How Much Money You Need to Migrate: Proof of Funds by Country

Getting to this question means you have already reached the money part of your plan. The help here is for applicants who want to plan their savings properly, country by country.

Picture yourself as a teacher in Karachi. You have checked the Canada page ten times. Your scores are good. Your degree is assessed. Then you see the line about settlement funds, and a number in Canadian dollars that is more than you have ever held in one account.

You start doing sums at night. Should you sell the car? Ask your brother? Borrow from a cousin and put it in your account for a few weeks?

Stop there, because that last idea is how many good applications fail.

The short answer: The money you must show is not the money you will spend. Canada's Express Entry asks a single applicant for about CA$15,000, waived with a valid job offer. The UK Skilled Worker visa asks for £1,270 held for 28 days, often waived by the employer. Germany's Opportunity Card uses a blocked account of about €1,091 a month. But your real total, with fees, flights and a landing buffer, is usually US$8,000 to 25,000+ for one person. Save for the total, and move the proof money in early.

If you are still choosing where to go, read our list of the cheapest countries to migrate to too. Proof-of-funds bars vary a lot and can quietly rule out places you thought were affordable.

Three terms people mix up

• Proof of funds (settlement funds): money you must show you have, usually as a bank balance held for a set time. Sometimes the government makes you lock it in a blocked account.
• Maintenance funds: a version of the above for study and job-seeker visas. It covers a set number of months without work.
• Actual living costs: what you really spend after you land: deposits, furniture, transport, food, and the gap before your first salary.

Think of the government figure as the ticket to get into the cinema. It is not the cost of the whole evening. Meeting it exactly is legal, but risky.

Proof of funds by country

Figures are for 2026 from published government rules. They change with exchange rates, yearly reviews and family size. Always check the official source before you move money.

Canada: the clearest number

Canada's Express Entry sets settlement funds by family size and updates them each year against the low-income cut-off. For one person it is around CA$15,000. The money must be yours and free to use: not a loan, not tied up in property.

The big exception: a valid Canadian job offer plus permission to work there waives it. Canadian Experience Class applicants already working in Canada are also exempt. So the figure mainly affects Federal Skilled Worker candidates with no offer.

As a rough guide, two people need closer to CA$18,000 to 19,000, three around CA$23,000, and four in the CA$28,000 region. The table is re-published each year, so read the current one. Being CA$500 short can cost you the whole round.

Australia: no single number

Most points-tested skilled visas (subclass 189, 190, 491) have no fixed funds figure. Your points, skills assessment and occupation matter more. Some state nomination programmes ask you to declare you can support yourself, often suggesting AU$20,000 to 35,000 for one person. Check the stream's rules on the Australia migration route.

Student visas do have a clear test: twelve months of living costs (a benchmark currently in the AU$29,000+ range for the main applicant), plus travel and fees. If your plan runs through Australian study, budget for that from day one.

United Kingdom: small threshold, big asterisk

The UK Skilled Worker visa asks for £1,270 held for at least 28 days in a row, ending no more than 31 days before you apply. Add about £285 for a partner, £315 for a first child and £200 for each extra child. Many sponsoring employers certify maintenance, which removes the test. Ask yours.

The catch is elsewhere. The visa fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (charged per person, per year of visa) and the salary threshold make the UK expensive overall.

UK student visas are different. You must show first-year course fees plus living costs for up to nine months, held for the same 28 days. London's monthly figure is higher, so a year of study there can mean holding a five-figure sterling balance.

Germany: the blocked account

For the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), which replaced the old job seeker visa, you do not just show money. You put it into a Sperrkonto (blocked account). After you arrive, you can take out only a set amount each month. For 2026 the benchmark is about €1,091 a month, or around €13,092 for a year. See the Germany migration route for the current figure and approved providers.

A blocked account is like paying yourself a monthly salary from your own savings. The money is yours, but it comes on a drip. Providers charge a setup fee and a small monthly fee, and confirmation can take a week or two. Start early. A late blocked-account confirmation often pushes a visa appointment back by a month.

