Setting up a P-Konto means converting an existing current account at your bank into a garnishment protection account (Pfändungsschutzkonto). Part of your balance then stays available even if a creditor has the account seized. You can ask for the conversion without any seizure having taken place, and the process is simpler than it sounds.
In short: Every natural person can ask their bank at any time to run a payment account as a garnishment protection account (section 850k of the Code of Civil Procedure, ZPO). You may hold only one such account and must confirm this to the bank. If funds are already seized, the conversion takes effect at the start of the fourth business day after your request. The monthly basic amount of the garnishment exemption has been 1,587.40 euros since 1 July 2026. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points at a glance
- The right to a P-Konto exists at any time, even with a negative balance, but the account is then run on a credit-balance basis only (section 850k(1) ZPO).
- Only one garnishment protection account is allowed per person, and you must confirm this when you apply (section 850k(3) ZPO).
- If funds are already seized, the account is converted at the start of the fourth business day after your request (section 850k(2) ZPO).
- The basic amount of the garnishment exemption is 1,587.40 euros per month since 1 July 2026, and maintenance allowances can add to it.
- Under section 899(2) ZPO, unused balance stays additionally protected in the following three calendar months.
- Converting back to an ordinary account requires at least four business days of notice before month end (section 850k(5) ZPO).
What is a P-Konto and who is entitled to one?
A P-Konto is a normal current account with additional statutory protection. The legal basis is section 850k ZPO (in German). Every natural person is entitled to it, including students, trainees and people starting their careers. A seizure that is already under way, a court title or a certain amount of debt are not preconditions. You only need a payment account at the bank where you request the conversion.
The protection matters only once a creditor actually accesses the account. Until then you will hardly notice a difference: card, transfers, standing orders and direct debits keep working as long as there is a balance. An overdraft facility is not part of a P-Konto, however, because the account is run on a credit-balance basis.
How do I set up a P-Konto? Step by step
You apply at your bank. An information sheet from the Freising local court (2025) notes that the conversion can take several working days, so you should get in touch early. Proceed like this:
- Check whether you already hold a garnishment protection account at another bank. Only one is allowed per person.
- Choose the account you want to run as your P-Konto. It should be the account that receives your income.
- Apply at your bank and expressly ask for the account to be run as a garnishment protection account. Ask for written confirmation.
- Declare that you hold no other garnishment protection account (section 850k(3) ZPO).
- Ask whether the bank charges a different fee for the P-Konto. The bank’s list of prices and services is decisive.
- After the conversion, check in online banking that the account is marked as a P-Konto and keep the confirmation.
According to the same information sheet, joint accounts can also be run as garnishment protection accounts since 1 December 2021. If you share an account, agree beforehand who will run it as their P-Konto, because each person may hold only one.
What happens if funds have already been seized?
If the balance is already seized, you can still request the conversion. The law then provides that the account is converted at the start of the fourth business day after your request (section 850k(2) ZPO). Under section 899(1) sentence 2 ZPO, the protection also applies if a payment account is converted into a garnishment protection account within one month after the transfer order was served. The time between seizure and conversion nevertheless remains the critical phase. If you expect a seizure or have received a letter, submit the request on the same day.
Under section 835(3) ZPO (in German), the bank may pay a creditor from a seized balance of a natural person or deposit it at the earliest one month after the transfer order has been served. For what typically follows a seizure, see our guide Gerichtsvollzieher vor der Tür: Was du bei einer Kontopfändung tust (in German).
How much is protected on a P-Konto?
