How to move to Berlin

This guide shows you how to relocate to Berlin from another country, step by step.

Summary

Before you move to Germany, you might need a residence permit. A residence permit gives you the right to live in Germany.

To get a residence permit, you usually need a job offer, health insurance, and a place to live. The first step is to find a job, then an apartment and health insurance.

Moving to Germany costs a lot of money. You need savings. Your employer might offer a relocation bonus, or pay some of your relocation costs.

After you arrive in Germany, you need a bank account and a SIM card for your phone. When you move into your apartment, you must register your address.

Move to berlin boxes luggage

Before you move

Save money

You need enough money to survive until you get paid. You need money for…

  • The apartment deposit (Kaution)
    It’s 3 times your cold rent. You must pay 1/3 of the deposit before you move in, 1/3 after one month, and 1/3 after two months. – How apartment deposits work
  • The first month of rent
    You must pay it by bank transfer before you move in.
  • Your living expenses
    You must buy food and things for your apartment. You might also need to buy furniture and appliances. It’s easier if you find a furnished apartment or a WG; it comes with everything you need.
  • Your relocation expenses
    If you come from another country, you might need to buy plane tickets, or stay in a hotel for a few days. Relocation expenses are tax-deductible.4 Save the receipts for your tax declaration.
  • Winter clothes
    German winters are cold and wet. It’s 0ºC on average, and as low as -10ºC.5 You need winter clothes: a jacket, boots, gloves, and a hat.

Some employers offer a relocation bonus. It covers your relocation expenses. Relocation expenses are usually reimbursed after you start working, so you still need to have savings.

Cost of living in Berlin ➞

Find a job

How to find a job in Berlin ➞

If you are not a EU or EEA citizen, you usually need a job offer to apply for a residence permit. If you are unemployed, it’s harder to find an apartment.

You don’t need to speak German to work in Berlin, but it really helps. There are English-speaking jobs, but most jobs require German.

Find a place to live

It’s really hard to find an apartment in Berlin. It’s harder if you are not in Berlin, you don’t have a stable job, and you don’t speak German. Start looking as soon as you can.

How to find an apartment in Berlin ➞

Before you move in, you must pay the first month’s rent, and the deposit (Kaution). In Germany, you pay the rent by bank transfer. Open a bank account, or use Wise to send money from another country.

Get health insurance

If you live in Germany, you must have health insurance.

How to choose health insurance ➞

Use my health insurance calculator to see your options. The best way to choose health insurance is to talk to an insurance broker. Their help is free.

If you are an EU citizen, you are covered by your EHIC card until you start working. When you start working, you must have German health insurance. If you are a student, you can use your EHIC card while you study. If health insurance is free in your home country, you can save a lot of money with a EHIC card.

Apply for a residence permit

If you are not a EU or EEA citizen, you probably need a residence permit to live in Germany. If you don’t qualify for any residence permit, you can’t move to Germany.

You can apply for a residence permit at a German embassy or consulate. If you are from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom or the United States, you can come to Germany, then apply for a residence permit.

How to apply for a residence permit ➞

Check if your devices work in Germany

Germany has 220 volt type F power sockets. Check if your devices work in Germany. You might need a power adapter or a power converter.

Power sockets in Germany ➞

Your first month in Berlin

Open a bank account

You need a bank account in the European Union to make bank transfers. This is how you pay your rent and receive your paychecks.

If you are not a EU citizen, it can be hard to open a bank account. Banks often require a residence permit or a registered address. They don’t accept all passports.

List of expat-friendly banks ➞

Use Wise to send money from another country. You can use it to pay rent without a EU bank account, or to add money to your new bank account.

