Curious about moving to Berlin? Here is you one-stop guide to everything from apartment search to navigating the infamous German bureaucracy!

2. FIRST STEPS TO DO IN GERMANY
– IT’S ALL ABOUT BUREAUCRACY 3
Working (Employment) Visa 4
Registration 5
German Taxes 6
Insurances 7
Bank 9
Document Translation 10
FIND YOUR OWN COZY PLACE TO STAY 11
Housing 12
Schufa record 14
LIVING THE BERLIN LIFESTYLE 15
Public Transport, Bikes & more 16
Mobile Phone 18
German Classes 19
VACA-YAY! 20
Public Holidays in Berlin 21
TO DO 22
To Do 23

3. F I R S T S T E P S T O
D O I N G E R M A N Y
– I T ’ S A L L A B O U T
B U R E A U C R A C Y

4. 4
WORKING (EMPLOYMENT) VISA
Citizens of the European Union, as well as
citizens of the United States of America,
Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New
Zealand, Switzerland, the Republic of
Korea can apply for their residence permit
for work purposes after entering Germany
without a visa.
Citizens of other countries are required to
apply and obtain a visa for work purposes
before entering Germany.
After the application, has been approved
by the Aliens’ Office and by the Work
Office, the Embassy will issue a residence
permit in the form of a visa, which will in-
clude an authorization permitting you to
work in Germany.
You don’t need to obtain an extra work
permit after arriving in Germany.
Good to know: You will also need to submit
two copies of each of these documents
with your application. For more informa-
tion click here
Good to know: The visa application pro-
cess can take a few months. Plan and
apply as soon as possible.
Review the specific requirements with the
German Embassy in your country.
• Two fully completed application
forms
• Two passport size color photos
• Valid national passport
• Employment contract or letter of
intent from your future employer
in Germany
• Your driver’s license and/or
utility bill in your name as proof
of residence in the consular
where you plan to apply
• You are also required to
submit photocopies of all these
documents, get insured and pay
a visa fee
• Two copies of your vocational
qualification
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

5. 5
REGISTRATION
Anmeldung is the most important ad-
ministrative pre-requisite to an easy and
fast settlement in Berlin or anywhere in
Germany.
It is simply the fact of registering yourself
within 14 days after your arrival as living at
a specific address.
When doing so, you will be given a
“Registration certificate”, which will be
needed in many aspects.
You will be asked that paper if you want
to open a bank account, set up an internet
connection or simply obtain a tax number.
The actual process takes roughly 5 min-
utes.
How do I get an appointment?
To make an appointment for registering in
Berlin at one of the citizen offices (registra-
tion is mandatory) go to your Bürgeramt.
Click here to find out which one is the right
one for you.
Sometimes it’s pretty challenging to get
an appointment, therefore we recommend
having a look on the Website early in the
morning (around 8 a.m.) or call the hotline
030/115.
The city has set-up a special phone
number to get an express service if you
are in a hurry to do your Anmeldung:
030/9024 990 (07-20 Uhr).
1. ID/passport
2. Filled in form called “Anmeldung
bei einer Meldebehörde” that
you get at the entrance of any
Bürgeramt or here
3. Confirmation that you have
moved in from your landlord
(Einzugsbestätigung des
Wohnungsgebers).
You can find the form here
ALL YOU NEED
TO DO THE ANMELDUNG

6. 6
Tax ID - Steueridentifikationsnummer
Even though Steueridentifikationsnummer
is a terribly long word, the process be-
hind it is quite simple: Everyone working
in Germany, also pays taxes here. Those
are deducted directly from your monthly
payslip and paid to the state.
Your first job in Germany? Simply state
when registering at the Bürgeramt (citizen
office) that you are new to Germany. You
will then receive a letter 2 to 3 weeks later
with your Tax ID.
Your Tax ID doesn’t change with a new
job. If you have worked before in Germany,
simply use the same tax ID.
If you urgently need your Tax ID or you
haven’t received it 3 weeks after you
registered, simply go to your Finanzamt
(see here which one is the right one for
you) and bring a valid ID.
Good to know: Are you religious?
You will be asked when registering at the
Bürgeramt if you are religious. Members
of recognized religious communities pay
an additional 9% church tax. If you would
like to avoid this tax, simply state ‘atheist’
when asked.
Tax return - Steuererklärung
Filing your tax statement is voluntary
for you if your Lesara-salary is your sole
income, because you are already taxed
every month off your wage.
Why do it? You might get a refund.
Deadline? 4 years in the future: you can do
your tax return for the year 2017 until the
last day of 2021.
How to do it? Follow this guide in English.
TV & Radio Tax – Rundfunkbeitrag
Every household in Germany has to pay a
TV & radio broadcasting fee of 17,50€ per
month. This amount however doesn’t have
to be paid monthly. Payments can also be
made quarterly, or every half or full year.
Have a look at the official website for more
information.
Good to know: Every household has to pay.
Not every Person. If you live in a shared
flat, the 17,50€ only one person needs to
pay (you can split this amount up however
you like).
GERMAN TAXES

