Moving to Germany Checklist: Your First 30 Days

Germany runs on paperwork, and most of it has to happen in a specific order. Get the order wrong and you end up in a loop: the bank wants your Anmeldung confirmation, the Bürgeramt wants your landlord's confirmation, and your employer wants your tax ID.

This list walks you through the first 30 days in the order that works.

The four items with real deadlines

• Anmeldung: 14 days from moving in, under §17 Bundesmeldegesetz. Fines up to 1.000,00 EUR are possible
• Health insurance: mandatory from your first day of residence
• Electricity contract: no legal deadline, but every day without your own contract runs on the pricier default supply
• Residence permit for non-EU nationals: before your entry visa expires

Week 1: apartment and meters

Get your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. No Anmeldung happens without this form, signed by your landlord. Ask for it the moment you have keys, not the day before your appointment.

Fill in and photograph the handover protocol. Every scratch, every stain, every meter reading. This is what your deposit argument rests on later.

Photograph every meter. Electricity, gas, water. With the meter number and the reading both visible. These photos are the single most valuable thing you do this week, because they stop you paying for the previous tenant's consumption.

Sign up for electricity. Electricity is almost never included in your Nebenkosten. Without your own contract, the local basic supplier takes over automatically, and that's the most expensive option. Households on basic supply paid around 42,83 ct/kWh on average in early 2026, while new-customer tariffs in July 2026 averaged 24,2 ct/kWh. On 2,500 kWh a year, that's roughly 465,00 EUR.

You don't need your Anmeldung confirmation for this. Just an address, a meter number, and an IBAN.

Book your Anmeldung appointment. In Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg, appointments are often booked out for weeks. Book immediately, even if the slot is four weeks away. A booked appointment is your evidence that you tried.

Week 1 to 2: internet and phone

Order internet. DSL and fiber connections in Germany often take two to six weeks to activate. That's the longest wait on this entire list, which is why it sits this early. If you need connectivity now, bridge it with an LTE router or a mobile data plan.

Get a German SIM. Prepaid works without Anmeldung and without a credit check. You need a German number for government offices, banks, and tradespeople. Prepaid SIMs in Germany have to be activated with ID verification, which takes a few minutes online.

Week 2: Anmeldung and bank account

Bring to your Anmeldung appointment:

• Passport or national ID
• Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, signed
• Completed registration form (on your city's website)
• Marriage certificate and children's birth certificates, if relevant

You get the Anmeldebestätigung on the spot. Photograph and scan it immediately. You'll need it about ten times in the next year.

Tax ID (Steuer-Identifikationsnummer). This arrives automatically by post after your Anmeldung, usually within two to four weeks. Your employer needs it, otherwise your salary gets taxed in the highest bracket. If it doesn't arrive, request it again from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern.

Open a bank account. Traditional branch banks usually want your Anmeldebestätigung. Digital banks often don't, where ID and a video call are enough. You need a German or SEPA-capable account for rent, electricity, phone, and salary.

Week 2 to 3: insurance and work

Health insurance. Mandatory in Germany from your first day. Employees usually go into the public system (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) through their employer. Freelancers and higher earners choose between public and private. That choice is hard to reverse, so read up before you sign.

Social security number. Arrives automatically from the pension insurance office once you're registered and employed.

Liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung). Not legally required, but close to standard in Germany, and some landlords ask for it. Usually under 60,00 EUR a year, and it covers damage you cause to others.

Broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag). Charged per apartment, not per person. Currently 18,36 EUR a month. You get a letter automatically after your Anmeldung. In a shared flat, one person registers for the apartment and everyone else gives that person's account number.

Week 3 to 4: cleanup

Register what's left. Convert your driving license (often required within six months for non-EU licenses), register a car, apply for daycare.

Residence permit. Non-EU nationals apply at the Ausländerbehörde. Book the appointment as early as you can, because waiting times are long.

Check your first electricity consumption. After three or four weeks you'll know whether your estimated monthly payment is realistic. In the Ostrom App you see your consumption as it accrues and adjust your Monthly Deposit yourself. That's how you avoid a surprise settlement at the end of the year.

What you don't need

A few things that get recommended a lot and that you really don't need right away:

• A Schufa report on day one. Your credit file is empty at the start, and that's normal. It isn't an obstacle for a standard electricity contract.
• A German account for everything. For electricity, most providers accept a SEPA-capable IBAN from another SEPA country.
• Fluent German. Anmeldung works with a completed form. At Ostrom, the contract, app, and support all run in English.

Get electricity off the list in five minutes

Of everything here, electricity is the one item you can finish in a coffee break.

• Fully in English: contract, Ostrom App, and support
• Monthly cancellable, no minimum term
• 100 % green electricity from German renewables
• Transparent pricing, no bonus games
• Sign up with your address and meter number, no Anmeldung confirmation needed

Get A Quote

FAQ

What happens if I miss the 14-day deadline?
You can still register. Missing it is an administrative offense with a fine of up to 1.000,00 EUR under §54 Bundesmeldegesetz. In practice, a first delay usually gets a warning. Register as soon as you can.

Can I register without a rental contract?
You don't need the rental contract itself, but you do need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. If you're subletting from friends, the main tenant or the landlord can issue it.

Do I need a bank account before my Anmeldung?
No. It usually runs the other way around, because many banks want to see your Anmeldebestätigung.

How long until electricity is running?
With no existing contract at your address, supply starts on your move-in date. For a switch, the technical part has to happen within 24 hours under §20a Energiewirtschaftsgesetz, and the whole process must not exceed three weeks.

Do I pay the broadcasting fee if I don't own a TV?
Yes. The fee is tied to the apartment, not to your devices.

What if I move within Germany?
New Anmeldung within 14 days, same deadline. Most providers let you take your electricity contract with you, including us.

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