The monthly protected amount is based on the statutory garnishment exemptions. The notice on the garnishment thresholds (in German) gives these figures from 1 July 2026:
| Item | Amount per month from 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Basic amount (section 850c(1) no. 1 ZPO) | 1,587.40 euros |
| Maintenance allowance for the first dependant (section 850c(2) sentence 1 no. 1 ZPO) | 597.42 euros |
| Maintenance allowance for each further dependant (section 850c(2) sentence 2 no. 1 ZPO) | 332.83 euros |
On the garnishment protection account the exemption is rounded up to the next full 10 euros (section 899(1) sentence 1 ZPO), so the basic amount of 1,587.40 euros becomes 1,590 euros. The amount that can actually be paid out to you depends on your situation. Under certain conditions you can have the basic protection increased. A certificate under section 903(1) ZPO serves this purpose, as the information sheet indicates. A debt counselling service or your bank can tell you who may issue it and which cases it covers. More on the amounts is in our guide Pfändungsfreigrenze 2026: Was auf deinem Konto geschützt bleibt (in German).
What about balance I do not use during the month?
Under section 899(2) sentence 1 ZPO, the unused remainder of the exempt amount is additionally exempt from seizure in the three following calendar months. Withdrawals are set off against the balance that was credited to the account first. If the remainder is still unused after three months, it goes to the creditors. Where future balances are seized and transferred to the creditor, the bank may under section 900(1) sentence 1 ZPO pay out or deposit the money only after the end of the calendar month following the respective credit. In practice, plan larger payments such as a rental deposit or semester fee so that the money stays within the protected range, and ask your bank how it shows the carry-over.
What if the bank refuses or I hold several P-Konten?
The right arises directly from the law. Ask for a refusal in writing and contact a debt counselling service or a lawyer. If you hold several garnishment protection accounts contrary to the rule, the enforcement court decides on a creditor’s application which account stays protected. The debtor is not heard, and once the order is served on the other banks their protective effect ends (section 850k(4) ZPO). Never run two P-Konten in parallel.
When does a P-Konto make sense without an acute seizure?
A P-Konto makes sense if you have debts, reminders are arriving or a seizure is likely. You can also go the other way: with at least four business days of notice before month end you can ask for the account to be run as an ordinary payment account again (section 850k(5) ZPO). The conversion is therefore not permanent. If you move from study into work and still carry liabilities, our overview on money, accounts and credit (in German) offers further building blocks, and the costs of an overdraft are covered in Dispokredit für Studierende (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a P-Konto even if my account is overdrawn?
The right exists even with a negative balance. The account is then run on a credit-balance basis only. Ask the bank how it treats an existing negative balance.
Can I run several accounts as P-Konten?
No, each person may hold only one garnishment protection account. If you do not comply, the enforcement court decides on a creditor’s application which account remains.
Do I have to prove a seizure to the bank?
No. You can request the conversion at any time. The only duty the law names when you apply is your declaration that you hold no other garnishment protection account. The bank may ask for further documents under its own rules, but the law does not make them a precondition of your right.
Does the right apply to students?
Yes. The right belongs to every natural person, regardless of whether they study, work or receive benefits.
How long does the conversion take?
For an account without a seizure it takes several working days according to the information sheet. If funds are already seized, the conversion happens at the start of the fourth business day after your request.
What to do now
- Check whether you already hold a garnishment protection account at another bank.
- Apply at your bank and get the conversion confirmed in writing.
- Keep all letters from creditors, court and bailiff and note the deadlines.
- If you have ongoing debts, see a debt counselling service before you promise any payments.
Related guides
- Geld, Konto und Kredit: Der Überblick für junge Erwachsene (in German)
- Pfändungsfreigrenze 2026: Was auf deinem Konto geschützt bleibt (in German)
- Gerichtsvollzieher vor der Tür: Was du bei einer Kontopfändung tust (in German)
- Lohnpfändung: Wie viel vom Gehalt tatsächlich bleibt (in German)
- Organise Student Finances: Account, Reserve and Deadlines
Sources: Section 850k ZPO, Gesetze im Internet; Section 835 ZPO, Gesetze im Internet; Notice of the garnishment thresholds from 1 July 2026, Gesetze im Internet; Information on the garnishment protection account, Freising local court, 2025; Section 899 ZPO, Gesetze im Internet; Section 900 ZPO, Gesetze im Internet (all statutes retrieved 2 November 2026).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