Ireland, New Zealand and study routes

Ireland's student route asks for roughly €10,000 for first-year living costs, plus proof your fees are covered. Work permits focus on the job offer and salary instead. New Zealand mainly sets funds tests for students and some work and working-holiday visas, commonly around NZ$20,000 per year of study, or NZ$4,200+ where accommodation is already arranged.

The pattern: skilled routes with a job offer usually waive savings. Study and job-seeker routes carry the real funds tests.

Portugal and income-tested routes

Portugal's D7 and similar passive-income routes test steady income more than a lump sum. The D7 broadly expects income at least at the Portuguese national minimum wage, with extra for a spouse and children, plus some savings, often around a year of that minimum-wage income. If your money arrives monthly as a salary, pension or rent, this kind of route can be much easier.

Three kinds of countries

• Balance-check countries (Canada, UK): you prove the money exists, then spend it freely after arrival.
• Blocked-account countries (Germany, and Austria for some routes): you park the money and get it back monthly. Same total, less cash in hand.
• Income-test countries (Portugal D7, various passive-income visas): a reliable monthly income matters more than a lump sum.

If cash is tight during the move, balance-check and income-test countries are gentler than blocked-account ones.

What counts as proof of funds

Officers reject badly formatted evidence all the time. Across most countries:

• Liquid and available. Cash, savings and current accounts count. Property, cars, pensions and crypto usually do not.
• Held for a minimum period. The UK's 28-day rule is typical. Money is like a newly planted tree: officers want to see roots. A balance that appeared last week looks borrowed.
• In your name (or a spouse's). A parent's or friend's account usually does not count without a formal sponsorship arrangement.
• On official letterhead. A bank letter with your balance, account age and currency, plus statements for the full period. Screenshots are not enough.
• Not borrowed. Large recent deposits raise flags. A gift needs a gift letter and the giver's own bank trail.

The bank letter, statements and form must match exactly, down to currency and account number. If your statements are in your home currency, the officer converts on the day they assess, so leave a margin. Keep the account active but steady: salary in, normal spending out. A dead account looks as odd as a brand-new one. Our guide to the documents you need to migrate abroad covers bank letters and gift declarations.

Your real total budget

Proof of funds gets you through the gate. Your real budget carries you through the first months. For one person to a typical high-income country:

The government's figure is often not the biggest line. The landing buffer and settlement money together are. Families multiply almost every row. For more detail, see the real cost of migrating abroad.

Example one: a single developer to Canada, no job offer

Priya is a 31-year-old software developer applying through Express Entry with no offer. Her gate is CA$15,000. Her real spend:

• Language test (two sittings, to lift her score): ~US$450
• Educational Credential Assessment: ~US$220
• Express Entry and permanent-residence fees, plus the right-of-permanent-residence fee: ~US$1,000
• Medical exam, police certificates from two countries, biometrics: ~US$500
• One-way flight with extra baggage: ~US$900
• Settlement funds she must show (CA$15,000): ~US$11,000
• Landing buffer (first and last month plus deposit on a room, phone, transit pass, winter clothes): ~US$5,000

Her process costs are about US$3,000. With settlement funds and buffer, her real need is around US$19,000. The CA$15,000 is not spent on fees. It becomes her landing money, but only if she keeps it liquid and does not count it twice. For each fee line by line, with test prices in India, Nigeria and the Philippines, see the full Canada PR cost from India or Nigeria.

Example two: a couple to Germany on the Chancenkarte

Marco and Lena are moving together to job-hunt in Germany:

• Two blocked accounts at roughly €13,100 each: ~€26,200 frozen
• Blocked-account setup and monthly fees for two: ~€200
• Visa fees for two: ~€150
• Health insurance before work starts: ~€200/month each
• Translations and certification: ~€400
• Flights for two: ~US$1,800
• Landing costs (furnished short-let, deposits, Anmeldung and setup): ~€4,000

Over €26,000 is frozen and released slowly, just when they most need cash. Their biggest risk is not fees. It is paying rent from a trickle. Compare total entry costs with our country comparison tool. Our guide to the full Germany Opportunity Card cost lists every fee for one person, with a worked example in Indian rupees.

