Your first 30 days in Germany: a week-by-week checklist

German paperwork works like a chain: each office wants a document from the one before. Do things in the right order and the first month goes smoothly. Do them out of order and you wait for appointments twice.

Week 1: phone, address, appointments

• [ ] Buy a German SIM card. Prepaid SIMs need ID verification, usually a short video call with your passport. You need a German number for almost every form.
• [ ] Ask your landlord for the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung when you get your keys. You cannot register without it.
• [ ] Book your Anmeldung appointment. In big cities, appointments can be weeks away, so book on day one. See how to do your Anmeldung.
• [ ] Check your visa's expiry date and note it somewhere you will see it. Your residence permit appointment must happen before then.

Week 2: register and open a bank account

• [ ] Do your Anmeldung within 14 days of moving in, and keep the Meldebescheinigung safe.
• [ ] Open a current account (Girokonto). Most banks ask for your passport and the registration certificate. Compare options in the best German banks.
• [ ] Students: link your blocked account to your new current account so the monthly payout can start. See the blocked account guide.
• [ ] Buy a Deutschlandticket if you will commute. It costs €63 a month, and students usually get the cheaper semester ticket through their university. See whether the Deutschlandticket is worth it.

Week 3: insurance and immigration office

• [ ] Confirm your health insurance. Students need a confirmation for enrolment. Employees choose a public insurer and tell their employer. See health insurance in Germany.
• [ ] Book your residence permit appointment at the local Ausländerbehörde. Bring your passport, biometric photo, registration certificate, proof of insurance and, depending on your permit, your employment contract, enrolment certificate or blocked account statement.
• [ ] Register for the Rundfunkbeitrag if you have your own flat. In a shared flat, only one person pays. See the broadcasting fee explained.

Week 4: tax ID and payslip

• [ ] Watch your post for the tax ID (Steuer-ID). It arrives a few weeks after your first Anmeldung. Give it to your employer straight away. Without it, your employer may have to deduct tax at the highest rate (tax class VI).
• [ ] Check that your employer has your social security number. Your health insurer usually arranges it.
• [ ] Read your first payslip. See your German payslip explained.

Keep these in one folder

Passport and visa, registration certificate, rental contract and landlord form, insurance confirmation, bank details, tax ID letter, enrolment certificate or employment contract. Most German offices still want paper copies, so bring printouts.

Questions people ask

What should I do first after arriving in Germany?

Get a German SIM card and book your Anmeldung appointment. The Anmeldung is the document that unlocks your bank account, your tax ID and your residence permit appointment.

Can I open a bank account before my Anmeldung?

Some online banks and providers allow it, but most banks ask for your registration certificate. Students can often start with the current account offered by their blocked account provider.

When do I need to apply for my residence permit?

Before your entry visa expires. Book the appointment early, because waiting times at many Ausländerbehörden are long.

Sources

• Wohnsitz anmelden 2026 (amtsdeutschland.de): Anmeldung deadline and tax ID timing
• Rundfunkbeitrag anmelden (amtsdeutschland.de)