- Handle everyday banking situations in Germany with one account: Manage payments, transfers, withdrawals, deposits, savings, and investments through an established online bank.
- Keep your account free in several ways: Qualify through incoming funds, mobile payments, investing activity, or eligible under-28 status.
- Adapt your account to different stages of life: Open it individually or jointly, while apprentices, interns, and students under 28 receive the same full account without incoming funds.
- Expand your banking setup when needed: Add a girocard, credit card, or broader cash services, or switch to a more comprehensive comdirect plan.
- Bank after getting settled in Germany: Girokonto Aktiv suits customers with a German registration address who are comfortable using German-language banking and support.
- €100 sign-up bonus: Get rewarded by comdirect for opening the account
We have known comdirect for more than a decade and have used its current account, brokerage, and savings products at different stages. Our assessment combines this broad firsthand experience with a fresh test of the Girokonto application process, official information, and current customer feedback.
Based on average ratings on Trustpilot and BankingCheck
Based on average ratings on App Store and Google Play Store
Users generally rate comdirect’s everyday mobile banking positively, which broadly matches our experience of a stable and straightforward app. Provider-level feedback is much more divided: some long-term customers praise its reliability, while recent complaints frequently concern waiting times and complicated special cases.
Adding the Visa credit card to Girokonto Aktiv costs €1.90 per person per month. For an individual account, Girokonto Extra costs only €1 more and includes a credit card plus five free monthly Visa Debit withdrawals instead of three.
The calculation is even more favorable for a joint account: two credit cards added to Girokonto Aktiv cost €3.80 per month, while Girokonto Extra costs €2.90 per account and includes one card per holder, subject to approval.
We opened our first comdirect account around a decade ago, when customers still had to wait for access details by post. Our more recent savings-account opening provided digital access immediately after identification. comdirect now also supports digital access and photoTAN activation for new current-account customers, while our fresh application test confirmed that the form itself is short, clear, and straightforward.
Girokonto Aktiv is free for the first six months. Afterward, ensure that you meet at least one fee-waiver condition. Optional cards and cash services can be added or removed later through the personal online-banking area.
If you already have a German account, you can use the free digital comdirect switching service right after activation. The app automatically logs into your old bank, identifies your recurring payments (like rent, gym, or electricity), and moves them over to your new comdirect Girokonto Aktiv account within minutes.
- Step 1: Digital sign-up (5-10 min) – Choose a Girokonto Aktiv individual or joint account and provide your name, date of birth, German registration address, email address and mobile number. comdirect also asks about expected incoming funds and cash transactions, an optional overdraft and whether you want to add a brokerage account. Both joint-account holders must provide their details.
- Step 2: Instant ID verification (2-5 min) – Use VideoIdent, eID with a compatible German identity card or PostIdent at Deutsche Post. You need an accepted, valid identity document. If your passport does not show your current address, have a recent German registration certificate available; comdirect may request it during the subsequent review rather than within the identification call itself.
- Step 3: Immediate access (5 min) – After approval, receive or create your access details and activate photoTAN. If digital access and TAN activation for your comdirect Girokonto Aktiv are not completed successfully within seven days, comdirect automatically sends the access details and activation letter by post.
- Step 4: Delivery (3–14 days) – The included bank cards for Girokonto Aktiv are delivered separately by post. After receiving it, follow the accompanying instructions to activate and use it. Optional cards can be selected during the application or requested later through online banking.
comdirect often markets its standard current account, student account, and joint account separately. However, these are different uses of the same Girokonto range with the same core conditions and online application flow: Girokonto Aktiv can have one or two holders, while eligible students under 28 receive the same full account without regular incoming funds.
In our dealings with comdirect, its apps were consistently stable, focused, and easy to use, while the full web interface provided considerably more flexibility than app-only banking. Telephone and chat support were friendly and helpful in our cases, although current provider feedback indicates that waiting times and complex requests can lead to a very different experience.
To help you decide if the Girokonto Aktiv account is truly your best option, here is a quick breakdown of what the other plans have to offer:
Girokonto Aktiv suits average everyday use well, but if you place emphasis on English banking, unlimited withdrawals, free non-euro payments, advanced budgeting tools, or local branch advice, other accounts may be a better fit for you.
Unconditionally free account with a cutting-edge German banking app including complementary cash withdrawals, physical and digital banking cards, cashback program, as well as individual and shared sub-accounts. comdirect differentiates itself from other online banks through a full web banking interface and 24/7 phone, chat, and e-mail support.
0.75% interest on the account balance
Cashback program and interest earnings
, free girocard, free debit card
Free card payments worldwide
Free cash withdrawals worldwide
Free digital account with global card payments at no fees and complimentary cash withdrawals across Europe. Thanks to a state-of-the-art app available across Europe, featuring 5 languages and investment options, N26 is the ultimate expat favorite.
Multi-language app and customer support
Account opening with a residence outside of Germany
, optional debit card
Free card payments worldwide
Free cash withdrawals in the Eurozone
The online account with a complete set of banking cards (girocard, Mastercard Debit, Mastercard Credit) for free worldwide payments and cash withdrawals as well as cash deposits at Deutsche Bank. The mobile application provides an English interfaces, making expat-banking easy.
Multi-language app
, free girocard, free debit card, free credit card
Free card payments worldwide
Free cash withdrawals worldwide
Monthly fee:
From €0
Traditional retail banking with the conditions of an online bank: An unconditionally free checking account with complimentary debit card, optional credit card, cash deposits and withdrawals. Santander provides a branch network and a mobile app in English.
0.2% interest on the account balance for 1 year
Multi-language app
Interest on account balance
, free girocard, free debit card, free credit card
Free card payments worldwide
Free cash withdrawals worldwide
The comdirect Girokonto Aktiv is a strong current account for expats who are already settled in Germany. It covers the situations that define everyday banking here—from receiving income and paying bills to transfers, card payments, occasional cash use, and savings—without requiring a traditional branch account.
Average users receive a well-balanced package: a free Visa Debit, three worldwide withdrawals per month, three annual cash deposits, linked savings, app and web banking, and several human support channels. The same account also works for eligible students without regular incoming funds and as a genuine joint account with separate access and cards.
Its weaknesses mainly affect newcomers and users with heavier requirements. The German-only environment and registration requirements create barriers at the earliest stage of relocation, while frequent withdrawals, non-euro payments, and optional cards can lead to high costs.
Choose Girokonto Aktiv if you want an established and adaptable primary account for everyday life in Germany. Look elsewhere if English banking, advanced budgeting features, frequent international spending, or face-to-face branch advice are priorities.
If you are still hesitating whether comdirect Girokonto Aktiv is the right choice for you, check our alternatives above.
Disclaimer: This blog and providing support are our passion and hobby. However, we do not intend to provide financial advice. All investments involve risks of loss. This post is non-binding, for informational purposes only, and does not represent a complete market overview. We do not take responsibility for the accuracy and up-to-dateness of the data (§18 ZKG).
Some of the links are promotional links. You help to keep this site running, as we gain a small commission for each purchase. It does not come at any cost to you.
