Your guide to life in Germany

Anmeldung is mandatory address registration with the local Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving into a German address, under §17 of the Bundesmeldegesetz. Your Anmeldebescheinigung is the document you need before you can open a bank account, sign a phone contract, get a tax ID, register with health insurance, or convert your visa to a residence permit.

Yes. Health insurance is legally compulsory for every resident under §193 of the German Insurance Contract Act. Most expats join a statutory provider (TK, AOK, Barmer, DAK) at about €141 to €146 per month for students (TK student rate, 2026) or roughly 14.6% of gross salary plus a small additional contribution for employees. High earners and freelancers can opt for private insurance.

Five years of legal residence as of June 2024, reduced from 8 under the StAG reform. You also need an unlimited residence right, an EU Blue Card or another qualifying permit, a livelihood without Bürgergeld or social assistance, B1 German, the Einbürgerungstest, and a clean criminal record. The former 3-year fast track was abolished with effect from 30 October 2025. Application fee is €255.

Yes since June 2024. The 2024 citizenship reform abolished the renunciation requirement, so you can now hold German citizenship plus your original nationality without any "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung" application.

As a rough estimate, a single expat in Berlin or Munich spends €1,400 to €1,900 per month on rent (€700 to €1,100 for a studio), food (€250 to €350), public transport (€63 Deutschland-Ticket), health insurance (about €141 to €146 for students at TK in 2026, more for adults), phone (€10 to €30), and utilities. Smaller cities like Leipzig or Dresden run €1,000 to €1,300. Check current listings for rents.

Your Schufa score is built automatically once you have a German address, bank account, and at least one credit-relevant contract (mobile phone, rental contract, BNPL purchase). The score reflects how reliably you pay, so it improves as your clean payment history grows. Until then, landlords often ask for 3 months bank statements and a Bürgschaft (guarantor) instead.