This guide shows you how to meet new people and make friends after you move to Berlin.
Before you start
It’s normal to feel lonely
When you move to a new city, you reset your social life. At first, you might feel lonely, and that’s normal. Everyone feels lonely in their first year. It takes time to build a community, and to find people who are there for you.
Therapists can help you deal with those feelings. Use my list of English-speaking therapists to find one.
It’s hard to make friends
It’s harder to make friends as an immigrant. You might feel like everyone has enough friends, and are not interested in making more friends.
Recent immigrants come and go. People are afraid of making friends who will move away in a few months. You will also experience this. Your first friends will be other recent immigrants, and many of them will be gone in a year.
Other people prefer friends who speak their language, because it’s easier for them. Many Germans speak English, but they are more comfortable with German. It’s a good reason to learn German.
It gets easier with time. You will slowly rebuild your social life, and your friends will introduce you to their friends.
How to meet people in Berlin
Meetups
- Meetup.com (free)
There are meetup groups for all kinds of hobbies, and just for meeting people. Many meetups are in English. - InterNations (free)
They organise free events for immigrants. - Board games
There are a few board game meetups that welcome English speakers.
You can also find events on Eventbrite and Facebook.
It’s easier to meet people around a shared hobby like chess or bouldering. Meeting strangers is always a little awkward, but it’s easier if you have something to do at the same time.
Apps
- Bumble BFF
A dating app, but for making friends. - /r/berlinsocialclub
A subreddit for making friends in Berlin. Some people are new in Berlin, and others are looking for friends to attend events. They have a meetup every Tuesday at Mendy und Edeltraut. Most of the attendees speak English.
Communities
If you are a student, go to orientation week, and join your school’s Erasmus community. They organise many activities for international students.
There are Facebook groups and organisations for every nationality in Berlin. Here are a few:
- Americans in Berlin
- Brazilians in Berlin
- Canadians in Berlin
- Dutch in Berlin
- French speakers in Berlin
- Indians in Berlin
- Poles in Berlin
- Russians in Berlin
- Turks in Berlin
Other ways to make friends
- Take German lessons
Learning German is important, and it’s also a good way to meet people. You can take a class, or join a language tandem. - Volunteer
Use Vostel to find where to volunteer. You can help even if you don’t speak German.