Pfändungsschutzkonto (P-Konto) — protect your bank account from seizure

What is a Pfändungsschutzkonto?

A Pfändungsschutzkonto — usually called P-Konto — is an ordinary Girokonto that your bank marks as protected under § 850k ZPO. Each calendar month, a fixed Grundfreibetrag (base exempt amount) plus allowances for dependents remains unpfändbar (safe from seizure) even if a court has ordered Kontopfändung on your account.

It does not erase debt and does not stop Lohnpfändung at your employer. It prevents your bank from transferring everything above the exempt sum when a Pfändungsbeschluss hits the account.

Letters you may receive

• Bank confirmation that your account is now a P-Konto (Umwandlungsbestätigung).
• Pfändungsmitteilung from the bank — a creditor’s garnishment was received; the bank explains what is blocked.
• Request for dependency information (Unterhaltsangaben) — declare children or a spouse to raise the monthly protected amount.
• Certificate request — the bank or bailiff may ask for a Pfändungsfreigrenzenbescheinigung from the Amtsgericht if your situation needs a higher limit than the automatic amount.

If you only received a bank letter and no court order yet, still convert to a P-Konto immediately when you know enforcement is coming (e.g. after a Gerichtsvollzieher notice).

How Kontopfändung works without a P-Konto

When a Pfändungsbeschluss reaches your bank, the bank freezes funds above the monthly exempt amount and pays them to the creditor. Standing orders, rent, and card payments can fail because the account is partially blocked. A P-Konto automates the calculation: only the balance above your protected monthly limit is garnishable.

Without conversion, you must argue exemptions case by case — much slower and riskier than a P-Konto.

Monthly protected amount (Grundfreibetrag)

The base exempt amount is updated periodically (currently around €1,410 per month for a single adult without dependents). Additional amounts apply for each dependent child and for a spouse or registered partner if they have no separate income — the bank or Schuldnerberatung can show the current table.

The protection applies per calendar month, not as one lump sum for the whole year. Salary, Bürgergeld, or other inflows on the P-Konto count toward that month’s shielded balance up to the limit.

Fully protected benefits (e.g. pure Bürgergeld paid to a separate account) have their own rules — mixing many income types in one account makes tracking harder; ask Schuldnerberatung if you receive social benefits.

How to set up a P-Konto

Step 1: Contact your bank (branch, hotline, or online banking) and ask to convert your existing Girokonto to a Pfändungsschutzkonto. By law, banks must offer this; many convert the same day.

Step 2: Declare dependents in writing if applicable — use the bank’s form. Keep copies.

Step 3: If you need more than the automatic limit, apply at the Amtsgericht (enforcement court) for a Pfändungsfreigrenzenbescheinigung and give it to the bank.

Step 4: Use only one P-Konto — you cannot split protection across multiple accounts. Close or downgrade extra current accounts if needed.

Step 5: Keep the confirmation letter. If garnishment was already active, check that the bank recalculated blocks correctly.

P-Konto vs normal account

• Same IBAN in most cases — it is a status flag, not a new product name on your card.
• May have a small monthly fee depending on the bank; basic accounts still qualify.
• Joint accounts (Gemeinschaftskonto) are problematic — the co-holder’s money can be affected. Get advice before converting a shared account.
• Savings accounts (Sparkonto) are not automatically P-Kontos — seizure can still hit savings unless exempt by amount or type.

Relationship to wage garnishment (Lohnpfändung)

Your employer may receive a separate Pfändungsbeschluss for Lohnpfändung. The employer withholds the garnishable part of your net salary before paying you. What lands on your P-Konto is then protected up to the monthly P-Konto limit — the two systems work together but are not the same.

Setting up a P-Konto does not reduce lawful wage garnishment; it protects the account balance you need for rent and living costs.

When to act — before or after Pfändung

Before: If you received a Vollstreckungsbescheid, Gerichtsvollzieher letter, or Mahnbescheid you did not contest, open or convert to a P-Konto proactively.

After: Conversion is still possible once Kontopfändung started — request it the same day you learn of the seizure. Retroactive protection has limits; earlier is better.

Never: Hide assets or transfer money to friends to “shield” it — that can be a criminal offence (Pfändungsdelikt).

Common problems

• Bank delayed conversion while a Pfändung was active — escalate in writing; cite § 850k ZPO.
• Protected amount calculated too low — missing dependency declaration or outdated certificate.
• Multiple creditors — priority rules decide who gets garnished funds first; Schuldnerberatung can map this.
• Cash deposits without proof — harder to show which funds are exempt; prefer traceable transfers.
• Business account (Geschäftskonto) — different rules; consumers need a personal P-Konto for private living expenses.

What to do step by step

Step 1: Read every bank and court letter. Note Aktenzeichen, creditor, and whether Lohn- or Kontopfändung applies.

Step 2: Convert to P-Konto today if you have any enforcement risk or active Kontopfändung.

Step 3: Submit dependency forms and apply for a court certificate if your household needs a higher limit.

Step 4: Contact Schuldnerberatung for a free check of amounts and payment-plan options.

Step 5: Address the underlying debt — the P-Konto is protection, not a settlement.

When to get help

• Joint account with a partner who is not the debtor.
• Bank refuses conversion or keeps blocking rent money above the legal limit.
• You never received earlier court letters and dispute the whole claim.
• You consider Insolvenz (personal bankruptcy) for a fresh start.

Beratungshilfe at the Amtsgericht can fund legal advice if you qualify by income.

Key terms glossary

Still not sure what your letter wants?

Upload your bank or court letter and get:

• ✓ Plain English breakdown of Pfändung status and deadlines
• ✓ Whether you need P-Konto conversion now
• ✓ Protected amount check with dependents
• ✓ Draft reply to bank or bailiff in German

Open Briefed — explain my letter

Last updated: June 2026