Get a mobile phone contract

You can buy get a SIM card from…

  • Vodafone, Telekom and O2 stores
  • Saturn and MediaMarkt
  • Aldi and Lidl supermarkets

To activate your SIM card, you need your passport and your registration certificate.2 If you don’t have a registration certificate, it’s not a problem. Most store employees just use your temporary address.3

You can use a SIM card from another EU country. It will work for a few months with no extra cost. After some time, your foreign SIM card might stop working, and you will need a German SIM card.1

Use Verivox to compare cellphone plans. I use Vodafone CallYa since 2015. Aldi Talk is another good, cheap option.

Move in

After you find an apartment, sign the lease and move in. There are a few things to do after that.

How to move into an apartment ➞

After you move in, get liability insurance. It’s cheap, but important. Most people have it.

What is liability insurance? ➞

Register your address

You must register your address after you move in. You will get a registration certificate and a tax ID. You need them for many other things.

How to register your address in Berlin ➞

Start working

After you get your residence permit (if you need one), you can start working. During your first month, your employer will ask for a few things like your tax ID, health insurance number and pension insurance number.

Starting a new job in Germany ➞

Know your rights as an employee. Understand how vacation days and sick days work. Know what happens if you lose your job.

Your first 6 months are a probation period. During that time, it’s easier to lose your job.

How the probation period works ➞

Bring your family

Your family can move to Germany with you. They might need a residence permit like the family reunion visa.

If you have children, you might need to send them to a daycare (Kita). It’s really hard to find a Kita. They have long waiting lists.

How to find a Kita ➞

You can also bring your pets to Germany. If you bring your dog to Berlin, you must microchip, insure and register it. You must also adjust to German dog culture.

Guide for Berlin dog owners ➞

Get around in Berlin

Berlin has excellent public transit. You should also get a bike; it’s a good way to explore Berlin in the summer.

How to use public transit ➞

How to buy a bicycle ➞

You don’t need to buy a car in Berlin. They are expensive, and not so useful.

Your foreign driving licence might be valid in Germany. You can sometimes convert it to a German driving licence. You can also take driving lessons in Berlin.

How to convert your driving licence ➞

How to get a driving licence ➞

Your first year in Berlin

Discover Berlin

Explore your new city! Get a bicycle and explore everything inside and outside the Ring.

If you move in the winter, Berlin can seem a little grey, but don’t panic; it’s much nicer in the summer.

Follow 20percent.berlin, Berlin Events Weekly and Handpicked Berlin to know what’s happening in Berlin.

What to see and do in Berlin ➞

Make friends

It takes time to make friends in Berlin. It’s normal to feel lonely in your first year. Berlin has a big expat community, so you will find people to meet, even if you don’t speak German.

How to make friends ➞

Learn German

You don’t need to speak German to move to Berlin, but it’s very useful. You always need to write emails, read letters and make phone calls in German. If you don’t speak German, you always depend on someone else to help you. If you speak German, it’s easier to find an apartment, find a job and make friends.

How to learn German in Berlin ➞

Adjust to life in Germany

After you settle in Berlin, get familiar with German culture:

If you don’t speak German, you can still get help in English:

Find a doctor

In Germany, when you have a health problem, you go to your Hausarzt. Find your Hausarzt before you need one. It will be easier to see a doctor when you are sick. This is useful when you need a sick note for your employer.

Find an English-speaking doctor ➞

A new life in Germany

After you are settled in Berlin, you can make new plans.

Start a business

You can be self-employed in Germany. It’s a little scary, but it’s worth it.

How to start a business in Germany ➞

Permanent residence and citizenship

After a few years in Germany, you can apply for permanent residence and German citizenship. Permanent residence gives you more freedom and more security. You don’t need to renew your residence permit. You can stay in Germany even if you lose your job.

With most residence permits, you can get permanent residence after 5 years. If you have a Blue Card, you can get permanent residence in 21 or 27 months.

Sources and footnotes
  1. teltarif.de 

  2. naylorengineering.com, reddit.com/r/berlin 

  3. traveltomtom.net, teltarif.de, prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com 

  4. Scheller International 

  5. worlddata.info