This guide shows you how to relocate to Berlin from another country, step by step.
Before you move
Save money
Moving to Germany is expensive. You need enough money to cover relocation expenses, and to survive until your first paycheck.
You need enough 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. If you find a furnished apartment or a WG; it comes with everything you need. - Your health insurance
All German residents must have health insurance. Use my health insurance calculator to estimate the cost. - 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 and moving expenses are tax-deductible.4 Save the receipts for your tax declaration. - Winter clothes
German winters are cold and humid. It’s 0ºC on average, and as low as -10ºC.5 You need winter clothes: a warm jacket, boots, gloves, and a hat.
Your employer might offer a relocation bonus to cover your relocation expenses. You usually get it after you start working, so you still need savings.
Find a job
There are English-speaking jobs in Berlin, but most jobs require German.
If you need a residence permit to live and work in Germany, you must get a job offer, then get a residence permit, then start working. It can take a few weeks.
Find a place to live
It’s really hard to find an apartment in Berlin. It can take months. Rent a temporary furnished apartment, then move to Berlin, then find something better. Temporary housing is expensive, but it might be your only option.
Before you move in, you must pay the first month’s rent, and 1/3 of the deposit (Kaution). You pay the rent by bank transfer. Open a bank account or use Wise to send money from another country.
Be careful while looking for apartments. There are a lot of housing scams. If you are not in Germany, use a platform with verified landlords like HousingAnywhere or Spotahome. They only pay the landlord after you move in. If the apartment is not as described, you get your money back.
Get health insurance
If you live in Germany, you need health insurance. You need it to apply for a National Visa or a residence permit. You need it before you start working or studying.
Use my health insurance calculator to know your options. Ask my insurance expert to help you choose. It’s the best way to get insured.
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It helps us calculate prices and recommend the right health insurance.
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How to choose health insurance
If you are an EU citizen, your European Health Insurance Card covers you until you start working. If you are a student, it covers you until you graduate.
Apply for a residence permit
If you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you need a residence permit to live, work or study in Germany. It can take a few months to get one. You might need it before you start working or studying. Apply for it as soon as you can.
Your first month in Berlin
Open a bank account
Open a bank account as soon as you can. You need it to pay rent and receive paychecks. You can use a bank from any European country.
Some banks don’t let immigrants open an account. They might refuse your passport, or ask for documents that you don’t have. Choose an expat-friendly bank.
To send money from another country, use Wise.
Get a mobile phone contract
Before you arrive, buy a temporary eSIM card. Buy it online, and activate it when you arrive. You will have mobile data as soon as you arrive in Germany. You can buy a temporary SIM card at the airport, but they are more expensive.
You can also use a SIM card from another EU country. It will work for a few months at no extra cost. When it stops working, you need a German SIM card.1
After you arrive, get a cheaper phone plan from…
- Vodafone, Telekom and O2 stores
- Saturn, MediaMarkt and other electronics stores
- Aldi and Lidl supermarkets, at the counter
Use Verivox to compare cellphone plans. Prepaid plans are often much cheaper. I use Vodafone CallYa since 2015. Aldi Talk is another good, cheap option.
To activate your SIM card, you might need your passport and your registration certificate.2 If you don’t have a registration certificate, they might just use your temporary address.3
Move into your apartment
After you find an apartment, you must move in. You must register your address, learn to sort your trash, put your name on your mailbox and a lot more.
Register your address
You must register your address after you move in. It’s mandatory. This is how you get a registration certificate and a tax ID. You need the registration certificate to use government services. Your employer needs your tax ID to pay you correctly.
How to register your address in Berlin
Get liability insurance
After you move in, get liability insurance. It’s the most important insurance after health insurance. Most people have it.
Start working
You might need a residence permit to start working. During your first month, your employer will need a few things like your tax ID, health insurance number and pension insurance number.
You should also learn about your rights. Understand how the probation period, vacation days and sick days work. Know what happens if you lose your job.
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. There are long waiting lists.
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.
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.
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
Your first year in Berlin
Discover Berlin
Explore your new city! Get a bicycle and explore everything inside and outside the Ring.
To find things to do in Berlin, check…
- VisitBerlin
- Berlin Events Weekly
- Mit Vergnügen (in German)
- tipBerlin (in German)
To follow what’s happening, check…
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.
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.
Adjust to life in Germany
After you settle in Berlin, get familiar with German culture:
- learn how to sort your trash and return empty bottles
- learn how to safely stream movies and shows
- respect the quiet hours
- remember that most businesses close on Sundays
- make a budget and find ways to save money
- understand how German phone numbers work
If you don’t speak German, you can still get help in English:
- English-speaking doctors and GPs in Berlin
- English-speaking psychotherapists in Berlin
- English-speaking psychiatrists in Berlin
- English-speaking tax advisors in Berlin
- English-speaking lawyers in Berlin
- English-speaking dentists in Berlin
- English-speaking barbers and hair salons in Berlin
- English-speaking gynaecologists in Berlin
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
Make a tax declaration
Your relocation expenses are tax-deductible. If you move in the middle of the year, you probably paid too much salary tax. Make a tax declaration to get some money back. A tax advisor can help you.
After you settle
Permanent residence and citizenship
After a few years in Germany, you can apply for permanent residence or German citizenship.
Permanent residence gives you more freedom and more security. You don’t need to renew it like a residence permit. You can stay in Germany even if you lose your job.
Depending on your residence permit, you can become a permanent resident after living in Germany for 21 to 60 months.
How to apply for permanent residence
Citizenship is better than permanent residence. You get a German passport, and you can vote in elections.