Why the landing buffer matters

Think of the buffer as your parachute between landing and your first salary. Even with a job, the first pay can take four to eight weeks. Meanwhile, the bills arrive on day one:

• A rental deposit of one to three months' rent, plus the first month.
• Agency or guarantor fees in places like Germany and Japan.
• Furniture, if the flat is unfurnished (common in Germany and much of Europe).
• A phone plan, a transport pass, maybe a laptop.

Plan as if your first salary will be two months late. A two-week buffer is how qualified people end up in debt in their first month. Our arrival guide for Canada shows the day-one and week-one costs.

How funds rules should shape where you aim

Thin savings but strong skills? Get a job offer first. An offer waives Canada's CA$15,000 and often the UK's £1,270 test. The Netherlands highly skilled migrant scheme tests your salary, not your savings.

Savings but no offer? Blocked-account routes work. Germany's Chancenkarte lets you job-hunt on the ground if you can fund the Sperrkonto.

Income rather than savings? Choose an income-tested route. Portugal's D7 rewards a steady monthly income over a lump sum.

Comparing countries? Price the whole gate. A cheap visa with a big frozen-funds rule can cost more than a pricier visa with no savings test. Use our country comparison tool, and start with a free migration assessment if you are unsure what you qualify for.

Common mistakes

1. Moving money in too late. Move it months early.
2. Counting property or pensions. Officers want cash you can spend now.
3. Ignoring the exchange rate. You must meet the figure in the destination currency on assessment day. A 10% swing can put you under.
4. Forgetting family. Every extra person raises the figure. Two adults and a child can nearly double it. Plan for a partner and child to add 50 to 100% to your total budget.
5. Budgeting the floor, not the buffer. Meeting the minimum does not mean you can afford to live there.
6. Using a loan. Borrowed lump sums are often spotted and refused.
7. Assuming a Sperrkonto opens instantly. It can take weeks.
8. Mismatched paperwork. If your bank letter and statements disagree, it looks like fabrication.

A simple savings plan

• Target: the proof-of-funds figure plus three to six months of living costs where you are going.
• One person to Canada or Australia: aim for roughly US$18,000 to 25,000 in total, not just CA$15,000.
• A couple to a blocked-account country: two frozen deposits plus a shared buffer.
• Employer-sponsored, lower-cost route: perhaps US$6,000 to 10,000, because the savings test is waived and salary starts sooner.

Save the proof portion first and leave it alone. Keep the buffer in an account you can reach. Watch the exchange rate, and check the official figure once more before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

Does proof of funds need to be my own money?

Generally yes. It must be in your name, or jointly with a spouse. A parent's or friend's account is usually rejected unless the programme accepts a formal, documented sponsorship.

How long must the money be in my account?

It varies. The UK needs 28 days in a row. Other routes want several months of statements. As a rule, let the money sit untouched for at least a month, ideally longer.

Can I use a loan or borrowed money?

Usually not. Large recent deposits get checked, and hidden loans often cause refusals. A gift may work if you have a gift letter and the giver's bank records.

Does a job offer remove the proof-of-funds requirement?

Often, yes. Canada waives settlement funds with a valid offer and work authorisation. Many UK employers certify maintenance, so the £1,270 test does not apply.

Do blocked-account funds get spent, or are they lost?

They are spent, by you. A German Sperrkonto releases your own money to you each month after you arrive. You get it all back over your first year. The only real cost is the provider's fees.

Is meeting the minimum enough to be safe?

No. The government figure lets you qualify. It does not keep you afloat. Add three to six months of local living costs on top.

The bottom line

The proof-of-funds gate is usually smaller than people fear, often between US$1,300 and US$12,000 depending on the route. What decides whether your move works is the total: the settlement money plus the buffer that carries you to your first pay cheque. Save for the total, move the proof money in early, and let each country's gate help you choose where to aim.

Start with the cheapest countries to migrate to, check the full costs in the real cost of migrating abroad, and take a free assessment to see which routes fit your skills and your savings.