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for everyone who just landed

New in Germany? Start here.

Students and newcomers share what actually worked. Which Bürgeramt has appointments, which bank opens without the paperwork, where to eat on a Sunday when everything's shut.

Things people ask:

Eisbach, Munich. Yes, people surf here.
Eisbach, Munich. Yes, people surf here.
Mauerpark flea market, Sundays
Mauerpark flea market, Sundays
East Side Gallery, first week
East Side Gallery, first week

Your first 30 days, in the order they happen

  1. Day 11

    Get a SIM card

    Prepaid works with your passport. Aldi Talk and Lidl Connect are where most students start.

  2. Days 2–52

    Find a place, get the landlord's form

    Ask your landlord for the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Without it, you can't register.

    → ask when you sign
  3. Within 14 days3

    Register your address

    The Anmeldung, at the Bürgeramt. In big cities, appointments go weeks ahead.

    → cancellations drop at 8am
  4. Week 24

    Open a bank account

    Traditional banks want your Meldebescheinigung. Most online banks only need a passport.

  5. Week 2–35

    Sort health insurance

    Your university won't enroll you without proof. Public insurers send it digitally.

  6. Week 3–46

    Two letters arrive

    Your Steuer-ID, which your employer needs. And the Rundfunkbeitrag, which you do have to pay.

    → one per flat, not per person
The full checklist has deadlines and the forms you need

Words nobody explains

You'll see these on every form and in every group chat. Here's what they mean in plain English.

there are about 200 more inside
AnmeldungAN-mel-dung
Registering your address. Nearly everything else waits for it.
Termintair-MEEN
An appointment. Most offices won't see you without one.
Kautionkow-tsee-OHN
The rental deposit. Legally capped at three months of cold rent.
KaltmieteKALT-mee-teh
Rent without heating and building costs. Warmmiete includes them. Always ask which.
Steuer-IDSHTOY-er ee-dee
Your tax number. Sent by post a few weeks after you register.
FeierabendFY-er-ah-bent
The end of the working day. Also why nobody answers emails after five.

What's inside

Viktualienmarkt in Munich

Places people go back to

Food, markets and things to do, recommended by people who live in your city. On a map, with the tip that matters.

Viktualienmarkt, München

Ask, get a straight answer

Can I work while on a student visa?

140 full days or 280 half days a year. Student jobs at your university don't count towards it.

The Bastei Bridge in Saxon Switzerland

Weekend trips

That work with the Deutschlandticket.

Your people

Groups for your university, your city and your home country. Plus flatmates and events this week.

The Germany Journey

Seven stages, from the visa appointment back home to renewing your permit here. Tick things off as you go.

you are here ↓
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Wherever you landed

Berlin/ München/ Hamburg/ Frankfurt/ Köln/ Leipzig/ Stuttgart/ Dresden/ Heidelberg/ Aachen/ Freiburg/ Münster

and the small towns too
last stop

See you on the other side of the Bürgeramt.

  • Free to join, and it stays free.
  • Nobody can pay to be recommended.
  • Guides say when they were last checked.
DEasy · FahrkarteGanz Deutschland
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Not legal advice. Every guide links to the office that decides, because rules change.