All guides
Each guide explains one task, shows whether it is mandatory, and links to the official source.
Registration & paperwork
Anmeldung, tax ID, residence permits — the admin that unlocks everything else.
- Abmeldung Depends on your situationLeaving Germany? You must deregister your address within two weeks of moving out. Not needed when moving within Germany. Deadline, how, and why the certificate matters.
- Anmeldung form Usually requiredThe German address registration form explained field by field in English: new and old address, personal details, religion (church tax), marital status and documents.
- Anmeldung MandatoryEveryone who moves into a home in Germany must register the address within two weeks. Documents, steps, online option, fines and what to do without an appointment.
- EU Blue Card Depends on your situationEU Blue Card in Germany 2026: salary thresholds, degree recognition, job changes, family rules and the fast track to permanent residence after 21 or 27 months.
- Residence permit MandatoryWho needs a German residence permit, the main permit types for work, study, family and job search, how the Ausländerbehörde works, and what to do while you wait.
- Tax ID (Steuer-ID) MandatoryYour German tax ID is an 11-digit number sent by post after your first Anmeldung. When it arrives, how to request it again, and how it differs from the Steuernummer.
- Wohnungsgeberbestätigung MandatoryThe Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is your landlord's written move-in confirmation, needed for the Anmeldung. What it contains, who signs, and what if they refuse.
Money & banking
Bank accounts, SCHUFA, credit and sending money home.
- Bank account Usually requiredHow to open a bank account in Germany: online vs branch banks, opening without Anmeldung, ID checks, your right to a Basiskonto and why any EU IBAN must be accepted.
- Money transfers OptionalHow euro transfers work inside SEPA, why international transfers cost more than the fee suggests, and how to compare exchange rates and total cost.
- SCHUFA Depends on your situationWhat SCHUFA is, why newcomers start with no score, how to get your free data copy under Art. 15 GDPR, and how to build a credit history in Germany.
Health & insurance
Health insurance, sick notes and the insurance you actually need.
- Health insurance MandatoryHealth insurance is mandatory for everyone living in Germany. How public and private cover work, what employees pay in 2026, family cover and visa insurance.
- Household insurance OptionalHausratversicherung covers your belongings at home against fire, water, burglary and storm. It is optional. When it is worth it and what to check.
- Liability insurance RecommendedPrivate liability insurance is optional in Germany but strongly recommended. What it covers, how much cover you need and what to check before you sign.
- Public vs private Depends on your situationWho may choose private health insurance in Germany, how it differs from public insurance, and why switching back later can be hard. Neutral 2026 overview.
Housing & home
Finding a flat, deposits, internet, electricity and the broadcasting fee.
- Electricity Depends on your situationWho arranges electricity in a German rental, what Grundversorgung is, how to register with a supplier, read your meter, understand Abschlag and switch or cancel.
- Finding an apartment Usually requiredHow renting in Germany works: Kaltmiete vs Warmmiete, the documents landlords ask for, WGs, temporary flats you can register at, broker fees and rental scams.
- Home internet OptionalHow to get home internet in Germany: DSL vs cable vs fibre, how long setup takes, 24-month contracts, cancelling after moving, and your rights when speed is too slow.
- Rental deposit Usually requiredGerman rental deposits explained: max. 3 months' net cold rent, payment in 3 instalments, a separate interest-bearing account, and how you get your Kaution back.
- Rundfunkbeitrag (GEZ) MandatoryEvery household in Germany pays the Rundfunkbeitrag broadcasting fee: one fee per flat, not per person. Amount, registration, flat shares, exemptions, leaving.
- SIM card RecommendedHow to get a German SIM card as a newcomer: prepaid vs contract, the legal ID check, contract lengths and cancellation rules, EU roaming and eSIM.
Work & taxes
Tax classes, payslips, tax returns and your rights at work.
- Freelancing MandatoryHow to start freelancing in Germany: Freiberufler vs Gewerbe, registering in ELSTER, tax number, Kleinunternehmer rule, invoices, VAT and health insurance.
- Payslip RecommendedHow to read a German payslip: gross pay, wage tax, church tax, solidarity surcharge and the 2026 social insurance rates that turn Brutto into Netto.
- Sick leave MandatoryOff sick in Germany? Tell your employer at once, get a doctor's note by day 4, and receive full pay for 6 weeks, then Krankengeld. The 2026 rules explained.
- Social security number Usually requiredHow you get a German social security number: it is issued when you start your first job. What the number looks like, the Versicherungsnummernachweis and replacing it.
- Tax classes Depends on your situationWhat German tax classes I to VI mean, which one you get, how married couples choose III/V or IV/IV, and how to change your class in ELSTER.
- Tax return Depends on your situationWhen a German tax return is mandatory or voluntary, 2026 deadlines, how to file in ELSTER, and common deductions for newcomers like moving costs and home office.
Getting around
Deutschlandticket, driving licences and cars.
- Buying a car Depends on your situationBuying a car in Germany: mandatory liability insurance and eVB number, registration at the Zulassungsstelle, car tax via customs, TÜV inspections and scam warnings.
- Deutschlandticket OptionalDeutschlandticket 2026: €63 per month, local and regional transport across Germany. What is included, how to cancel, Jobticket and student versions.
- Driving licence exchange Depends on your situationEU licences stay valid in Germany. Non-EU licences work for 6 months after you move here. Whether you need tests to exchange yours depends on the Anlage 11 country list.
Family & children
Kindergeld, Elterngeld and finding a Kita place.
- Elterngeld RecommendedElterngeld replaces 65–67% of lost net income after a birth. Basiselterngeld vs ElterngeldPlus, amounts, the income limit, eligibility and the 3-month rule.
- Kindergeld RecommendedKindergeld is €259 per child per month in 2026. Who can claim as an EU or non-EU citizen, how to apply at the Familienkasse, and why you should apply within 6 months.
- Kita (daycare) OptionalEvery child in Germany has a legal right to a daycare place from age 1. How Kita registration works, what it costs, Kita-Gutschein systems and childminders.
Studying
Blocked accounts, student insurance and working while you study.
- Blocked account Usually requiredHow a German blocked account works for student visas: the 2026 amount, monthly payouts, alternatives like a Verpflichtungserklärung, and what to do after arrival.
- Student health insurance MandatoryYou need health insurance to enrol at a German university. How student public insurance works, what it costs in 2026, the age-30 limit and opting out.
- Working as a student OptionalHow much international students may work in Germany: the 140/280-day rule for non-EU students, Werkstudent jobs, Minijobs, internships and insurance.
Staying or leaving
Permanent residence, citizenship, and leaving Germany properly.
- Citizenship OptionalGerman citizenship rules in 2026: 5 years of residence, dual citizenship allowed, B1 German, the Einbürgerungstest, income rules, fees and where to apply.
- Learning German Depends on your situationWhich German level you need for visas, permanent residence and citizenship, how the BAMF integration course works and costs, free options, and which certificates count.
- Leaving Germany MandatoryLeaving Germany for good: Abmeldung, cancelling your flat and contracts, the broadcasting fee, health insurance, bank, final tax return, pension and your permit.
- Pension refund OptionalWho can get German pension contributions refunded after leaving, the 24-month wait, why EU and treaty-country citizens usually can't, and how to apply free.
- Permanent residence OptionalWhen you can get permanent residence in Germany: the 5-year rule, the Blue Card fast track after 21 or 27 months, skilled workers, German levels and pension months.