Pfandungsschutzkonto

There are changes being made to the accounts known in Germany as a Pfandungsschutzkonto, rendered in English as both non-garnishment account and garnishment protection account. The monthly exemption limit will be raised as of 1 July 2025. Debtors that have transformed their current account (Girokonto) into a garnishment protection account (P-Konto), will thus have more money available to them. We answer your questions concerning the non-garnishment account.

What is a garnishment protection account? 

A “P-Konto” allows bank clients to pay their daily living expenses – such as rent, electricity, insurance policy fees – even though their account is subject to garnishment. These accounts make this possible without the need to apply for approval of individual payments – for example by the courts. This is obviously much more convenient than each individual payment requiring approval, which used to be the case. A client must contact their bank in order to change their normal account into a P-Konto.

If they work with their bank to turn the current account into a P-Konto, they have normal access to the monthly exempted amount and can spend the money as they wish.

Joint information from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schuldnerberatung der Verbände (Associations’ joint working group on debt counselling) and the top Associations in the German Banking Industry Committee provides detailed information on the garnishment protection account.

Client information

Short summary

Sample attestation

What amount is exempt from garnishment?

Thanks to the latest increase in the garnishment exemption limit, garnishment protection accounts will have a basic exemption limit of 1,560 euro per month protected from garnishment as of 1 July 2025. The amount is applied automatically for those who are not supporting anyone. Of course, the exemption limit only applies if the client actually has 1,560 euro or more in their account at the time. The exemption limits are higher for those who support someone, for example their family. However, they must provide proof that they are supporting someone via an attestation (see below). If they have an attestation, the exemption limit is 585.23 euro higher for the first person they support, and an additional 326.04 euro higher for each person after that, up to a limit of 5 people.

What proof do you need to get a P-Konto?

The debtor must present their bank with an attestation detailing how many people they support, for example the number of people in their household. Without this, their exemption limit will remain at the basic level. The attestation can usually be obtained for free from an employer, social security service provider (e.g. Jobcenter), the Familienkasse (family pay office) or non-profit debtor or consumer bankruptcy information centres. Lawyers and tax advisors can also issue an attestation, but they often charge for doing so.

Apart from these exemption limits, the following services, in particular, are exempt from garnishment:

• Kindergeld (child benefit) and Kinderzuschlag (children’s allowance),
• Payments as compensation for bodily harm
• Specific social service payments, for example for purchasing needed items after giving birth or money for school excursions.

The exemption limit is increased every year on 1 July automatically. There is no need to provide additional attestations. There is one exception to this: if the amount that cannot be garnished has been individually determined by a court or by a public enforcing authority, such as the tax office. In this case, the debtor must apply, as quickly as possible, for the determination to be amended and the exemption limit to be raised. The application should be made to the relevant body, which might be the Vollstreckungsgericht (court of enforcement) or creditor. If they do not do this, the old determinations and information will apply until the bank receives new information.

How do I get a P-Konto?

A current account can be changed into a garnishment protection account within just a few days. After the account has changed, the debtor can use any money up to the exemption limit freely, without that money being garnished. That means they can transfer the money, pay with direct debit and withdraw cash.

What does a P-Konto cost?

Transforming a current account into a P-Konto is free. However, the client may have to pay for account maintenance.