Logistics of Moving

Overview

Moving to Germany is a massive task. It will require a lot of planning, time, and unfortunately, money. However, it is completely possible. Here I will walk you through the basic steps. In general to move to Germany you must:

• Find a legal pathway to Germany. There are many options to choose from. Check here.

• Get a passport.

• Learn some German. 

• Choose where in Germany you are going to move.

• Book your plane tickets. 

• Find somewhere to live until you can get an apartment. 

• Get health insurance.

• Pack.

• Get on the plane

Since the first and third points are already covered on other pages, we won't go over them here. 

Getting a passport

It takes a few months to get a passport, so it is important to start early if you don't already have one. If you have less than 3 years until your passport expires, I would recommend getting it renewed. You can do that online or by mail. If you need to get a new passport, you'll have to go through the process linked here. You need a passport book, which will cost around $165 plus the cost of your passport photo. Typically universities will offer a place that you can submit your application and take your passport photo, which cost me $7. I would check to see if a university near you has a passport office that you can do this at. 

Due to the current administration, it is required by law that your gender on your passport matches your gender assigned at birth. This is unfortunate and uncomfortable. I understand that it can be scary to have to go through airport security with a travel document that does not match how you present. However, travel workers are also aware of this law and nobody that I know personally has had any issues with this. In the worst case scenario you may have to answer some uncomfortable questions or get a pat down.  If you already have a valid passport that does not have your assigned gender at birth on it, it is still valid until the expiration date. 

Choosing where to move in Germany

By this step you should be looking at a job, school, or vocational training program in a certain area. All of Germany is very safe, as human rights are the first article of their constitution. However, as a trans person, there are a few areas that I would prefer not to live if I can avoid it, due to it being a more conservative area. Most of this is concentrated in the east and south of Germany. Similar to the US, cities are generally safer than small towns. Another bonus of living in a city is that there is a higher chance of more people being able to speak English. So, in general, I would advise you to try to find your place in the north-west of Germany, in or near a big city. I can personally recommend the German state Nord-Rhine Westfalen. It has two major cities, Köln and Dusseldorf, and the highest population of immigrants in the country. 

These cities are in the mid-price range in Germany. They are not as expensive as Munich, but not as inexpensive as a small town. My recommendation if you are trying to save money on housing is to go onto Google Maps and pick a small town nearby the larger cities. The rent will be cheaper and you can use Germany's wonderful public transport systems to commute into the city for work or school. When choosing a city it is helpful to look at information such as average rent, their social media pages, and what the city looks like on Google Maps. 

Booking your plane tickets

This step requires you to know a few things: where you're moving, when you're going, and how much luggage you're bringing. As an American, you are able to enter Germany for 90 days for tourism purposes visa free. So, I would recommend to try to enter Germany a month or two before your classes or job starts to give you time to find housing and get your footing in Germany before your obligations start. There will also be some formal things that you have to do, like the Anmeldung, which is required reporting of where you live, and visiting the Ausländerbehörde, which is the foreigners authority where you will get your residence permit. You will need time for these. With that in mind, you can start thinking about how much luggage you want to bring. Typically, you are allowed a carry on, a personal bag, and one suitcase for international flights. If possible, try to limit yourself to this. Carrying around all of these items in a new country is quite difficult, especially considering how many stairs there are in Germany. If you are going with a friend or a partner, you may be able to bring one additional bag to share. Choosing what you want to bring is difficult, and I have a section on that below. You will have to be mindful of the weight and size requirements of your luggage based on the airline that you book. If your bag is too big, too heavy, or if you require additional luggage it will cost extra. It is much cheaper to buy an additional luggage spot when you book your plane, so if you think you need to do so it is best to do it now. 

Okay, now its time to start looking at flights. First, open up a private browser. If the airlines know that you are looking for flights, they are going to raise the prices for you, so avoid that. I normally start with Google Flights. After putting in your starting location and destination, you can start looking at prices. Booking further in advance will be less expensive. One very important thing to remember is to not plan your arrival day to be on a Sunday. All shops and grocery stores are closed in Germany on Sundays, so you would not be able to get your basic groceries and hygiene items. Find a flight that works for your needs, and book it. If you have a layover, try to get one that is at least two hours to make sure you have time to stretch your legs and make it through customs where you are stopping. Make sure to put in all of your information directly as it is on your passport. Triple check. Now, congratulate yourself. You just hit a huge milestone!

Finding temporary housing

Finding an apartment in Germany can be difficult. Whether you want your own apartment, or are open to living in a shared apartment (WG), it is a very competitive process. Depending on where you are moving it can take up to 3 months to find your own place. You also do not want to sign a lease before you see the apartment. So, you need to make sure that you have somewhere to live during your first month or two in Germany. The option that I would go with is booking an AirB&B. Depending on where in Germany you are moving, you can book an AirB&B for around $1000 per month. Again, small towns near big cities are the best way to save money for this. You could also look into hostels but they would be less private, and you would have to move around more often because most hostels have a limit on how many days you can stay. It would end up being around the same price as an AirB&B. It is very important to have somewhere to sleep booked in advance because when you go through customs in Germany they may ask to see it. 