7. 7
Health Insurance
(Krankenversicherung)
You will have to get a health insurance, so
pick a good one.
There are 3 kinds of status of health insur-
ances in Germany.
You can be under: Gesetzlich, Freiwillig or
Privat:
Statutory (Gesetzlich)
is most typical coverage and the one
we can recommend as it is compul-
sory for people earning less than
56K€ a year. Lesara will directly take over
the payment of the coverage by paying its
share and yours through your wage. The
rate is set by law at 14.6%.
Good to know: Have kids? Take your kids
under your own coverage at no extra cost.
Voluntary (Freiwillig)
is basically the same as Gesetzlich except
that you earn more than 56K€ a year.
You will then pay your share directly to
your Krankenkasse while your employer
adds your half to your gross salary.
This can also mean that you are self-
employed and choose to stay in the public
system.
Private (Privat)
has more complex offers and means that
you choose to be insured at a private
Krankenkasse provided you earn more
than 56K€ a year or don’t qualify for the
public system.
Basically, in the public system, the rate
depends on what you earn, and in the
private system, it depends on your health
risks.
Good to know: How much will I pay? You
usually pay directly or indirectly minimum
270€ per month to be covered by your
health insurance in Germany. The bill can
even reach 500-600 €.
INSURANCES
• TK: Techniker Krankenkasse
• AOK: Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse
• BKK: Betriebskrankenkasse
• IKK: Innungskrankenkasse
• LKK: Landwirtschaftliche
Krankenkasse
The biggest and recommended
companies for health insurance in
Germany are:

8. 8
Liability Insurance
(Haftpflichtversicherung)
If you pick only two of this list, make
sure to pick health insurance and lia-
bility insurance.
What’s it about?
This liability insurance covers all acci-
dents that could happen to you as an
individual like dropping your friends
phone or spilling your drink on his laptop
but also causing an accident where a
stranger gets seriously hurt.
Price point? Roughly 50€ to 70€ per
year.
Household Insurance (Haus-
ratsversicherung)
What’s it about?
It covers everything you have in your
home in case of fire, water damage or
theft.
Price point? Depending on the value
you ensure starting from 100€ per year.
For a little more, you could also insure
windows or your bike.
The amount and various types of insur-
ances here might vary to what you are
used to back home. To find the right one
for you, simply check websites like this,
this or this.
Other insurances you might want to
think about: Car insurance, law-pro-
tection insurance (covers legal fees),
life insurance, accident insurance
(support if you become permanently
handicapped).
Good to know: moved to Berlin to be
with your significant other? Combine
your insurances and safe plenty.

9. 9
Like in many countries, there are only a
few banks splitting the market between
them. The most common brick & mortar
banks you can find in Berlin and in the rest
of Germany are:
• Sparkasse
• Volksbank
• Deutsche Bank
• Commerzbank
• Postbank
Good to know: The 3 lasts are organized
into what is called the ‘cash group’.
Any customer of a cash group bank with
a German bank account can withdraw
money at any ATM within the group for
free. Otherwise, there is a 5€ to 8€ fee to
withdraw in any other bank’s ATM.
DKB might be a good choice for a bank
because:
• You can withdraw money for free
everywhere in the world with the free
visa card they offer.
• It offers the Girokonto with no fees.
• No hidden fees, easy to close the
account.
• Free online banking and free inter-
national money transfer which is not
the case for all banks.
• Everything is manageable online,
starting with opening the account.
• They were rated best online Girokon-
to by consumer tests in 2015.
• You can open the account online in a
few minutes with a webcam.
Postbank has plenty of offices and ATM’s
all over Berlin:
• The bank has agencies everywhere in
Germany, even in the smallest cities,
which can become handy in case you
need services on holidays or if you
move outside of Berlin.
• Their Girokonto plus is for free if you
are still student, otherwise it costs
3,90€ per month, which stays rela-
tively cheap.
• Visa cards come for free the first
year, then 29€ per year.
Good to know: Transferring cash to your
new account (without a commonly occur-
ring charge of 5%) is TransferWise.
Good to know: You will most likely get an
EC Karte, which is a debit card.
At the moment of opening your account,
it’s sometimes not possible to get a visa
credit card, because you will need a SCHU-
FA record.
BANK

