Updated: September 1, 2026 · Settling in
First steps after moving to Germany: 10 things to do in your first weeks
Moving to Germany can feel overwhelming. You have to deal with many things at once: from the visa application and finding housing to getting a job and arranging insurance. It's easy to feel stressed and lost.
This article covers all the key steps after you arrive in Germany: from registration and insurance to banking, transport and seeing a doctor. Here's how to get through your first weeks with as little stress as possible.
Your suitcase is unpacked and you've found the nearest supermarket. Now you need to figure out where to go, where to register and why everyone keeps saying "wait for the letter". We've put together the essentials for anyone who has just moved and hasn't yet worked out how things work here. Save it and share it with friends who are packing their bags.
1. Register your address (Anmeldung)
Registering your address is called Anmeldung. As a rule, you must do it within 14 days of moving in. You book an appointment at the Bürgeramt or your local registration office (Meldebehörde).
You'll need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung — a confirmation of moving in from the person providing the accommodation. A rental contract alone is not enough, so ask whether you'll get this document while you're still looking for a room.
Tip. In Berlin you can book any Bürgeramt in the city. Check free slots across all districts and keep checking the calendar: new slots appear regularly. Booking is free and also available by calling 115.
Book a Bürgeramt appointment in Berlin
Free RE-LOCATE guides (in Russian): Anmeldung: registering your address and BundID and your residence card's online ID.
2. After registering, open a bank account
You'll need an account for your salary, rent and regular payments. The account number in Germany is called IBAN.
One option to start with is Revolut, a neobank with a German IBAN. Check documents and eligibility in the app. Your registration helps prove your address, but banks also accept other documents.
Tip. If you see SEPA-Lastschrift when signing up for a travel pass or insurance, it's a direct debit authorisation. Keep track of who you've given it to and monitor your debits.
Which proof-of-address documents Revolut accepts
3. Make sure you're insured from day one
Do this in parallel with your registration. Krankenversicherung means health insurance; a Krankenkasse is a public health insurance fund (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung).
The right option depends on your job, studies and residence status. If you're starting a job, ask your employer which insurance details they need. For the period before your job or studies start, one option is Feather expat health insurance (affiliate link).
Tip. Your job starts in two weeks? Make sure you're covered until then. There can be a gap between your travel policy and your main insurance.
About health insurance in Germany
4. Sort out transport before your first trip
The Deutschlandticket costs €63 per month and is valid on local and regional transport throughout Germany. It generally doesn't cover long-distance ICE, IC and EC trains.
It's a subscription that renews automatically. The ticket is valid for a calendar month: buy it on 25 September and September ends in five days. With Deutsche Bahn, you must cancel by the 10th of the month (inclusive) to end the subscription at the end of that month. Cancel after the 10th and you'll pay for the next month too.
Tip. If you use a single ticket, check whether it needs to be validated or activated. In Berlin, some paper tickets must be stamped before travel: a purchased ticket alone doesn't guarantee it's valid.
Deutschlandticket · How to validate a BVG ticket
5. Make friends with your letterbox
Make sure your name is on the letterbox and that you have a key. Many documents and requests from authorities arrive by post.
After your first registration you'll automatically be assigned a tax ID (Steuer-ID). It is sent by post and your employer will need it.
Tip. Staying with friends and only their name is on the letterbox? Ask about using a c/o ("care of") address — Berlin's guidelines allow for this.
Open letters right away. Translate anything unclear, put reply deadlines in your calendar, photograph documents and keep them in a separate folder.
Registration and receiving mail: official guide
6. Find expat communities in your city
Search Telegram, Facebook or WhatsApp for your city's name plus words like "expats", "chat", "housing" or "flea market". Try both English and German names: Munich and München, Cologne and Köln.
In local communities you can ask where to find a handyman, who's giving away a desk, where to go at the weekend and how to solve everyday problems.
Tip. Read the pinned messages and search the chat first: someone has almost certainly asked about an English-speaking dentist before. But always check advice on documents and benefits against official sources — other members' status and circumstances may differ from yours.
