Openning a single bank account when you're married

Hi,
Currently I have a joint bank account with my German husband to pay our rent and utilities together. He still has a single account, in his name only, that he had before we were married. He travels every week for business, so we thought that was easier with all his travel expenses. Well, I do not have a single account and would like to open a single account without my husband on the account.
Does anyone know if this is possible in Germany or does my husband have to sign something "allowing" me to have a single account?

Thanks in advance.

Ask your local bank. You should be able to - not all banks will. I know Stadtsparkasse turned down my sister-in-law and me for solo accounts (on separate occasions and at separate branches) but dresdner and postbank were fine.

Oh dear...I was going to post a sensible answer but now find that I can't...sorry, will try again when I have control.

Edit...DDB you have got to be kidding me

Of course you need your husband's permission to do this. You also need your husbands permission if you want to go outside unaccompanied or if you want to get a driver's licence for example.

Seriously, what century do you think we're living in?

EDIT: I just read DDBug's reply too- That can't be right, surely??

You'd be surprised...

You should be able to open a girokonto at any retail bank in Germany regardless of marital status. They may require a minimum balance at all times. And if there is no monthly income payment to the account then you probably will not be allowed overdrafts. Otherwise your marital status has nothing to do with it. You can open a hundred accounts if you want.

that seem to be true. I have a single Girokonto account with the sparkasse. Though my mother in law did all the formalities ( i had no command of the language at that time ).

i do not understand why they turned down the application in DDBug's case. An individual must be allowed to have individual accounts.

As was mentioned on some other postbank thread, banks don't have to allow you to open an account with them.

In both my case and my SIL's case, they wanted our husband's signatures. I walked across the street to Dresdner, I don't remember what she did. This was also probably about 5 years ago.

Good point - the crappy Sparkasse system does seem to be trapped in the victorian age. Best to go with a 'proper' bank in such circumstances.

I understand that they might choose not to let you open an account because they think it's not worth it.
But why on earth would they want your husband's signature?

I can't remember the reason given, something like, If you're married we need your husband's signature. Didn't matter, I went to another bank and it wasn't an issue with them.

I went back and told my husband and he was pretty shocked as well. We thought about sending him down to try and open a solo account, but it wasn't worth the hassle or time really.

Women are allowed to have bank accounts?

<blond mode on>
I don't have a bank account. When I came to Europe, Hubby gave me a wonderful magic card that I can use in these handy machines that spit out cash whenever I need some.
</end>

Uh... I don't know what banks you all have been using, but I have opened accounts on my own since being married and there was never any question at all about whether I was "allowed" to do so. I fact I had to drag my husband in to one branch to give him explicit legal permission to make decisions on one of these accounts if I were in hospital or out of the country and something came up.

Like I said, only one bank ever gave me the "where's your husband line". No other bank ever did that to me.

some german banks still live in the middle ages and can be quite sexist when it comes to bank accounts and marriage/divorce.

Unbelievable!!! What the fuc*!!!

How do they know you're even married unless you choose to tell them?

I guess the word "allowed" was not the word I should have used. The question was more on if the BANKS permitted it, not the husband.
In my opinion, yes, most of the laws in Germany are quiet "altmodisch" and I just wondered if banks permitted it? I mean the question was not that far out there, this is a country that bases most of its openning hours on one person staying home and taking care of the family, ie banks and the post office are closed at lunch everyday for an hour and at 16:00. So asking if these old-fashioned banks permit a married person to have a single account.
Anyway, thanks for the info.

I think that's how we interpreted your question. The responses are still valid.

legally there is no way a bank can "not allow" a married person of either sex an account... what they can do is to deny it if the SCHUFA is really bad (even though legally they should still allow to open an account with overdrafts). If someone would encounter a bank personal to deny him/her such an account without the permission of the spouse I would strongly suggest legal steps against this bank.

Having said that: there are certain very attractive accounts offered by banks which are depending on regular income etc. These can be denied (often happens to self-employed) but alo not because someone is married and has not the permission of the spouse.

Cheerio

you can be denied an account 'with benefits' i.e. overdraft facility, but according the the show 'raus aus den Schulden' no bank is allowed to deny you a simple checking account, even if you already have another account with that bank in which you're massively overdrawn etc.