Are you planning to move to Germany?
Before you decide to move to Germany, read our guide on whether it’s worth living in Germany. In this guide, we share the survey in which 2000 expats living in Germany participated.
The survey will give you a good idea of the pros and cons of living in Germany.
That said, here is a checklist of things you must do before and once you arrive in Germany.
Table of Contents
Things you must do before coming to Germany
- Get a visa: You need a visa to enter and stay in Germany. There are different types of visas in Germany: tourist, student, employment, skilled worker, blue card, family reunion, etc. Identify which visa applies to you and apply for it.
- Gather financial proof: You must prove that you have enough financial resources to sustain yourself in Germany. Bank statements, fixed deposits, investments, job offers in Germany, etc., act as proof.
- Get your documents translated into English and certified by the German embassy in your home country. In Germany, you require documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates, degrees, passports, driver’s licenses, etc., for visas, registration, employment, etc. Authorities require these documents to be in German or English.
- Start learning the German language: Though most people speak English in Germany, you still require German to navigate German bureaucracy, integrate into Germany, and move above a certain level in a job. Lingoda* offers online German courses that you can join from anywhere.
- Get travel health insurance: Before you travel to Germany, you must get travel health insurance. You need it to get a visa and cover your medical expenses during the trip.
- Book a temporary accommodation in Germany. Finding a permanent apartment or house from outside Germany is next to impossible. Landlords want to meet their tenants in person. Thus, the best option is to book a temporary accommodation.
- Join expat communities in Germany. Many expats like you moved to Germany and faced different challenges over time. By joining expat communities in Germany, you can learn from their experiences and get support.
- Pet owners must plan ahead. We talk about how to take your pet to Germany later in this guide.
Things you should know about Germany before moving here
- Where can you buy groceries? There are several supermarket chains in Germany. Lidl, Penny, and Aldi are for budget-friendly individuals. Rewe and Edeka offer more options and bioproducts. However, they are expensive. Germany also has supermarkets that sell only bio products, such as Dennis BioMarkt, Bio Company, etc.
- Where can you buy furniture in Germany? Ikea for the best price-performance ratio. You can find cost-effective furniture in Jysk, POCO, Roller, and XXXLutz. Other chains are Möbel Höffner, Porta, Home24. You can also buy furniture online on the websites of these chains or Amazon. You can find DIY home stuff at OBI, Hornbach, Toom, and Bauhaus.
- Where can you buy electronics in Germany? The two biggest chains for electronics and electrical equipment in Germany are Saturn and Mediamarkt. Both have an online presence and offer great deals during Black Friday. You can also buy electronics on Amazon.
- Common scams in Germany: Most common scams in Germany are related to renting or buying a property.
- Official resources to get the latest information: The German government has an official website for each service you wish to use in Germany. Some common portals are the Family portal, Bundes Agentur für Arbeit, etc. Each city has its own portal that lists services like visa, registration, etc.
- German culture: Knowing a country’s culture can help you integrate faster and avoid common mistakes foreigners make. A few things worth mentioning are that Germans may seem cold and rude as they speak loudly or stare, punctuality is taken seriously in Germany, and Germans don’t appreciate bad language and drunk behavior.
- German bureaucracy and their love for paperwork: Once you move to Germany, prepare yourself for tons of paperwork. Germany is still way behind digitalization, and most of its bureaucracy is manual. This makes it slow and cumbersome.
Things you must do once you move to Germany
- Start looking for an apartment to rent in Germany: Finding a property to rent in Germany can be tough. Read our guide on how to rent in Germany to learn tips that can help you find an apartment quickly.
- Register yourself and your family at the local registration office (Rathaus in German). You can learn how to register here.
- Get German health insurance. Everyone in Germany is legally required to have Health insurance. You can choose between public and private health insurance. Read our guide on German healthcare to learn more.
- Get personal liability insurance. You are liable for any damages you cause to a third party. To cover the damage costs, everyone in Germany is recommended to have personal liability insurance. You can insure your family for under 50€ per annum.
- Open a bank account in Germany. You need to open a German bank account to receive your salary, pay online or at physical shops, and create your credit history (known as the Schufa Score in Germany). You can open an account with a fintech, such as Revolut, N26*, or C24*. If you prefer banks with physical branches, Commerzbank* and Deutsche Bank* offer some English support.
- Get a SIM card. O2, Vodafone, and Telekom are the biggest network providers in Germany. The best way to buy a SIM card in Germany is to compare offers on the comparison portal Check24*.
- Get an internet connection (if required): Most apartments in Germany don’t come with an internet connection. You must get one on your own. We recommend comparing the offers from different internet providers on comparison portals Check24* and Verivox*. You can sign up for the best offer directly on the portal. Usually, Vodafone offers the best price-performance ratio.
- Get an electricity contract (if required): German rent is composed of cold rent and utility costs. Sometimes, utility costs include electricity and heating, and sometimes they don’t. If your rental contract doesn’t include electricity costs, you must get an electricity contract on your own. Again, you can compare the offers on Check24* and choose the cheapest offer.
- Get a gas contract (if required): Like electricity, you might need to get a gas contract (for heating). You can compare the offers on Check24* and choose the cheapest offer.
