The first 4 must-do steps in Germany
Moving to Germany (or already moved) and don’t know where to start the bureaucratic journey? We wrote a succinct guide for you!
1st stop: Registration (“Anmeldung”)
Important note: This step requires you to have an accommodation with the possibility to register (“anmelden”). Before renting an apartment or a room, always make sure that your landlord can provide you with a written confirmation of occupancy (so-called “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung”). You will need this document to make your city registration. If you don't have a place to stay yet, take a look at our list of housing websites.
The city registration proofs that you are permanently residing in Germany and your registered address will for instance be shared with the German tax office.
How to do Anmeldung?
1. Make an appointment at your local citizens’ office. You usually have 14 days after moving in to register at your new address. If you do not meet this deadline, you may have to pay a fine. However, in many cities there are currently long waiting times for an appointment, in such a case the fee is waived. Therefore, as soon as you have a move in date, try to schedule an appointment a few days later.
The exact name of the responsible authority varies somewhat depending on where you live in Germany. Here are a few examples:
2. Gather the required documents for your city registration. These may vary somewhat. Be sure to check the website of your local citizens office to see what is needed. Here are some documents you will need in any case:
City registration form: Bring this filled out form with you. Mind the religion section. If you indicate that you belong to one of the religious communities recognized under public German law that are allowed to collect taxes from their members, you may end up paying church tax, which is around 8% of your salary. These are for example the Protestant and Catholic churches, as well as the Jewish denominations.
Written confirmation by your landlord (“Wohnungsgeberbestätigung”): The certificate needs to contain the following information: Name and address of the housing provider and if he/she is not the owner, also the name of the owner, date of moving in, address of the apartment and names of the persons subject to registration. A rental contract is usually not accepted as a replacement for the confirmation by your landlord. In case the person renting out the place to you does not have a standard document for this, you can use this form as a template.
Your rental contract.
Marriage certificate: If you are married, you may need to bring your marriage certificate, translated in German by a certified translator.
Have children? Bring the identification documents or birth certificates if your children are also moving in with you.
3. Go for your appointment. Plan enough time to get there and make sure you bring all the listed documents. Most citizens offices have a TV screen where you will be called to desk of a responsible staff member once your appointment number is up. You’ll receive the desired “Anmeldung” on the spot. Keep it somewhere safe, as you’ll be using it for pretty much every action!
Fee: None.
Need more information? Take a look at our step-by-step guide on how to register in Germany.
2nd stop: Getting your tax ID (“Steueridentifikationsnummer”)
This is a unique 11-digit identification number the tax office (“Finanzamt”) uses to identify you. It is also referred to as Steuernr., Persönliche Identifikationsnummer, Steuer-IdNr., IdNr or SteuerID or TIN (tax identification number). Every resident in Germany has one. When you take up a new job, your employer needs your tax id to calculate the appropriate amount of income tax. It is also required to open a bank account, when doing your yearly tax return, when applying for child benefits and much more.
How to get your German Tax ID?
When you move to Germany the first time, the tax ID is sent you via post after completing your city registration. The local citizens office then passes on your address to the local tax authorities to issue a tax ID for you. Should you not have received a tax ID or want to speed up the process, then make an appointment -or- just go to the local tax authority in your neighborhood (“Finanzamt“) in their working hours, usually it’s not very busy and ask them to issue you a tax ID. Make sure to bring your passport and work visa, your work contract and your city registration. After a few days you will receive it by post to the address mentioned in the Anmeldung. Keep it somewhere safe!
Fee: None.
3rd stop: Opening a bank account in Germany
Some banks offer a full online process and English website and customer service, such as Revolut or N26. If you go for one of the big German banks, such as Sparkasse or Deutsche Bank, then it may be easier to go to one of their branches or phone them and ask to open a bank account. The bank will then schedule an appointment with you.
For opening your bank account, make sure to have this information ready:
Your passport and visa or residence permit
Your Anmeldung
Your work contract
Your Tax ID
Note:
Fee: None.
4th stop: Your health insurance and social security number
Having a health insurance is mandatory for everyone residing in Germany. If you have entered Germany with a visa, for example the EU Blue Card, then you have certainly already completed this step. When applying for a German work visa, you usually need to provide proof of valid health insurance.
If you have not signed up for health insurance yet, the first step is to choose your health insurance provider. Depending on your level of income and type of occupancy, you can choose between public and private health insurance providers.
For most German health insurances, you can easily enroll online and receive your health insurance number and certificate within a few days. With Feather's free health insurance tool, you can compare the cost of different health insurance providers and choose the one that's right for you. On the site you can find offers and enroll for private health insurance in Germany as well as offers for public health insurance in Germany.
The health insurance registration is also an important step towards getting your social security number. The social security number is a 12-digit number issued by the German public pension fund (Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV)) and used to track the social security contributions you will be paying as an employee in Germany. When you start working, your employer needs this number to deduct the mandatory social security contributions.
If you have enrolled with a public health insurance, make sure to provide your health insurance with your permanent address after completing your city registration in Germany. The health insurance provider will then pass on your information to the public pension fund and the social security number is then sent to you automatically via post. If you have enrolled for private health insurance, you need to contact the German public pension fund yourself and ask them to assign you a social security number. If you decide to leave Germany permanently, you can apply for a refund of your public pension contributions.
What’s next?
If you entered Germany on a work visa, you are now all set to apply for your residence permit. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to get your EU Blue Card residence permit.
Do you need support with these steps?
Important note: Our HalloGermany articles are written with utmost care to explain careers and paperwork in Germany. However, please note that the content presented here does neither constitute nor replace any form of legal advice. We highly recommend consulting a lawyer for any legal concerns you may have.
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