7. Find out what you're paying for in your flat
When you move in, photograph the condition of the flat and the meter readings. Check electricity, heating and internet separately: what's included in the rent (Warmmiete) and what you arrange yourself.
There's also the Rundfunkbeitrag, a public broadcasting fee. It's currently €18.36 per month per household, even if you don't own a TV.
Tip. Renting a room? First ask who already pays this fee: it's paid once per flat. Under certain conditions you can apply for an exemption.
8. Shop before Sunday and keep your bottles
Most supermarkets are closed on Sundays. Shops at train stations can help out, but check opening hours in advance. Keep some cash: small places still often need it.
Tip. Pfand is a deposit on packaging. Single-use bottles and cans with the deposit logo return 25 cents each: put them into a machine, get a receipt and hand it in at the checkout. Don't remove labels or crush the containers, so the machine can recognise them.
Sunday shopping in Berlin · How Pfand works
9. Start with a simple mobile plan
A prepaid SIM card helps you settle in and figure out how much data you need. You can choose a long-term contract (Vertrag) later.
Before signing any contract, check three things: the term, the price after the promotion ends and the cancellation terms. The same applies to home internet, gyms and other subscriptions.
Tip. Save the date by which you must cancel to avoid renewal (Kündigungsfrist) right away. Deleting the app doesn't cancel a subscription.
Mobile plans and other first steps
10. Install Doctolib to book doctor's appointments
With the app or the Doctolib website you can search for doctors by specialty and city, see free slots and book online.
Start by finding a Hausarzt or Allgemeinmediziner — a general practitioner. Enter your insurance type and check whether the doctor accepts new patients.
Tip. Search has a language filter, including English, so it's easier to explain what's bothering you. If everything nearby is booked, widen your search to neighbouring districts. How to use filters
Watch out for the word Selbstzahler: you pay for these appointments yourself. With public insurance, choose slots for gesetzlich versichert. How to book
Save these numbers: 112 for life-threatening emergencies, 116117 for the out-of-hours medical service when it isn't life-threatening but can't wait. More on medical help
Prices as of September 2026.
Guide: finding housing in Germany
Often the hardest item on this list isn't registration but housing: without it there's no Anmeldung, and without Anmeldung no bank account, Steuer-ID or residence permit. We've put together a 19-page step-by-step guide to finding housing for people moving on a Chancenkarte or work visa (in Russian).
Inside the guide:
- Anmeldung and where to find housing that allows registration;
- where to start and how to set your budget and criteria;
- temporary housing: what to watch out for and which sites to use;
- short-term vs long-term rentals;
- where to find permanent housing and how to use ImmoScout24;
- five rules for responding to listings and five rules for viewings;
- the tenant document pack: Mieterselbstauskunft, cover letter, SCHUFA, proof of income, rent debt clearance certificate;
- working with an estate agent;
- the rental contract: what to look out for;
- a template letter to get your deposit (Kaution) back.
The guide costs €28. We'll email you the PDF after payment.
Send a request via the form and we'll send you a payment link, then the guide. And if you want to plan your whole move in advance — from visa to residence permit — book a consultation.
FAQ
How long do I have to register my address after moving?
As a rule you must do the Anmeldung within 14 days of moving in. You book an appointment at the Bürgeramt or your local registration office (Meldebehörde). In Berlin booking is free and also available by calling 115.
Which document do I need for the Anmeldung?
The key document is the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, a confirmation of moving in from the person providing the accommodation. A rental contract alone is not enough, so ask about this paper while you are still looking for a room. In Berlin you can book any Bürgeramt in the city, and new slots appear regularly.
How much is the Deutschlandticket and what does it cover?
It costs €63 per month and is valid on local and regional transport throughout Germany. It generally does not cover long-distance ICE, IC and EC trains. It renews automatically: with Deutsche Bahn you must cancel by the 10th of the month, inclusive, to end it at the end of that month.
Do I have to pay the Rundfunkbeitrag if I do not own a TV?
Yes, the public broadcasting fee is paid per household even without a TV. It is currently €18.36 per month and is paid once per flat, so if you rent a room, first ask who already pays it. Under certain conditions you can apply for an exemption.