Arrival Guides

Step-by-step instructions for the most common tasks when you first arrive in Germany.

Guides for

Registration

How to Register Your Address (Anmeldung)

The Anmeldung is your first and most critical bureaucratic step in Germany. Without it, you cannot open a bank account, receive your tax ID, or access most public services.

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Registration3 min

Getting Your Tax ID (Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer)

Your German tax ID (IdNr) is an 11-digit number automatically assigned after your Anmeldung. You need it for employment, tax refunds, and pension contributions.

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Registration3 min

The TV Tax (Rundfunkbeitrag) Explained

The Rundfunkbeitrag is Germany's mandatory €18.36/month broadcasting licence fee. Every household pays it, regardless of whether you own a TV.

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Banking

Banking5 min

Opening a German Bank Account

A German bank account is essential for receiving your salary, paying rent, and accessing most German services. The process has become much easier with digital banks.

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Banking4 min

Using Your Blocked Account

If you used a blocked account (Sperrkonto) to get your student visa, you need to set up monthly withdrawals once you arrive. Here's how to unlock your funds.

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Health

Health5 min

Setting Up Health Insurance in Germany

Health insurance is mandatory in Germany from day one. As a student under 30, you qualify for the subsidised student rate, see the current 2026 figure and insurer comparison below (this page previously quoted a 2024 figure that has since risen).

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Telecom

Telecom3 min

Getting a German SIM Card

A German phone number is one of the first things you need, banks, doctors, and landlords all require one. Getting a prepaid SIM is fast and cheap.

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Transport

Transport3 min

The Deutschland-Ticket Explained

The Deutschland-Ticket (D-Ticket) is a monthly subscription that gives you unlimited access to all local and regional public transport across Germany — see the current price and its recent history below, the headline figure changed for 2026.

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More guides

Getting a job in Germany

CV conventions, platforms, Minijob & work-hour limits

How to study in Germany

Uni vs. Hochschule, uni-assist, APS, required documents

German student visa process

APS, the Consular Services Portal, and how your country differs

Hidden costs of moving here

Deposit caps, agency fees, Nebenkosten, semester fees

Insurance beyond health cover

Haftpflicht, Hausrat, Rechtsschutz — what each protects

Cost of living by city

Rent for a WG room, studio, and 1-bedroom — all cities side by side

WG & rental scam red flags

The patterns that mark a listing as a scam, and the law behind them

What does this German letter mean?

Registration, Tax ID, Rundfunkbeitrag, health insurance, residence permit — decoded

The Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card)

Germany's points-based visa for skilled job seekers — not the student visa