10. 10
You might need to translate documents
for the German administration. This must
be done with a certified translator to be
valid.
You can find one quite easily thanks for a
search engine built by the federal govern-
ment.
Simply go on this website, switch to Eng-
lish, and start your search. Or go to your
local Embassy or Consulate to ask about
getting your documents translated.
DOCUMENT TRANSLATION

11. FIN
D
YO
U
R
O
W
N
C
O
ZY
PLAC
E
TO
STAY

12. 12
Flat Share - WG
A flat share is called WG and is quite popu-
lar for short and long term and a great way
for you to get settled in the city.
There are several specialized websites for
you to find a flat share in Berlin:
• Wg-gesucht.de (the most popular
one)
• Easy-wg.de
• Wg-welt.de
• Wohngemeinschaft.de
A few Facebook groups have also emerged
as alternative options. Those are:
• Wg.wohnung.berlin
• Easy.wg/
• Roomsurfer/
• Wg.wohnungen.berlin/
• BerlinWgZimmer
• Flatmate.berlin/
• Berlin.Startup.flats & Flatshares
It is very likely that you will pass through
several filters before even being invited
and a final meet is a common way to see
if you are a good fit. Being fast is the key!
If you can’t find a suitable WG, don’t hesi-
tate renting a flat temporarily – Zwischen-
miete. Or check out websites like AirBnB
and Wimdu.
Rentals
With a little bit of patience (between 2
weeks and 2 months depending on your
money/luck/connections) and organiza-
tion you should be able to find a flat in
Berlin.
Immobilienscout24, Immonet and
Immowelt are sites with a lot of serious
offers. You could create an account on all
3 of them to receive daily updates about
offers with your search criteria.
HOUSING
• Move in with people in the same life
phase as you
• Have a good look at common areas
• Turnover rate matters
• Lifestyle check
Some tips to help you to find
good matches:

13. 13
There are even more dedicated websites:
• Wohnung-jetzt.de
• Ebay-kleinanzeigen.de
As a reference for rent price, here
showing the average price depending on
the location in the city along the U Bahn -
S Bahn lines. It shows the average price
of a 30-year-old 70m2 flat, without utilities
(Kaltmiete).
Good to know: As a rule, total costs are
structured that way: Rent (Kalt Miete) +
Running costs (Nebenkosten) + Utilities
(Heizung & Strom).
Be sure to include all costs when eval-
uating an opportunity. Remember that
you will also have to open an electricity
& gas contract on your own as well.
It is usually not done by the landlord.
Most of landlords are asking for a SCHUFA
record. However, some of them are happy
to give you keys in return of a 2 or 3
months-rent-worth deposit.
Think social too
Check out as many expat related Face-
book groups as possible. Some groups to
consider:
• Expatriates in Berlin
• Expats in Berlin
• Rent a flat in Berlin
• Apartments/roomates Berlin
• Berlin apartments
• Wohnung in Berlin
• Berlin apartments share – rent
Fully furnished rentals
Several full-services agencies are also
offering fully furnished rentals with an
extra fee and higher than average rent.
They usually don’t make you pay anything
until you sign the contract and won’t need
a SCHUFA record.
• Uniplaces
• Wunderflats
• Farawayhome
• White Apartments
• Hometohome
• Nestpick

14. 14
SCHUFA Holdings AG tracks all your
unpaid bills or fines to protect you from
credit risks. Plenty of companies will view
this record to determine your credibility
when you apply for an internet provider,
electricity/gas supplier, a loan, an apart-
ment.
Keep your SCHUFA rating up! By paying
your bills on time.
Good to know: How do I get my SCHUFA
record? SCHUFA records are free (one
per year) and automatically created for
you once you registered, opened a bank
account, and subscribed to a first contract
(e.g. internet). Print a copy of the form
here and return it with a copy of your ID
and a confirmation of your registration.
To get a SCHUFA you need to be regis-
tered. To be registered you need a flat
(address). To get a flat your landlord might
request your SCHUFA record. Not all land-
lords request a SCHUFA record, most do.
Most shared flats however don’t request
a SCHUFA. Shared flats have many advan-
tages and might be the ideal solution to
settle in Berlin.
SCHUFA RECORD

