The hardest parts are over! But, there is still some practical as well as legal tasks you must take care of. Namely:
Registering your address at the Bürgeramt (citizens authority)
Setting up an appointment at the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners authority) for your residence permit
Getting phone service set up
Getting a bank account
Finding permanent housing
Shopping for essentials
Finding employment if you have not already
Below you will find out all of the important information and tips regarding these topics.
If you are planning to stay in the country for more than 90 days, you are legally required to register your address within 14 days of moving. This includes when you come into the country, and every time you move. This includes short term rentals such as an AirB&B as well. This requirement is for German citizens and immigrants alike. This process is called the Anmeldung, and takes place at the Bürgeramt in your city. Typically you can make this appointment online, but in smaller cities you may have to email or call to set up an appointment. The appointment spots can be difficult to get, so it is very important to start trying to get an appointment early. To do this, I recommend checking for appointments every morning around 7 to 8AM when the appointment slots are updated.
The process is done completely in German. As this will likely be your first experience with German bureaucracy, it is completely normal to feel nervous. However, it is a very routine process. It takes less than 10 minutes. Your German does not have to be perfect, and the Bürgeramt will use very simple language to help you out. To prepare for the appointment, I recommend watching this Easy German video, and writing down the questions asked to Neir during the process of her Anmeldung appointment. Then, write down your answers in German. Use Google Translate or AI to help if you need it. After this, you can use this as a script to practice with. If you have a friend who is willing to help, you can practice with them. If not, you are more than welcome to reach out to me.
You will need a few documents for the appointment. It can differ based on where you are doing your Anmeldung, but they will tell you what you need to bring when you book the appointment.
Bonus tip: They will ask your religion during your Anmeldung. Even if you are religious, it may be better to say that you are not. In Germany, if you are registered with a religion you must pay additional tax to the church.
Like the Bürgeramt, the Ausländerbehörde is difficult to get an appointment at so it is very important you start early. If your Ausländerbehörde does not do appointment booking online, it will take even longer. For me, I sent an email requesting an appointment during my second week in Germany, but I did not get a reply with an appointment date until 1 week before my 90 day visa was going to expire.
When you make your appointment, they will request a list of documents from you. You can email it to them, but I also recommend printing out physical copies of everything just in case. They will instruct you to bring a biometric photo to the appointment to be used for your residence permit. For the photo, you can visit the store DM to get one made for around €7. Similar to the Bürgeramt, your appointment at the Ausländerbehörde will be in German. By the time you make it to this appointment, you probably will have been in Germany for a while, so your German will have significantly improved. To further prepare your German for this appointment, ensure that you can say your phone number in German, and that you know the German name of all of the requested documents.
Depending on the visa type that you are applying for, they may request a letter of motivation about why you want to move to Germany. As a general guideline, start with your name, where you are from, and what visa type you are requesting. For the next paragraph go into detail about why you want this visa to live in Germany, focusing on why Germany specifically fits into your life plans. Then talk about why you would do well in this degree/vocational program/job that you are requesting a visa for. Once you are done, use a tool to translate it into German. Double check that the letter reflects what you wrote by translating it back into English. If you need help writing or proof reading your letter, reach out!
If you want to have access to the internet as soon as you land in Germany, I recommend getting a short term eSim if your phone is compatible. The cost of these range from €5 to €10. After that, you have a lot of options for getting a long term phone plan, and it is all very affordable. I chose the Aldi Talk plan which was €10 to set up and €15 per month for 50GB of data. To set it up, you first buy the set up package and prepaid plan card from Aldi (a very common low price grocery store). You follow the setup plans in the setup packet, which includes verifying your identity over a phone call (available in English). Then, add your prepaid card information into the Aldi Talk app. It is very important to make sure you do this while connected to wifi, and to choose a plan in the Aldi Talk app as soon as you do this. If you don't, you'll very quickly use all of your added balance on data charges. After the first month is set up, you are able to change to a reoccurring plan in the Aldi Talk app.
If you set up a blocked account through Expatrio, you already have a bank account. If you are not using Expatrio or if you would like another bank account, German bank accounts are notoriously hard to get. To make it a bit easier, I recommend using an online bank account such as Bunq or N26. There are free plans available, but if you get a paid plan you are able to put your preferred name on your debit card. To set up a bank account, you will need some proof of residence in Germany such as an Anmeldung confirmation, rental contract, or residence permit card.
German bank accounts are needed for many things such as setting up utilities for your apartment, buying your Deutschland ticket, paying rent, or paying your semester fees if you are attending university. As soon as you have an Anmeldung, I recommend setting up your bank account.
