Multiple major German banks have abruptly frozen the accounts of Russian and Belarusian nationals living in Germany, demanding fresh proof of residency and leaving long-term customers without access to their money, Deutsche Welle reported.

The German broadcaster said the curbs have affected people who have lived and worked in Germany for years, including business owners and long-term residents who hold German citizenship. The freezes have been imposed by Sparkasse Düsseldorf, Sparkasse KölnBonn, Volksbank Brawo, and Commerzbank, among other banks, according to DW. A separate report by United24 Media also cited account freezes at neobank N26.

Of more than 20 major banks the broadcaster contacted across Germany’s 16 federal states, 12 responded that they were complying with European Union sanctions, while three pointed specifically to the bloc’s 19th sanctions package. None cited a specific legal provision, DW said. 

Hendrik Müller-Lankow, a lawyer with the Kronsteyn group, told the news agency that the freezes appeared to rest more on anti-money-laundering law than directly on sanctions. 

“A bank is obliged to assess the risk for every client, and Russian citizenship is now a circumstance that significantly raises the risk,” he said in the report. He added that when a bank employee suspects money laundering, the account must be frozen without warning to prevent the customer from concealing evidence. In his view, banks under tight regulatory scrutiny and the threat of large fines are “trying to do more than is actually required,” DW reported.

A real-estate agent identified only as Anna who spoke with DW said her Sparkasse Düsseldorf card was declined at a gas station in early April. She told the news outlet that she only learned her account had been blocked after calling the bank, and that unblocking it took nearly three weeks despite the branch being familiar with her business.

The news outlet also reported the case of entrepreneur Sergei Malev, who has lived in Germany for more than 20 years and been a Sparkasse KölnBonn customer for over a decade. After being asked to confirm his residency status, he presented a German passport, and the bank apologized in writing.

The freezes have not been confined to Russian citizens. The report also cites a Belarusian woman identified as Aleksandra, whose account at Volksbank Brawo was frozen with a notice citing “sanctions against Russia.” Because her Belarusian passport had expired and cannot be reissued abroad, she presented a Fiktionsbescheinigung—a temporary German residency document—which she said the immigration office considers sufficient but the bank did not accept as grounds for unblocking the account.