Where to get help about life in Berlin?

If this website does not answer your questions, this is where you can find help about life in Berlin.

General questions

In English

You can get help from these communities and services.

Free Advice Berlin – Facebook group
Berlin EXPATS – Facebook group
Berlin4Beginners – Facebook group
/r/berlin – Reddit community
/r/germany – Reddit community
Toytown Germany – Forum. Less active than before.
Quora – a general Q&A website
Expatriates StackExchange – Q&A website for expatriates
Booka Local – Hire a local to help you

In German

If you speak German, these communities can also help you

Gutefrage – similar to Quora and Yahoo! Answers
/r/de – Reddit community
/r/FragReddit – small Reddit community
Jeder hilft jedem – Facebook group

Immigration questions

Free help

Consultation service of the Ausländerbehörde
Use this email to ask questions about the Ausländerbehörde. They answer quickly. This is a free service.
“Working and Living in Germany” hotline
This hotline helps people move to Germany. They speak English. This is a free service.
Legal advice service of the Ausländerbehörde
The Ausländerbehörde offers free immigration advice in German, Turkish, Farsi and Arabic. You might also be able to get help in English. This is a free service.
Welcome Center of the Commissioner for Integration and Migration
They offer legal help with immigration. They speak English, and many other languages.
The Imagine Foundation
If you are a software developer from a developing country, they can help you find a job and move to Germany. They speak English. This is a free service.¹
Fem.OS
They offer information and legal advice for female migrants. They speak 10 languages.
Problems and challenges with the Ausländerbehörde (Berlin) – Facebook group
German freelance visa help – Facebook group
Job seeker visa/Blue Card/Dependent Visa/Work Permit Germany – Facebook group

Paid help

Immigration lawyer hotline – 0900 1 5293 6611
Use this number to ask quick legal questions. You will talk to Alexander von Engelhardt, a business and immigration lawyer in Berlin. It costs 2€ per minute.
Red Tape Translation
They offer immigration coaching. They can also come with you to the Ausländerbehorde. They have a lot of experience with visa applications. They often help me with this website.
Verfahrenshinweise zum Aufenthalt in Berlin (in German)
This internal document tells you exactly how the Berlin Ausländerbehörde works. It has better information about visa and residence permits than the official website.
Booka Local
Offers professional visa consultation. They can also go to the Ausländerbehörde with you.
List of English-speaking relocation consultants
List of English-speaking lawyers in Berlin

Apartment questions

Tenant association (Mieterverein)
You must be a member. It costs around 4€ to 10€ per month. They usually speak English. The Berliner Mieterverein and Mieterschutzbund Berlin are the two biggest associations in Berlin.
Tenant counsel (Mieterberatung)
There are dozens of locations in Berlin. You can contact them and ask questions. This is a free service from the city of Berlin. They might not speak English.
Lawyers
Use my list of English-speaking lawyers. If you have legal insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung), you can get their advice for free. If not, a lawyer costs around 200€ per hour.
Conny
Conny is a legal service that helps people lower their rent. They also have a legal hotline for tenants that costs 4€ to 10€ per month. They speak English.

If you receive housing benefits, you can contact your local Sozialamt. They can help you with apartment problems.

If you are an asylum seeker, you can contact the housing section of the Landesamt für Flüchtlingsangelegenheiten. Call +49 30 90225 1261 or write to Unterkuenfte@LAF.Berlin.de.

Medical questions

Legal questions

Lawyers
Use my list of English-speaking lawyers in Berlin. If you have legal insurance, they can help you find a lawyer. Your legal insurance covers the cost of talking to a lawyer. They might have a legal hotline that you can call for free.
- Business and immigration lawyer hotline – 0900 1 5293 6611
  Use this number to ask quick legal questions. You will talk to Alexander von Engelhardt, a business and immigration lawyer in Berlin. It costs 2€ per minute.
Tenant associations (Mieterverein)
A Mieterverein protects tenants from landlords. When you are a member of a Mieterverein, you can get help from their lawyers. They can check your lease, help you with a bad landlord, get your rent reduced, and help you sublet an apartment. The membership costs 40€ to 100€ per year.² If you have a low income, it can be cheaper.³ Some unions have a waiting period before they help you, and some don’t.⁴ If you don’t speak German, Berliner Mieterverein can help you in English and in other languages.
Legaltech (Rechtsdienstleister)
Legal services can help you with specific legal problems. For example, Conny specialises in tenant law. They can lower your rent and many other things. I reviewed them here. Usually, their services cost nothing if you lose. If you win, they keep a part of the money you get.
Workers union (Gewerkschaft)
If you are in a union, you can usually get free legal help, but only for work-related problems.⁵

If you have a low income, you can apply for legal help (Beratungshilfe) at the local Amtsgericht.⁶ You will get a certificate (Beratungshilfeschein) that pays for your legal costs. If you get Bürgergeld or Sozialhilfe, or if you are an asylum seeker, you are eligible.⁷ You will probably need to speak German.

If you have legal insurance, it covers talking to a lawyer. They usually have a legal hotline that you can call for free.

Financial questions

Tax advisors and alternatives
Tax advisors are certified tax professionals. They are legally liable for the advice they give. If they make a mistake, they pay for it. If you have complex tax questions, they are the only option.
Tax software
Tax software can help you file a tax declaration. It’s much cheaper than hiring a tax advisor.
Tax help union (Lohnsteuerhilfeverein)
A Lohnsteuerhilfeverein can help you file a tax declaration. It’s usually cheaper than a tax advisor. The cost is often based on your income.

Business questions

People who can help you

Berlin Chamber of Commerce (IHK)
They offer help in English by phone, by email and in person. This service is only for businesses. They do not help freelancers.
Tax advisors
Use my list of English-speaking tax advisors in Berlin.
Business and immigration lawyer hotline – 0900 1 5293 6611
Use this number to ask quick legal questions. You will talk to Alexander von Engelhardt, a business and immigration lawyer in Berlin. It costs 2€ per minute.
List of English-speaking lawyers in Berlin
Berlin startups – Facebook group
Berlin freelancers – Facebook group

Helpful websites

Existenzgruender.de – official resource with a lot of detailed information
Make it in Germany – official advice and information for foreigners
Starting your own business – An official resource from the Ministry of Economic Affairs
List of official resources (in German)

Ask me

Write to contact@allaboutberlin.com. I can’t answer every question, but I can point you in the right direction. Please do some research first.

Sources and footnotes