Closing Commerzbank account from abroad: everything you need to know

Commerzbank®¹ is a very popular bank in Germany, serving 26,000 corporate clients as well as almost 11 million private individuals and small businesses. If you previously lived in Germany and used Commerzbank to manage your day to day finances, you might be wondering how to close your Commerzbank from abroad.

This guide is for you, with all you need to know about closing your Commerzbank account from the US.

Can you close a Commerzbank account from abroad?

Yes. You can close most Commerzbank accounts online or by mail, which means the process can be completed from overseas².

Bear in mind that accounts must meet certain conditions to be closed - for example, you must not have any outstanding overdraft or connected debts on the account. However, as long as your account is in good standing you shouldn’t have any problem with closing it down when it’s time to do so.

We’ll look at how to close your Commerzbank account online in this guide, as this is usually the most practical option if you’re no longer a resident in Germany. However, in case this is not possible, it's also good to know that you can complete and mail in an account closure form³ to request the account’s closure instead.

The form requires you to give details of the account and what should happen to any remaining money - if you're not confident in German you might want to have someone help with the translation to make sure you get all the details correct before you put it in the mail.

Can you close a Commerzbank account online?

Yes. You can close your account with Commerzbank online in many cases, through online banking. There may be some account types which are not eligible for digital deletion, in which case you’ll have to go about it the old fashioned way and mail in a closure form.

It’s also worth noting that getting into your online banking might require you to receive an OTP or verify your login, which could be tricky if you no longer have a German phone number.

Closing your Commerzbank account from abroad: step by step

Let’s work through the steps to close your Commerzbank account online, which is the most flexible option if you’re not in Germany any more.

Bear in mind that not all account types are eligible to be closed digitally - if this isn’t possible you can mail in the closure form instead.

Log into your online banking

Log in to online banking using your login details. Depending on how your online banking is configured you might need to verify yourself with a one time passcode or other security measure.

Request the account closure

Within your online banking look for the Accounts & Cards tab - tap this, and then tap Administration. You’ll see the option Manage Account.

Select the option Closing Account and then choose the specific account you want to delete from the list.

Wait for approval from Commerzbank

Commerzbank will receive your account closure request and check that your account can be closed digitally. Assuming the request is approved you’ll receive a notification - and if you run into any problems you can also call Commerzbank 24/7 on +49 (0) 69 5 8000 8000⁴.

Once your account is closed, statements and other account information is retained and you can access it online for 2 years, in your Former Products folder in the Commerzbank online banking system.

What’s the best way to send money internationally?

Banks are certainly one option for sending money internationally, as are services like PayPal. But the problem with banks is they can often be slow, expensive and inconvenient. Luckily, there’s a better alternative out there.

You can send money worldwide with Wise for low fees and the mid-market exchange rate. It’s easy and quick to set up a payment online, and you’re guaranteed secure transfers even when sending large sums.

Wise is a money service business (MSB) regulated by 12 international financial authorities, and uses sophisticated security features to keep you and your money safe.

Open a Wise account, and you can send, spend and convert between 40+ currencies whenever you need to. You can even receive money from all over the world using your own local account details.

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How much does it cost to close a Commerzbank account?

In most cases you won’t pay a fee to close a Commerzbank account - but do check your own account’s terms and conditions so you know what to expect.

How long does closing a Commerzbank account take?

The time taken for account closure with Commerzbank can vary. When you request your account to be deleted you have the option of scheduling the account closure for a point in the future, which can be convenient if you’re not quite ready to close the product.

Bear in mind that you’ll need to withdraw any balance from the account and pay back any overdraft or connected debts before your account can be closed.

Tips and challenges for closing your Commerzbank account

Lete’s round out with a few tips to help make sure the process of closing your Commerzbank goes smoothly.

Commerzbank has plenty of banking services which can be super handy when you live or work in Germany.

However, if you’ve now moved back to the US it might be time to close your Commerzbank account and withdraw your funds, and so you can’t accidentally run up unexpected account maintenance fees.

This guide walks through the easiest ways to close your Commerzbank account from abroad so you can get everything sorted.

Sources:

1. Commerzbank
2. Commerzbank FAQ - account closure (in German)
3. Commerzbank account closure form
4. Commerzbank support