01
We research before we write
Every article starts with at least three official sources (BMI, BMG, Destatis, BaFin, Auswärtiges Amt) and three independent expat sources. We never publish a number we cannot cite.
Our story
Germany guidance, decoded for expats.
We started ExpatNav because the German bureaucracy assumed everyone speaks German, and the English-language internet assumed everyone is a tourist. We are neither. We are 400,000 people building a life here.
400K+
Expats served
across 190 nationalities
8
Comparison categories
banking, health, visa, more
40+
Official sources cited
BMI · BMG · Destatis · BaFin
0 €
For the core guidance
free, always; ads keep it free
Why we exist
The page nobody hands you when the plane lands.
Founded in Berlin · serving 190 nationalities
"The Bürgeramt rejected my Anmeldung four times. The fifth time I learned the trick. I started writing it down so the next person would not waste seven weeks."
— How the first ExpatNav guide got written.
Most German government websites assume you read German legalese. Most expat blogs assume you are a tourist with a credit card. We sit in the missing middle: decisions you have to make in the first year, with real numbers, current rules, and zero corporate fluff.
We compare what comparison sites refuse to compare. We name the document the clerk actually wants. We tell you which Krankenkasse approves the therapy referral fastest. We cite the law, not the marketing.
Everything you read on ExpatNav has been through three filters: a researcher who checks the official source, a writer who tests the advice in real life, and an editor who rewrites anything that sounds like AI. The result is content you can act on the same day.
What we cover
Eight categories. One unfair advantage in your first German year.
Every category is a comparison engine plus a long-form library. Pick the one you need this week.
Study
Universities, scholarships, language tests, student life.
BrowseMoney
Banks, taxes, salary, investing, money transfer.
BrowseHealth
GKV vs PKV, dental, therapy, English-speaking doctors.
BrowseHousing
Anmeldung, SCHUFA, Mietkaution, the apartment hunt.
BrowseMoving
Visas, relocation, documents, the first 30 days.
BrowseLiving
Daily life, transport, families, kids, pets, shopping.
BrowseLifestyle
Food, festivals, language, etiquette, culture.
BrowseWorking
Contracts, careers, freelance, remote, workplace.
BrowseHow we work
Four standards every article passes before it ships.
02
We write in plain English
No corporate sludge. No legalese. No filler. Storytelling over jargon. Specific euros over vague "competitive rates." If a German concept does not have an English equivalent, we explain it.
03
We update on a schedule
Visa thresholds, tax rates, deposit caps, GKV contributions change every January. Every published article carries a year token that auto-refreshes when laws update. Stale content costs people money. We refuse to host it.
04
We separate ads from editorial
Sponsored content is labeled. Affiliate links never affect the order or recommendation in a comparison. We pick the provider that wins on data, not on commission. If a partner pays more but ranks lower, lower they sit.
Cited sources
Where our numbers come from.
Every fact, fee, deadline, and salary threshold on ExpatNav traces to a primary source. We cite German federal ministries, statistical offices, and regulators first. We cite secondary sources only when no primary one exists.
- Bundesministerium des Innern (BMI)Visa, residency, naturalization
- Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (BMG)GKV, dental, health policy
- Auswärtiges AmtVisa categories, embassy lists
- Destatis (Federal Statistical Office)Cost of living, demographic data
- BaFin (financial supervision)Banks, brokers, fraud reporting
- Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (BZSt)Steuer-ID, tax codes
- Kassenärztliche VereinigungDoctors, 116117 therapy line
- ImmoScout24 MietspiegelAnnual rental price index
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Reach the editorsExpatNav is the website we wish someone had given us on day one.
Made in Nuremberg