15. LIVIN
G
THE B E R L I N
LI
FESTYLE

16. 16
Public Transport
Berlins public transportation system is
quite extensive and on the weekends,
runs all night long. During the week, most
subways, busses, S-Bahn, trams etc. will
run until midnight.
Once you purchased a ticket you have
access to all public transport.
Prices depend greatly on which zones you
would like to be in. If you decide to use the
public transport system on daily basis, you
should consider buying a monthly ticket
(Umweltkarte).
For a great overview of the various types
and prices of tickets simply click here.
Good to know: The Apps BVG and Öffi will
help you navigate thought Berlin using
public transport. Google maps basically
does the same.
Bicycles
One of the most popular and surprisingly
quick means of transportation.
One of the best places to buy a bike
second hand is the open air Fahrradmarkt
taking place every last Sunday of the
months from 9:00 to 17:00. Other great
stores for all price ranges include Bike
A-way or Fietswinkel. Ebay Kleinanzeigen,
Dealmywheel and Fietsenbörse are great
online shops for bikes.
If you just want to rent a bike, you can
download the app Nextbike. After a quick
registration you can just go outside, have
a look for your next bicycle on the map
and unlock the bike with a QR code. Have
a look here for more details.
Good to know: Bicycle theft is annoyingly
quite common. Investing in a good lock is
recommended and if you chose to buy a
new bike, consider upgrading your ‘Haus-
ratsversicherung’, for a small additional
fee your bike will be covered as well.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT, BIKES & MORE

17. 17
Carsharing
To drive around for roughly 0,30€ per
minute you will have to register and
download the app for either DriveNow
or Car2Go.
Don’t want to rent a whole car? Coup
then would be interesting for you, since
it’s the same concept as carsharing
alternatives, but offering to rent a
scooter.
Taxis
Taxis in Berlin follow an official taxi rate
with an initial fee of 3.90€ with every km
priced at 1.50€ to 2€. Simply hailing a
Taxi on the street is often the fastest
way, but here are 2 service providers
you can call for a cab:
Taxi Berlin (030 202020), Taxi24 (030
230023).

18. 18
You might want to start temporarily with a
prepaid sim rather than signing a contract
immediately for 2 reasons:
1. most mobile phone contracts last a
minimum of 12 to 24 months
2. you will only be able to sign a contract
after you registered and opened a bank
account.
Prepaid plans:
Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect, Edeka Mobil, Tchi-
bo Mobil are supermarkets also offering
prepraid plans, simply buy a sim and plan
at the store. Otelo can be bought at elec-
tronics stores like Media Markt, Blau can
be bought at Aral, Netto or Rossman.
Phone contracts:
T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2, 1&1, and Base
are some of the most popular providers
and all cost roughly 25€ per month.
Good to know: To compare both prepaid
sims and phone contracts, simply use this
website.
28 and younger? Be sure to check for
special offers like 1&1 All-Net-Flat Young
offer for 14.90€/month.
MOBILE PHONE

19. 19
GERMAN CLASSES
Adult Education Centers
- Volkshochschulen
Most cities have Volkshochschulen, and
many of them offer language courses
for foreigners. Classes are usually in the
evening and prices are comparably low.
Commercial Schools
These usually cost more than the govern-
ment sponsored and non-profit courses,
but have the advantage of carrying out
instruction at the company headquarters
or wherever else the client wishes.
Instruction is usually by native speakers
and the “total immersion” system, under
which only German is spoken in class, is
generally employed. Teaching devices
used include speaking, reading, role play-
ing, dialogue, translations, grammatical
exercises, and telephoning.
Students sometimes have an opportunity
to try out a course before making a com-
mitment.
Tandem Partners
Sometimes it’s necessary to force oneself
to speak German. There are many Ger-
mans wanting to study English – Teach
each other. Find a tandem language
partner here.
Good to know: Lesara offers language
classes as well!
For more tips and tricks on learning Ger-
man, check out this website.

20. VACAY-YAY!

21. 21
Good to know: Holidays in Berlin are
different from holidays in other parts of
Germany, for updates click here.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN BERLIN
January 1st:
New Year’s Day
Easter Monday:
Monday after Easter Sunday
Ascensions Day:
40 days after Easter
December 26th:
St. Stephen’s Day,
second Christmas Day
October 3rd:
German Unity Day
(Tag der Deutschen Einheit)
Good Friday:
Friday before Easter Sunday
May 1st:
Labour Day
December 25th:
Christmas Day
Whit Monday:
7th Monday after Easter, also
known as Pentecost Monday

22. T O D O

23. 23
TO DO
Check out this short list.
Sources:
• http://www.howtogermany.com
• http://www.settle-in-berlin.com/
• http://www.berlin.de/
• http://www.germany-visa.org/
• https://publicholidays.de/berlin/
• http://www.justiz-dolmetscher.de/