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Your first steps in Germany
This order saves most of the detours. Each step unlocks the one after it.
- 01
Prepare your move
Collect birth and marriage certificates, qualification documents and translations before you leave. Budget for a deposit plus two to three months of living costs.
Related guides - 02
Register your address
The Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt is the key that unlocks your tax ID, your bank account and most contracts. Book the appointment as soon as you have an address.
Related guides - 03
Understand health insurance
Cover is compulsory. Choose between public and private, request confirmation of insurance and keep the membership number: your employer will ask for it.
Related guides - 04
Open a bank account
Salaries, rent and insurance all move by bank transfer and direct debit. A German IBAN removes friction from almost every other step.
Related guides - 05
Find work or training
Adapt your CV to German expectations, apply with a specific cover letter, and consider an Ausbildung if you want a qualification while earning.
Related guides - 06
Know your rights and duties
Working hours, holiday entitlement, notice periods and payslips are regulated. Written agreements protect you; verbal promises rarely do.
Related guides - 07
Settle into everyday life
Learn the quiet hours, the recycling system and the bottle deposit, then find a course, a club or a neighbourhood group. This is where life starts feeling normal.
Related guides
Numbers worth saving
- 112Ambulance and fire brigade (EU-wide)
- 110Police
- 116 117Medical on-call service, outside surgery hours
- 0800 011 0 111Telephone counselling, free and anonymous