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. 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 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
You must find a job to support yourself. There are English-speaking jobs, but most jobs require German.
If you are not a EU or EEA citizen, you need a residence permit to live and work in Germany. You must get a job offer, then apply for a residence permit, then start working. You can’t work before you get a residence permit.
Find a place to live
It’s really hard to find an apartment in Berlin. The best option is to rent a temporary furnished apartment, then move to Berlin and look for 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). In Germany, 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 Homelike, 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 must have health insurance. You need health insurance to get a residence permit.
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.
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Your options
Public health insurance
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Private health insurance
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How to choose health insurance
If you are an EU citizen, your EHIC card covers you until you start working. If you are a student, your EHIC card covers you until you graduate.
Apply for a residence permit
If you are not a EU or EEA citizen, you need a residence permit to live and work in Germany. Without a residence permit, you can’t start working. If you don’t qualify for a 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. It’s still better to apply in your home country, and move once you have the permission to start working.
How to apply for a residence permit
Your first month in Berlin
Open a bank account
You need a European bank account to make bank transfers. This is how you pay your rent and receive your paychecks. Open a bank account as soon as you can.
Some banks might refuse your passport, or ask for documents that you don’t have yet. Choose an expat-friendly bank to easily open a bank account.
To transfer money from another country, use Wise.
Get a mobile phone contract
Before you arrive, buy a temporary SIM card. You can buy it online, and activate it when you arrive. This gives you mobile data as soon as you are in Germany. You can get a temporary SIM at a kiosk at the airport, but it’s more expensive.
After you arrive, get a SIM card from…
- Vodafone, Telekom and O2 stores
- Saturn, MediaMarkt and other electronics stores
- Aldi and Lidl supermarkets
To activate your SIM card, you usually need your passport and your registration certificate.2 If you don’t have a registration certificate, they might just use your temporary address.3
You can use a SIM card from any other EU country. It will work for a few months at no extra cost. After some time, it 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 into your apartment
After you find an apartment, you must move in. There’s a lot to do after you move into your new apartment. You 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. You will get a registration certificate and a tax ID. You need the registration certificate to access 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 cheap, but but it’s the most important insurance after health insurance. Most people have it.
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.
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.
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…
- 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 your residence permit. You can stay in Germany even if you lose your job. Citizenship also gives you a German passport and the right to vote.
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.