Moving to Germany
From the day you decide to move to the day you walk out of the Bürgeramt with your residence permit. Visas, relocation, and what to do before you leave.
- About being an Expat
- Going Home
- Relocation
- Visa & Immigration
- Where to Live
Latest in Moving
22 articles
From South Africa to Germany: The Move Guide ({{YEAR}})
How South Africans move to Germany for work or study, the visa routes, document apostille, and the practical first steps to get settled.
UK Citizens in Germany After Brexit: The New Rules ({{YEAR}})
How Brexit changed life for Britons in Germany, the difference between pre-Brexit residents and new arrivals, the visa routes now needed, and what to do.
Ukrainians in Germany: Residence, Protection, and Settling ({{YEAR}})
How temporary protection works for Ukrainians in Germany, the right to work and study, access to benefits and healthcare, and the practical steps to settle.
From Indonesia to Germany: The Expat Setup Guide ({{YEAR}})
How Indonesians move to Germany for study or work, the visa routes, document legalisation, and the first steps that get you settled in a new system.
From Brazil to Germany: The Expat Setup Guide ({{YEAR}})
How Brazilians move to Germany, the visa routes that fit, what changes versus Brazilian bureaucracy, and the first steps that get you settled.
Moving to Germany with Kids: Kita and School Enrolment ({{YEAR}})
How German childcare and school work for expat families, why the Kita waiting list starts before you arrive, and the system that decides your child's school path.
German Citizenship: The 2024 Reform and the New Timeline ({{YEAR}})
How the 2024 citizenship reform cut the wait, allowed dual nationality, and the requirements you now need to naturalise as German faster than before.
Niederlassungserlaubnis: German Permanent Residence ({{YEAR}})
How to get German permanent residence, the pension-contribution and language requirements, and why a Blue Card can cut the wait to as little as 21 months.
Your First Week in Germany: The Right Order to Do Things ({{YEAR}})
The dependency chain nobody explains, address, then registration, then bank, then tax ID, and how doing the steps out of order traps you in circular delays.
Booking a German Visa Appointment: Tactics That Work ({{YEAR}})
Why German visa and embassy appointments are so hard to get, the refresh and timing tactics that surface slots, and how to avoid the scam booking sites.
Recognising Your Foreign Degree in Germany (Anerkennung) ({{YEAR}})
When you must have your qualification recognised in Germany, the difference between regulated and unregulated professions, and how anabin and the Anerkennung process work.
Bringing a Car to Germany: Import and Registration ({{YEAR}})
Whether importing your car to Germany is worth it, the TÜV and registration steps, what EU vs non-EU import triggers, and the costs that add up fast.
Family Reunion on a Blue Card: Bringing Your Family to Germany ({{YEAR}})
How Familiennachzug works for Blue Card and skilled-worker holders, why spouses get immediate work rights, and the documents that decide your application.
Pet Import to Germany: EU and Non-EU Rules ({{YEAR}})
Microchip, rabies vaccine, EU pet passport, titer test, TRACES, and the 3-month waiting window for non-EU dogs and cats arriving in Germany.
Relocation Company vs DIY in Germany: The Real Math ({{YEAR}})
What a €3,000 to €8,000 relocation package buys, what DIY actually costs in hours, and when each makes sense for an expat move to Germany.
First 30 Days in Germany: A Day-by-Day Checklist ({{YEAR}})
The exact sequence of Anmeldung, bank, SIM, insurance, and Steuer-ID that gets you operational in a month without losing money to wrong-order moves.
Abmeldung Leaving Germany: The Process No One Explains ({{YEAR}})
Why your Abmeldung triggers tax, GKV, and pension changes the same day, and the documents you need before the Bürgeramt slot.
Shipping Household Goods to Germany: Costs and Customs ({{YEAR}})
What it costs to ship a 20ft container to Germany, how Form 0350 grants duty-free entry, and when air freight beats sea by the math.
The Real Cost of Moving to Germany: €11,000 Breakdown
Visa fees, blocked account, flights, Mietkaution, first month rent, GKV, mobile, Anmeldung extras, and the cash gap before your first German paycheck. A line-item budget of what moving to Germany actually costs in {{YEAR}}.
Which German Visa Should You Apply For? A Decision Tree
Seven main German visa paths in {{YEAR}}, mapped to your salary, nationality, profession, and goal. EU Blue Card €50,700, Chancenkarte points test, Skilled Worker route, and the five visas most expats overlook.
The Complete First-Year Document Checklist for Germany
Every official document, every appointment, every login you need in your first 365 days in Germany. Twenty-three items, in the exact order they have to happen, with cost and deadline for each.
Why I Stopped Paying €68 a Page at the Berlin Standesamt
Sworn translators charge €40 to €80 per page for documents the Standesamt asks for. There is a free workaround at most consulates and a faster path through the Apostille. The exact route my marriage paperwork took, and the seven months it almost took.