Open your
Comdirect account
and invest from day one, 2026
You moved to Germany and want one login for your everyday money and your first ETF. Comdirect, the direct bank inside Commerzbank AG, puts a current account, a securities Depot, and Tagesgeld savings in a single app.
The application form is in German. Our free English guide walks you through every field, so you open the account and set up an ETF savings plan without guessing.
Quick answer
Comdirect, the online brand of Commerzbank AG, is our recommendation for expats who want banking and investing behind a single login: current account, securities Depot, and Tagesgeld savings in one app. The GiroKonto Aktiv costs €0 a month with active use, and Tagesgeld PLUS pays 1.75% p.a. for 12 months when you open it alongside the Girokonto. New customers who apply by 18 October 2026 also earn 5% cashback on Visa debit card purchases, up to €50 a month for 3 months. The application form is German, and our free English guide covers every field.
Updated September 2026
What makes Comdirect different for expats:
One app runs your current account, your ETF savings plans, and your Tagesgeld PLUS savings. You check your balance and your portfolio in the same place.
Set up a savings plan from €1 a month across 500+ free ETFs. Start small while you settle in, then raise the rate once your salary lands.
A free Visa debit card comes with the account, ready for Apple Pay and Google Pay. It pays out at any ATM showing the Visa sign, in Germany and abroad: 3 withdrawals a month at no cost on the Aktiv model, 5 on Extra, no cap on Plus. Each one past that costs €4.90.
Comdirect keeps no branches, so you apply, verify by video, and manage everything from your phone. No queue, no paper.
A direct bank built around investing
Comdirect is the broker arm of Commerzbank, one of Germany's biggest banks.
You get the reach of a major bank and the tools of a modern broker. Your money sits under German deposit protection up to €100,000, and BaFin and the ECB regulate the bank.
Broker DNA
Comdirect started as a securities broker, so investing sits at the core here. Over 500 ETFs run as free savings plans from €1 a month.
Backed by Commerzbank
As a Commerzbank AG brand, Comdirect covers your money with deposit protection up to €100,000 per customer and full BaFin and ECB oversight.
Free English guide to Comdirect
Comdirect runs fully online as a direct bank. The guide walks you through the German application, the VideoIdent check, and your first ETF savings plan.
Grab the free step-by-step guide and open your Comdirect account today.
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New-customer rate when you open it with the GiroKonto: 12 months, on balances up to €1,000,000. The standard rate afterwards is 0.75% p.a.
Free when €700 lands monthly, you tap Apple or Google Pay 3 times, you run a trade plus a savings plan, or you are under 28 and still in education.
Run any of them from €1 a month in your free Comdirect Depot.
How to keep the Comdirect account at €0
The Comdirect current account (GiroKonto) costs nothing in any month you meet one of these conditions. Pick whichever fits your situation:
- €700 or more lands in your account each month (salary, pension, and BAföG all count)
- You pay 3 times a month with Apple Pay or Google Pay
- You run at least one trade and one ETF savings plan in the month
- The account holder is under 28 and studying, at school, in an apprenticeship, or on an internship
- ¹Miss every one of them in a month and Comdirect charges €4.90 for that month.
- Private use and paperless account management
What you get on top of the account:
- 5% cashback on Visa debit card purchases in shops and online, over your first 3 months, capped at €50 a month and €150 in total. New customers only, and your application has to reach comdirect by 18 October 2026. You also accept Commerzbank AG marketing emails during the application and keep that consent for the first 3 months. A month without card purchases earns nothing.
- A securities Depot with no minimum investment and €0 custody fee, with no activity conditions attached
- Tagesgeld PLUS at 1.75% p.a. for 12 months, on balances up to €1,000,000
What comes with the free GiroKonto?
- A free Visa debit card for contactless payments worldwide, with Apple Pay and Google Pay
- 3 free cash withdrawals a month with the Visa debit card, at any Visa ATM in Germany or abroad, then €4.90 each
- Cash deposits at Commerzbank machines, free the first three times a year on Aktiv and Extra, then €4.90; unlimited on Plus
- A securities Depot with 500+ ETFs as savings plans from €1 a month
- Tagesgeld PLUS savings at 1.75% p.a. for the first 12 months
Who can open a Comdirect account in Germany?
