First Steps in Germany: your arrival checklist

Your first week in Germany is about securing the bureaucratic foundations. Everything else builds on these.

Day 1-2: Immediate Priorities

• Activate your SIM card: If you bought a German SIM before arriving (recommended: Lebara, Lycamobile for quick activation), activate it at the airport or your first WiFi connection. If not, buy a prepaid SIM at any supermarket (Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect from €8) or electronics store (MediaMarkt, Saturn). Note: German law requires identity verification for SIM activation, so bring your passport. Video-ident or in-store verification takes 10-30 minutes
• Get to your accommodation: Have the address saved offline. The Deutschlandticket app (DB Navigator, or your local transit app) lets you buy a monthly ticket digitally for €63/month, valid on all local and regional public transport nationwide
• Contact your landlord: Request the Wohnungsgeberbestatigung (landlord confirmation form). You absolutely need this for Anmeldung. Landlords are legally required to provide it within 14 days of your move-in

Day 3-5: Anmeldung (City Registration)

This is your single most important task. Without Anmeldung, you cannot open a bank account, get a tax ID, sign up for health insurance, or apply for a residence permit.

• What: Register your address at the local Burgeramt (citizens' office) or Einwohnermeldeamt
• Deadline: Within 14 days of moving into your apartment. This is a legal obligation
• Documents needed: Passport, rental contract, Wohnungsgeberbestatigung, and the Anmeldung form (available at the Burgeramt or downloadable online)
• Outcome: You receive a Meldebestatigung (registration confirmation), a single-page document that is your key to everything else. Keep the original safe and make copies
• Cost: Free
• Appointment: Most cities require an online appointment. In large cities (Berlin, Munich), slots can be booked out for weeks. Check daily for cancellations, try smaller Burgeramt offices in outer districts, or show up early for walk-in slots (some offices still offer them)

Once you have your Meldebestatigung, you can open a German bank account. This is essential for receiving salary, paying rent, and activating your blocked account withdrawals.

Best Options for Newcomers

N26 (recommended for speed)

• Free online bank account, opens in 10 minutes via app
• Video verification with passport (no Meldebestatigung required to open, but you must update your address later)
• Free Mastercard debit card (virtual immediately, physical card in 5-7 days)
• English-language app and support
• IBAN starts with DE, fully functional German bank account

Deutsche Bank

• Traditional bank with physical branches everywhere
• Student account (Junges Konto) is free for students up to age 30
• Requires in-branch appointment with passport and Meldebestatigung
• Also serves as a blocked account provider, making it convenient if you opened your blocked account with them

Sparkasse

• Local savings bank with the largest branch network in Germany
• Good for in-person banking; staff in smaller cities may not speak English
• Account fees vary by region (typically €3-8/month)
• Widely trusted by landlords and employers

Blocked Account Activation

If you have a blocked account (Expatrio, Fintiba, or Deutsche Bank), you need to activate the monthly withdrawals. After Anmeldung, log into your blocked account provider and provide your German bank IBAN. Monthly withdrawals of €992 will begin automatically.

Tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer)

Your 11-digit tax ID is automatically generated after Anmeldung and mailed to your registered address within 2-4 weeks. You need it for employment. If your employer needs it urgently, you can call the Bundeszentralamt fur Steuern to request it by phone or request it via the online portal.

Prepaid SIM Options (No Contract)

There are only three real mobile networks in Germany (Telekom, Vodafone, O2 / Telefónica); every other brand is an MVNO that rides one of them. You do NOT need Anmeldung to buy a prepaid SIM: passport plus visa is enough, and a temporary hotel address is fine for the form. The actual gate is the July 2017 identity-verification law, which requires Postident at DHL, online Video-Ident, or in-person verification at a carrier shop.