Note: You may be able to directly move into a WG instead of finding temporary housing to cut down on costs, but I don't recommend it. 

Getting health insurance

It is mandatory to have health insurance in Germany. While you are not required to have travel health insurance when you come into Germany as a US citizen, you will need to show proof of health insurance when you do things such as enroll into college or submit your residence permit application at the Ausländerbehörde (Foreigners authority). Therefore, I recommend that you start looking into what plan you want to get now. There are two types of insurance plans in Germany, public insurance and private insurance. In general, you qualify for public insurance if: 

• You are employed in Germany and earn over €450 per month.

• You receive unemployment benefits.

• You are a student, apprentice, or intern.

• You are retired.

• You receive an orphan’s pension or survivor’s benefits.

• You have a disability.

• You have no other forms of insurance and can be assigned to a statutory health insurance company

So, this covers most people. The cost of public health insurance is 14.6% of your gross income. If you are employed by a German company, they will pay half of this contribution. If you are a freelance worker or if you have a blocked account, you will have to pay the entire contribution yourself. I do not recommend getting private health insurance, as it can make getting a job difficult and can be more expensive in the long run. You can find out more about the German health insurance system here. 

Unlike health insurance in the US, German health insurance with actually pay for your medical needs. This includes going to the hospital, very low copays on medications (€0-€10 depending on your insurance company) and in most cases gender affirming care. If you plan to get gender affirming care while in Germany, you should read potential health insurance plans carefully and reviews of the company to see which is the best fit for you. 

Packing

So, how do you fit your entire life into a couple of suitcases and a personal bag with weight limits? Very carefully. Depending on where you are in your life you may have  anywhere from a room to a house full of things. Figuring out what you want to take with you is a process that will take time and require you to make some hard decisions. I can provide a basic packing list, a few ideas of things that you want to avoid packing, and what to do with all of your extra items. I recommend that you start packing the week before you leave, but start getting rid of items you don't plan on keeping or bringing with as soon as possible. 

Basic packing list: 

• 7 shirts

• 5 pants

• 1 winter coat

• 1 light jacket

• 10 underwear

• 10 socks

• Thermal clothing, especially if you are coming in winter. 

• Water proof shoes(for snow)

• Tennis shoes

• An adaptor so that you can use and charge the electronics you bring.

• Medications, with extra stock and a letter from your doctor stating what they are for

• Passport

• Other important documents (birth certificate, social security card, vaccination record if you have it, marriage certificate if applicable)

What you want to put in your carry on:

• Headphones

• One change of clothes

• Deodorant

• Toothbrush and small toothpaste

• Reusable water bottle

• Snacks

• All of your important documents (it is best to have it on you at all times). These include passport, birth certificate, social security card, health insurance confirmation, and a printed out confirmation of where you will be staying during your time in Germany. 

Start with these minimums and build up from there. You'll have to make hard decisions about what things you want to bring with you, and be careful of the weight requirements. Once you decide what you want to bring, you may have to move around which bags you have things in. Prioritize the sentimental items you own. If you don't already have a suitcase that fits the requirements set by the airline, check local thrift stores. 

What you might not want to pack:

• Most electronics. Germany has different electronic outlets so most electronic items will not work here without replacing the chord or using an adaptor. If you have an expensive electronic, like a gaming console, you can typically just buy a new chord for it if you would like to bring it. 

• Full sized toiletries. Go with the travel size and pick up the full sized ones when you get here. 

• Too many clothes or non-sentimental items. Germany has nice cheap stores as well as thrift stores. If it is replaceable, consider leaving it.

What to do with the leftovers?

The best option for most items is to sell them. This is great because you get more money to work with, and you don't have to worry about finding somewhere to store it. If you have many items, you could try to do a yard sale. I can also recommend posting items on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Donate what you can of the leftover items to local charities. We had a going away party and told our friends to empty out our home and take anything that they wanted. This was a quick and efficient way of getting rid of all of the leftover items that we couldn't sell. If there are sentimental items that you are not able to bring, try to leave them with a trusted person and have them send it to you later. 

Getting on the plane

You did it. The time has come, and you are moving to Germany. Within 72 hours before you land, it can be helpful to install the Travel to Europe app. This will help you move through customs faster when you land. For most flights, you are able to check in 24 hours before your flight, which may let you pick a seat.

​Make sure to arrive to the airport at least 3-4 hours early, especially if it is a very busy airport or during a busy travel season such as holidays or spring break. You won't be allowed to have water in your water bottle while going through TSA, but most airports have water bottle refill stations. After making it through TSA, find your gate and relax. Next step? Check out what you should do during your first weeks in Germany.