You need a registered German address (Anmeldung) to open the account, because Comdirect has to record where you live. You also have to be at least 18 and hold a valid passport or European ID card.
In the application you enter your name, nationality, email, and mobile number. Comdirect checks your identity by VideoIdent, a short video call from your phone, so no branch or post office is involved.
How do you open a Comdirect account online?
Comdirect is a direct bank, so the whole thing runs from your phone. Six steps take you from application to card:
Open the German application form and choose your Comdirect login. You get your IBAN and an order confirmation as soon as you submit. For every field, follow our free English guide.
Comdirect emails you the full contract paperwork right after you save the application, so you keep your own copy on file.
Confirm your identity in a short video call, about five to ten minutes with your passport or ID card. Everything happens online.
One to two working days later, you turn on photoTAN in online banking to approve your transfers securely.
For safety, the PIN for your Visa debit card comes in the mail separately from the card itself.
About four working days after that, your Visa debit card arrives in its own letter, ready to use.
Your guide to opening a Comdirect account
Online banking usually goes live one to two working days after your VideoIdent check, once photoTAN is switched on.
Your Visa debit card reaches you about a week later, ready for shops and ATMs. Then set up your first ETF savings plan from €1 in the same app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bank and invest with one Comdirect account?
Yes. One Comdirect login covers your current account, a securities Depot, and Tagesgeld PLUS savings. You pay rent and buy your first ETF in the same app, with no separate broker to sign up for.
What does a Comdirect ETF savings plan cost?
Nothing on 500+ ETFs in your Comdirect Depot, which you run as free savings plans from €1 a month. A single trade costs €3.90 for the first three years, then €4.90 base fee plus 0.25% of the order value (min €9.90, capped at €59.90).
What documents do I need to open a Comdirect account?
A valid passport or EU ID card and proof of your German registration (Anmeldung). EU citizens get by with their ID card; non-EU citizens may need extra papers depending on their residence permit. Have your tax ID (Steuer-ID) ready too.
Can I open the account before I move to Germany?
No. Comdirect needs a German address from your Anmeldung first. You can prepare your passport and documents ahead of time, then apply online the day your registration comes through.
How long does opening a Comdirect account take?
Plan for about a week. Online banking goes live one to two working days after your VideoIdent check and photoTAN activation, and your Visa debit card arrives roughly a week later.
Is Comdirect good for a child's savings?
Yes. The JuniorDepot runs in your child's name from age 0 to 17, and holding it costs €0 a month. Savings plans start from €1 a month, and every execution costs 1.50% of the amount invested, charged from the first one. The child's own tax allowance (Sparer-Pauschbetrag) shields up to €1,000 of gains a year.
How much interest does Tagesgeld PLUS pay?
Open it together with a GiroKonto and you earn 1.75% p.a. for 12 months on balances up to €1,000,000; the standard 0.75% p.a. takes over after that. Interest is worked out daily and paid every quarter, and you reach your money any day with no notice period.
Where can I withdraw cash for free?
With the Visa debit card at any ATM carrying the Visa sign, in Germany and abroad: 3 withdrawals a month come free on Aktiv, 5 on Extra, and Plus has no cap. Past your allowance each one costs €4.90. Cash Group machines (around 5,000 of them, at Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, HypoVereinsbank, and Postbank) pay out without a monthly limit, though only to a girocard, which Comdirect adds for €1 a month. Rewe, Penny, and Aldi Süd hand out cash at the till when you shop.
Which card comes with the account, and can I add more?
A free Visa debit card, ready for Apple Pay and Google Pay and charged straight from your account. Want a chip Girocard as well? Add one for €1.00 a month. A Visa credit card starts at €1.90 a month.
Is my money safe with Comdirect?
Yes. Comdirect is a brand of Commerzbank AG, so German deposit protection covers up to €100,000 per customer. Every login and transfer uses photoTAN two-factor security, and BaFin and the ECB regulate the bank.