To transfer the money from your US bank account to your German bank account, there are several options with different fees and different US dollar to Euro conversion rates. For me, I found the best conversion rate and lowest fees on Wise. However, I do highly recommend checking your options before committing to one type of transfer so you don't lose money.
Housing is difficult to get. Depending on the city you want to live in, it can take 1 to 3 months. You can choose to rent your own apartment, or live in a WG (shared apartment).
A few pros and cons of each:
Your own apartment:
Pros:
You don't have to worry about bad roommates.
You can decorate how you want. (Including painting the walls!)
Good if you are moving to Germany with a partner or pets.
Cons
More expensive monthly rent and a deposit typically equal to 3 months rent.
Typically comes without furniture. In Germany, the kitchen is normally considered furniture so you will have to build your own kitchen unless you get lucky.
You may get lonely.
Shared apartment:
Pros:
You have built in people to hang out with.
Typically the cheaper option.
You won't have to build a kitchen.
Cons:
You may have bad roommates.
Difficult with a partner or pet.
It is important to weigh your options and decide what is the best fit for you. If you have not lived on your own before, I would recommend a shared apartment because it can be difficult navigating the process of renting and setting up an apartment on your own for the first time, especially in a language that you are not fully confident in.
There are two main places you can check for apartments:
Immoscout24 for your own apartment
WG Gesucht for shared apartments
Because housing is competitive, you should send applications to as many apartments as possible. I sent one to every available apartment in my city and price range, and was offered only one after a month of searching. If you are given a good enough offer, even if it was not your favorite, you should probably take it because you do not know how long it will take to get the next offer.
Groceries:
Aldi
Netto
Lidl
Kaufland
Furniture:
Thrift stores
Poco
Kleinanzeigen (Similar to Facebook Marketplace)
Facebook Marketplace
Clothes:
Socialkaufhaus (Second hand shops)
Kik
Woolworth
Toiletries & everyday items
DM (cheapest option for toiletries)
Tedi
Euro shop
Woolworth
Depending on your visa type, you will be able to look for full or part time employment. You are only able to get a job once you have your residence permit, and any employment restrictions you have will be listed on your residence permit. Most job applications are online, the two websites that I can recommend are:
To apply, you will need a Lebenslauf (resume) that is in German. If you already have your resume in English you can use a tool to help you translate it to German, then back to English so you can double check that everything was translated correctly. If you don't have an English resume, go onto Google Docs and use one of their resume templates to give you a starting point. It is customary in Germany to include a professional looking photo in the top right corner of your resume. It is important to include the languages you speak and the levels of each language on your resume. For example: English, Native Speaker. German, A2. Some jobs will only hire you if you have a B1 or B2 German level so it is important to read the job descriptions carefully. Some jobs you are able to preform in English or German, so it may be beneficial to look for those.
Getting a job can take time, so if you would like to get a job quicker one tactic is to dress nice and go into local restaurants to ask if they are hiring. Kitchen work is a very beginner German friendly job, and restaurants will typically be able to accommodate part time work, especially if you offer to work weekends.
The interview (if not for an English speaking job), will be in German. Here are a couple of videos that helped prepare me for my interviews:
The 3 Parts of a Job Interview
I used the videos to write down a script for what questions I might be asked, then used my own German knowledge to try to answer the questions. I then checked my grammar and looked up any words I might want to add during the interview. I practiced a few times going through the script, and was able to get a job after my first interview.
Bonus tip: If the job you are applying for sells any sort of product and they ask you why you want that job specifically, try telling them they have a good Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis (price quality ratio). That is a very German concept and it will make your German seem more advanced than you may actually be.
Finding a doctor is important whether you need to get set up with a general practitioner or if you are trying to get gender affirming care in Germany. To do this, there is an app called Doctolib that can help you find a doctor, and allows you to sort your options to find a doctor that can speak English. Although my typical recommendation is to try to speak German as much as you can, healthcare is where I recommend to try to find someone who you can speak with in your native language. This is to ensure that you are able to fully communicate your needs.
If you have been on gender affirming care for more than a year already, you will likely have an easier time getting it set up in Germany. If you are starting gender affirming care in Germany, there may be more requirements such as a psychiatrist recommendation. Due to this, it can take some time to get set up with gender affirming care. However, there is good news. Insurance will pay for it, and the copay for the actual prescription is very cheap. Additionally, in certain situations your insurance may even cover gender affirming surgeries, such as top surgery. I recommend checking out an insurances policies regarding gender affirming surgeries if this is something that you want to peruse.