank says you need sufficient knowledge of German to understand the features of its instalment loan and that the loan agreement is issued in German.
What Do You Need for a Bank Loan in Germany?
Common Requirements
- Age 18 or older and a fixed residence in Germany (ING and TARGOBANK both list this)
- Residence title: ING requires a valid residence title issued in Germany if you are not a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland
- German bank account (easyCredit and ING list this as a requirement)
- Regular income. Each lender sets its own minimum; ING, for example, asks for at least 1,600 EUR a month
- Probation period: TARGOBANK’s online loan excludes applicants still in probation and asks for at least six months with the current employer. easyCredit says a loan during probation is possible under special conditions
Documents Lenders Ask For
- Passport or ID card for video identification or PostIdent
- Salary slips (Santander asks for the last three)
- Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), which TARGOBANK recommends if you identify with a passport
- Employment contract, which some lenders such as TARGOBANK may request
- Tax assessments if you are a freelancer (ING asks for the last two)
Just arrived and no SCHUFA history yet? Read our guide to building your SCHUFA score before you apply.
How Do You Apply for a Bank Loan in Germany?
Compare conditions first
A request for loan conditions (Konditionsanfrage) is reported to SCHUFA but not shown to other companies, so ask several lenders for their conditions before you apply.
Choose one offer and apply
The formal application (Kreditanfrage) goes to SCHUFA as well. SCHUFA passes it on to its partner companies for 10 days and deletes it after twelve months, so apply only for the offer you want.
Upload your documents
Lenders such as ING and DKB let you upload salary slips and other documents online. DKB can also decide with a digital check of your current account instead.
Verify your identity
Video identification is a video call with an agent. IDnow, one of the providers, runs its identification centre in German, English, Spanish and French. Deutsche Post’s PostIdent works at a post office branch and also offers video chat and eID options.
Read the contract, sign and receive the money
Once the lender is willing to sign with you, you can ask for a draft of the contract (§ 491a Abs. 2 BGB). How fast the money arrives depends on the bank: Stiftung Warentest found that same-day payout is possible when the bank checks your current account digitally.
In a hurry? Instant loans for foreigners in Germany
How Does SCHUFA Affect a Bank Loan for Newcomers?
SCHUFA is Germany's best-known credit bureau, and German lenders must check your creditworthiness before they grant a consumer loan (§ 505a BGB). If you have just moved here, your file is thin, and that is not neutral. SCHUFA says someone who repaid a loan on schedule can have a higher score than someone about whom no data exists.
Since 17 March 2026, SCHUFA rates creditworthiness on a scale from 100 to 999 points, based on twelve criteria that are published for the first time. Account age is one of them: if your oldest bank contract is younger than three months, it earns zero points; three months earn three points and one year earns twelve. Once your bank reports the identity check to SCHUFA, the score rises by 38 points. For companies, SCHUFA has set a transition period until the end of 2028. More detail in our guide to the new SCHUFA score.
You can request a free copy of your SCHUFA data under Art. 15 GDPR at meineschufa.de. According to the Verbraucherzentrale, there is no longer a once-a-year limit for free information since the GDPR took effect.
Negative entries normally stay for three years after a debt is settled. Since 1 January 2025, SCHUFA deletes a settled payment default after 18 months, but only if the debt was paid within 100 days of being reported, no further negative data was reported and there is no entry in the debtor register or insolvency notices. If you already have negative entries, see our guide to loan options with a difficult SCHUFA record.
Full guide: How to build your SCHUFA score as an expat
German Loan Terms You Should Know
Even with an English app, the offer and the contract use these German terms.
| German Term | English | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Effektiver Jahreszins | Effective annual rate | Expresses the total cost of the loan as a yearly percentage. Use it to compare offers. |
| Laufzeit | Loan term | Duration in months. Longer terms mean smaller payments but more total interest. |
| Ratenkredit | Installment loan | Fixed amount, fixed rate, fixed term, equal monthly instalments. |
| Konditionsanfrage | Request for conditions | Reported to SCHUFA but not shown to other companies. |
| Kreditanfrage | Loan application | Shown to SCHUFA partner companies for 10 days, deleted after twelve months. |
| Sondertilgung | Special repayment | You may repay a general consumer loan early at any time (§ 500 BGB). If a fixed rate was agreed, the lender can ask for compensation, which the law caps (§ 502 BGB). DKB lets you make special repayments free of charge. |
| Restschuldversicherung | Payment protection insurance | Optional. The Verbraucherzentrale calls it expensive with little cover. |
| Mitantragsteller | Co-borrower | A second person on the loan. Both are liable for the full amount. |
| Widerrufsrecht | Right of withdrawal | Your pre-contract information must state whether you have one (Art. 247 § 3 EGBGB). |
5 Tips for a Bank Loan as a Non-German Speaker
Ask for loan conditions before you apply
A request for loan conditions (Konditionsanfrage) stays between you and SCHUFA, while a formal application is shown to other companies for 10 days. Compare conditions first, then apply once for the offer you want.
Compare the effective annual rate
Interest rates for the same amount and term can differ between lenders. Compare the effektiver Jahreszins of each offer, not only the monthly instalment. It includes the interest and the other costs you must pay to get the loan; optional extras such as payment protection insurance you choose yourself are not included.
Take your time with payment protection insurance
The Verbraucherzentrale describes Restschuldversicherung as expensive, with many exclusions and waiting periods. In a BaFin mystery-shopping study published in December 2023, before the current rule, 6 percent of test customers felt pushed into taking one out. For general consumer loans signed after 1 January 2025, the insurer may only conclude it if you apply at least one week after the loan contract; a policy signed earlier is void (§ 7a Abs. 5 VVG).
Get the German contract checked
Once the lender is willing to sign with you, ask for a draft of the contract (§ 491a Abs. 2 BGB) and have someone who reads German well go through the rate, the term, the fees and the rules for early repayment before you sign.
Open a German bank account early
Account age counts in the new SCHUFA score, and N26, for example, only lets you check whether you qualify for a loan after 90 days. Paying every bill on time matters more than any shortcut.
Debt consolidation for foreigners | Personal loan guide for foreigners | Payment protection insurance and the one-week rule (in German)
Bank Loans in Germany: Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
This page is based on the SCHUFA scoring explanation, the Verbraucherzentrale, BaFin, the cited sections of the VVG and BGB, and the official pages of N26, DKB, ING and Commerzbank, all checked on 23 September 2026.
- SCHUFA: scoring explained and the 12 score criteria
- Verbraucherzentrale: free SCHUFA information and on payment protection insurance
- BaFin: what to know about a Ratenkredit and its 2023 mystery-shopping study on payment protection insurance
- § 7a VVG, § 491a BGB and § 505a BGB (German law, in German)
- Bank pages: N26, DKB, ING, Commerzbank
Compare bank loan offers above: the comparison is free for you. According to the comparison portal, the requests the banks make for the comparison are recorded at SCHUFA as requests for loan conditions, which SCHUFA does not show to other companies. If you then apply formally for one offer, that bank's request is recorded as a loan application.
checkalle.de is an information website financed by commissions. The loan comparison on this page belongs to a partner comparison portal, and the offers in it come from the lenders listed there. If you send a request through it, we may receive a commission. The comparison is free for you.