- Get a monthly public transportation pass of your city or Germany-wide ticket (aka Deutschland Ticket)
Things you should do within three months of moving to Germany
- Find a family doctor near you (Hausartz in German). Register yourself as a new patient. In big cities, general practitioners don’t accept new patients. So, you might face some difficulties. However, call all the doctors near you, and one must accept you as a patient. In the worst-case scenario, you can call your health insurer’s hotline to get support finding a doctor.
- Go to your family doctor and get all the required vaccinations. Depending on which city you move to in Germany, you may need extra vaccinations. Your health insurance usually covers the vaccination costs.
Things you must do as an expat parent after moving to Germany
- Find a pediatrician (Kinderartz in German) and register your children as new patients. Finding a pediatrician who accepts new patients is even tougher than finding a general practitioner. You must remain patient and call every pediatrician in your area or get help from your health insurance provider.
- Find a kita if your children are younger than five years. Finding a Kita is another challenge in Germany. You must apply for one at least 6 to 12 months before the start date.
- Register your children in a public, private, or international school. Germany has public and private schools. Education in public schools is free, and you pay monthly in private schools based on your family income. International schools are limited in number and are expensive. However, it’s an option for expats who are moving to Germany temporarily. Another option is to enroll your kids in a bilingual school.
- Apply for child benefits (Kindergeld): You get 250€ per month per child (as of 2024) as child benefit in Germany. To get this, you must register your child with “Bundes Agentur für Arbeit.”
- Apply for child allowance (Kinderzuschlag): Families with low income receive additional child allowance. You must register online to get it.
- Consult your pediatrician and get your kids vaccinated
- Get a family pass (Familienkarte or Familienpass). Most German cities offer a family pass to every family with children. This pass allows you to enter almost everywhere (museums, cinemas, zoos, etc.) for free or at a discounted price.
- Visit the local family office and get a consultation. They can provide you with all the information and benefits the city offers to families. You can find one here.
- Register your kids for activities they may like. In Germany, you must plan everything at least three months ahead. Depending on the city, you may not get a place immediately.
- Join expat parents’ communities. Parents face different challenges in Germany. The language, culture, school system, etc., are some of the common topics expat parents discuss in these communities.
What happens once you register yourself in Germany?
- Once you register yourself at the registration office, you’ll receive your tax ID and tax number.
- Your health insurance provider will send your health insurance card.
- You’ll get your social security number
- You’ll receive a letter to pay the radio tax. Each household in Germany pays a radio tax, regardless of whether they use the radio.
- Depending on the city, you’ll recieve a letter to pay for the garbage disposal.
Things you should do once settled in Germany
- Get legal insurance: Many people take advantage of foreigners in Germany as they don’t know their rights. To exercise your rights, you must hire a lawyer. As you may guess, lawyers are expensive in Germany. Thus, you need legal insurance to cover the legal costs.
- Start investing. Investing is the best way to grow your assets. Germany offers various investing options, such as stocks, real estate, commodities (gold, silver), crypto, etc. You can open a free depot account with Scalable Capital* or Finanzen.net Zero* and start investing.
- Think about buying a house in Germany. If you are planning to settle in Germany, you should consider buying your own home. You can get up to 100% financing to buy a house in Germany. Read our guide on how to get a mortgage in Germany to learn more.
- Get your driving license. Germany offers a robust public transport system. However, having a car can save you a lot of travel time. Getting a German driving license is a long (up to 6 months) and expensive process (3000€ to 5000€). So, you should plan accordingly.
- Buy a car in Germany. Once you have your driving license, you can buy a car in Germany. Germans take care of their cars, so buying a second-hand car is normal and recommended in Germany. You can even get a car loan to buy a car.
- File an income tax return. It’s recommended that you do so each year. You can deduct various expenses to reduce your tax and get a tax refund.
- Create a living will. A living will is a written document specifying what medical treatments you wish. Doctors and relatives refer to this document when you are no longer capable of communicating your wishes. It may sound like you don’t need one. However, you can never plan for the accidents. Thus, everyone should have one. You can learn how to create one for free in our guide on living will in Germany.
- Create a power of attorney: Like a living will, you should also create a power of attorney.
- Know your rights: To exercise your rights in Germany, you need to know them first. The easiest way is to join the expat communities and read the posts there.
Things pet owners must do before moving to Germany
- Ensure your dog is not a prohibited breed in Germany.
- Buy a suitable pet carrier and get your pet accustomed to it.
- Make your airline reservations well in advance when traveling with a pet.
- Get a microchip for your pet.
- Have your pet vaccinated for rabies. You should do it at least 21 days before departure.
- Get your pet’s health certificate (Form 988 in German and English).
Resources
- Comparison portals to compare insurance, electricity, gas, internet, sim contracts, etc.: Check24*, Verivox*
- Health insurance finder tool to find out which health insurance is best for you and why
- Get public health insurance via Feather*. Feather offers free English services to expats.
- Learn German: Lingoda*
- Government portals
- Create a rental contract for free
- Create a Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung for free
- Expat communities
- Grocery stores: Lidl, Aldi, Penny, Rewe, Edeka, Bio Company, Dennis BioMarkt
- Furniture stores: Ikea, Jysk, Poco, XXXLutz, Höffner
- Electronics stores: Saturn, MediaMarkt
- House construction and DIY stores: OBI, Hornbach, Toom
- Find doctors: Doctolib, Jameda, Zava, Doctena
- Dating apps: Tinder, Paarship, Okcupid, Bumble, Badoo, etc.