• Aldi Talk (O2 / Telefónica network): one-off €9.99 starter pack on top of the plan, then Tarif S at 25 GB for €9.99 per 4 weeks. Available at any Aldi supermarket
• Lidl Connect (Vodafone network): similar package shape and pricing, available at Lidl
• Lebara (Vodafone network): introductory bundles from €4.99 for 15 GB; strong for international calls. Often activatable with a foreign passport before you arrive
• Congstar (Telekom network): prepaid plans from €10/month, the cheapest way onto the best-coverage network

Contract Plans (After You Are Settled)

Once you have a German bank account and address you can switch to a contract plan for better value. Use Rufnummernmitnahme to port your prepaid number across:

• Telekom (MagentaMobil): Best network coverage, especially in rural areas. From €30/month for 10GB
• Vodafone CallYa: prepaid-style on the real Vodafone network; the annual XL is 1,000 GB for €199.99 (works out at ~€16.67/month if you pay up-front)
• O2: Most affordable of the big three. From €20/month for 15GB+
• fraenk, ALDI Talk, smartmobil: Budget MVNOs with excellent value (10-20GB for €10-15/month)

Two travel-eSIM traps almost nobody mentions

• Travel eSIMs (Airalo, Holafly, Saily, etc.) are data-only: they do not give you a German phone number, so they cannot receive SMS one-time codes. Expatrio unblock SMS, German bank 2FA, hospital appointment booking, and Amazon delivery codes all break. Use a travel eSIM as a day-0 airport bridge, not as a replacement for a German prepaid
• eSIMs must be installed BEFORE the flight, on home WiFi or airport WiFi: you cannot download an eSIM profile without internet, so landing without an installed eSIM and no other connectivity is a hard fail. Install plus activate before departure

EU roaming included by default

Every German SIM (prepaid or contract) includes free EU-wide roaming under the EU's "roam like at home" rules. Take your Lidl Connect or Aldi Talk SIM to Poland, Italy, or France and use it at the German allowance with zero extra charge: a big upgrade from most home-country SIMs.

WiFi and Internet at Home

Home internet contracts in Germany typically have a 24-month minimum term. If you are on a student or short-term visa, consider:

• Flexible contracts: 1&1 (1 month notice), congstar Homespot, or Freenet Funk
• University WiFi: eduroam is available at all German universities, free for enrolled students
• Average cost: €25-40/month for 50-100 Mbit/s

Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. If you arranged your insurance before arriving, you need to activate it. If not, this is urgent.

For Students

• You should have enrolled with a public health insurer (TK, AOK, Barmer, DAK) before or upon arrival
• Visit a local branch or complete enrollment online. You will need your university enrollment certificate and Meldebestatigung
• Cost: €141.16/month under age 23 and €146.29/month between 23 and 29 at TK from 1 January 2026 (covers health + long-term care insurance); other public funds are similar with small differences in their supplementary Zusatzbeitrag
• Your insurer provides a Mitgliedsbescheinigung (membership confirmation) that you need for both university enrollment and the Auslanderbehorde

For Workers

• Your employer handles enrollment. They register you with a public insurer of your choice within 14 days of your start date
• Contributions are split 50/50 between you and your employer, deducted from your paycheck automatically
• If you earn above the threshold (€77,400/year in 2026), you can opt for private insurance instead

For Freelancers

• You can choose public or private insurance
• Public: Voluntary membership in TK, AOK, etc. at approximately 14.6% of your income (plus supplementary contributions), with a minimum monthly premium around €220
• Private: Fixed premium based on age, health, and coverage level. Often cheaper for young, healthy freelancers (€200-400/month) but can become expensive with age

See the full health insurance guide for detailed comparisons.

Auslanderbehorde Appointment

Book your immigration office appointment as soon as possible, ideally in week 1. You need to apply for your residence permit before your national visa expires.

• Online booking: Most cities have online systems. Check your city's Auslanderbehorde website
• Documents: Passport, visa, Meldebestatigung, university enrollment/job contract, health insurance confirmation, blocked account/financial proof, rental contract, biometric photos
• Tip: In cities with long wait times, send your application by registered mail if you cannot get a timely appointment. This preserves your legal status

University Enrollment (Students)

• Complete your enrollment (Immatrikulation) at the university's student office (Studierendensekretariat)
• You need: admission letter, passport, health insurance confirmation (a GKV Mitgliedsbescheinigung pushed via M10 from TK / AOK / Barmer / DAK; if you arrived on a private incoming plan, you must walk into a GKV insurer first to get a Befreiung, otherwise enrolment is blocked), and any other documents specified in your admission letter
• You receive your student ID (Studierendenausweis), the Immatrikulationsbescheinigung (the document everything else after this point uses, not the admission letter), and your semester ticket (often included in the Semesterbeitrag or available as the Deutschlandticket)
• Semester fee (Semesterbeitrag): roughly €70 to €384 depending on the university (Würzburg ~€70, Hamburg ~€384 in 2026), covering admin fees, the AStA contribution, and sometimes a regional transit pass

