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🇩🇪 Moving to Germany: what you actually need to know

Germany is the most popular skilled-worker destination in Europe. It has a serious talent shortage, strong salaries, and a clear immigration system: but also significant bureaucracy. The Anmeldung (residence registration) system, credential recognition process, and blocked account requirements catch many people unprepared. Knowing the order of steps matters as much as having the right visa.

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Visa routes

Your main options for moving to Germany

Job Seeker Visa

A 6-month visa to enter Germany and search for a job. No job offer required. You must have a recognised university degree and sufficient funds (approximately €4,000 for the 6-month stay). Processing: 4–8 weeks at a German embassy.

Skilled Worker Visa (Fachkräftezuwanderungsgesetz)

Requires a job offer and recognised qualifications. The 2023 Skilled Worker Immigration Act expanded eligibility. If your qualifications need recognition (Anerkennung), start that process 3–6 months before applying for the visa.

EU Blue Card

For university graduates with a job offer above the salary threshold (€45,300/year in 2025 general, €41,041 in shortage occupations: IT, engineering, medicine). Faster permanent residence path than the standard work visa.

Freiberufler (Freelance Visa)

For recognised freelance professions (journalists, artists, consultants, programmers). Requires proof of clients, income projections, and that you will not displace employees. Processing is city-dependent and can take 2–4 months.

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Cost of living

What it actually costs to live in Germany

Berlin

€1,800–2,800/month

Rent for a 1-bed: €1,000–1,600 (rising fast). Groceries, public transport, health insurance contribution: €700–1,000.

Munich

€2,800–4,200/month

Germany's most expensive city. Rent for a 1-bed: €1,600–2,500. Offset by the highest average salaries.

Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne

€2,200–3,500/month

Mid-range for Germany. Good job markets, especially finance (Frankfurt) and media/shipping (Hamburg).

Key steps

What to do and in what order

Anmeldung. Register your address

Within 2 weeks of arriving. Go to the local Einwohnermeldeamt (residents registration office) with your passport and a landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). This gives you the Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate) you need for almost everything else.

Open a German bank account

Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, ING, or N26 are the main options. You need your passport, Meldebescheinigung, and sometimes proof of income. Some employers can advance salary if account setup takes time.

Get your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer)

Mailed to your registered address within 2–3 weeks of Anmeldung. You cannot opt out. You need it for payroll, tax returns, and some bank accounts.

Health insurance: public (GKV) or private (PKV)

Mandatory in Germany. If employed above the income threshold (€69,300/year in 2025), you can choose between public (TK, AOK, Barmer) and private (PKV). Contribution to public insurance is approximately 14–16% of gross salary, split between employer and employee.

Required for your residency permit (Aufenthaltstitel) if you are from a non-EU country. Book this appointment as early as possible: wait times in Berlin and Munich run 4–8 weeks.

Common mistake

Credential recognition (Anerkennung) is the most common delay people do not plan for. Degrees from outside the EU often need assessment by the relevant German chamber or authority: a process that can take 3–6 months. Start it before you apply for your visa.

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