Rundfunkbeitrag (Broadcasting Fee)

Within roughly two weeks of your Anmeldung, you will receive a letter from the Beitragsservice (ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio), triggered by an automatic data match. This is the mandatory TV/radio fee of €18.36/month per Wohnung (flat). It is not optional, and ignoring the letter auto-enrols you retroactively to your move-in date. Register online at rundfunkbeitrag.de promptly. In a WG, only one fee per flat applies: when you get the letter, hand over the existing flatmate's 9-digit Beitragsnummer instead of registering a duplicate. In a student dorm, a self-contained room (your own door to the corridor, or a private kitchen / bathroom) counts as a separate Wohnung, so each pays the full €18.36. Exemptions exist for BAföG recipients and people on Bürgergeld / Wohngeld; international students on a student visa are generally NOT eligible for the BAföG-based exemption, because the residence permit was issued on proof of means.

Library Card

Your local Stadtbibliothek (city library) offers free WiFi, study spaces, and borrowing privileges. Student rates are usually €10-20/year or free. Bring your Meldebestatigung and student ID.

Deutschlandticket

The Deutschlandticket is Germany's nationwide public transport pass, valid on all local and regional trains, buses, trams, and metros across the country. Since January 2026, it costs €63/month.

• Coverage: All local and regional public transport (S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Strassenbahn, buses, regional trains RE/RB). Does NOT cover ICE, IC, or EC long-distance trains
• How to buy: Via the DB Navigator app, your local transit authority's app (BVG for Berlin, MVV for Munich, RMV for Frankfurt), or at ticket counters
• Subscription model: Monthly auto-renewal, cancel before the 10th of the month for the following month
• Student discount: Some universities negotiate a reduced Semesterticket that functions as a Deutschlandticket. Check with your university's AStA (student union)

Cycling

Germany is extremely bike-friendly. Many cities have extensive bike lane networks. Options:

• Buy used: eBay Kleinanzeigen (now "Kleinanzeigen"), university bulletin boards, or flea markets. Good used bikes cost €50-150
• Bike sharing: Nextbike (available in 70+ German cities), Lime, Tier
• Always buy a good lock: Bike theft is common. Invest in a €30-50 U-lock or chain lock

Driving

Under FeV §29, your home-country driving licence is valid in Germany for six months from your Anmeldung date (not your arrival date), extendable by another six months on written application before the first window expires. After that the licence is no longer valid for driving in Germany, and your motor insurance is void if you drive on it. The conversion path varies by country:

• EU/EEA licences: direct exchange, no test needed
• Bilateral-recognition countries (Canada all provinces, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Israel for class B, most Australian states, around 40 US states, plus Andorra, San Marino, Monaco): partial or full Umschreibung with no driving school, sometimes a theory or practical test depending on the state
• All other countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Morocco, etc.): Umschreibung still applies but requires both the German theory exam (1,169 questions, available in English) and the practical test, with most students taking some driving school hours first. Typical cost: €1,200-€2,500 for an Indian or Pakistani Umschreibung, against €3,400 average (up to €4,500 in big cities) for a fresh Class B from zero. Plan 2-6 months

Practical tips: pick the automatic-friendly B197 route (since April 2021) if you do not need to drive manual cars. It requires 10 mandatory manual lessons plus a 15-minute internal manual test, lets you take the practical exam in an automatic, and still leaves you licensed to drive both. Smaller-city Fahrschulen are cheaper and the test routes are easier. Apollo and Fielmann do the mandatory eye test for free.

Your First Two Weeks Checklist

1. Activate SIM card and internet
2. Get Wohnungsgeberbestatigung from landlord
3. Complete Anmeldung at Burgeramt (within 14 days)
4. Open German bank account
5. Activate blocked account withdrawals
6. Activate/enroll in health insurance
7. Book Auslanderbehorde appointment
8. Complete university enrollment (students)
9. Buy Deutschlandticket
10. Register for Rundfunkbeitrag
11. Get a bike or transit app set up