Moving to Germany for work

At a glance

Authorities involved

German mission abroad, Bürgeramt, Ausländerbehörde, Finanzamt

First hard deadline

Register the address within two weeks of moving in

Critical dependency

Accommodation — almost everything follows from it

Often underestimated

Appointment waiting times, not processing times

Employer's part

Contract, payroll registration, insurance notification

Who this applies to

• You have a signed employment contract or a concrete offer in Germany.
• You are moving from outside the EU and need a visa or residence permit, or from inside the EU with fewer entry formalities but the same administrative steps.
• You are arriving alone; family reunification adds its own process.

In what order

1. Now

   Secure entry permission

   If you need a visa, apply at the German mission responsible for your country of residence with the employment contract and proof of qualifications. Appointment waiting times are the main variable, so start before the contract's planned start date is fixed.

2. Now

   Line up accommodation with a signable landlord confirmation

   Your address unlocks registration, and registration unlocks almost everything else. A temporary but registrable home beats a perfect flat that arrives two months later — the landlord has to be willing to sign the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.

3. Now

   Arrange cover for the arrival gap

   Health insurance is mandatory for residents. Employees are normally enrolled through payroll, but that starts with the employment, so keep interim cover for the days before it begins.

4. Next

   Register your address within two weeks

   Book the Bürgeramt appointment as soon as you know your move-in date, before you have the rest of your paperwork. Bring your passport and the signed landlord confirmation.

5. Next

   Complete health insurance enrolment

   Choose an insurer, complete the enrolment, and give the membership confirmation to your employer so payroll can register you correctly.

6. Next

   Wait for the tax ID and pass it to payroll

   The tax identification number is issued automatically after registration and arrives by post. Until payroll has it, your first payslips may show a higher provisional deduction.

7. Next

   Open a German bank account

   Most banks ask for the registration certificate. With the account open, set up the direct debits for rent, insurance and the broadcasting contribution.

8. Later

   Convert the visa into a residence permit

   If you entered on a visa, apply at the immigration office before it expires. Bring the registration certificate, employment contract, payslips where available, insurance confirmation and passport.

9. Later

   Handle the follow-on obligations

   Answer the broadcasting contribution letter, check whether a tax return is required for your first partial year, and note the expiry date of your residence permit with a reminder three months earlier.

Documents you need

• Passport, and visa if applicable
• Employment contract
• Degree certificates or proof of qualification, translated where required
• Signed landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)
• Rental contract copy
• Health insurance membership confirmation
• Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
• Tax identification number letter

Common mistakes

• Booking the flat search before the registration reality — a landlord who will not sign the confirmation blocks everything downstream.
• Waiting for the tax ID before starting work, instead of starting and correcting payroll later.
• Letting the entry visa run close to expiry before applying for the residence permit.
• Treating appointment waiting time as processing time when planning the move.

What happens next

• You hold a residence permit with the conditions printed on the card, a registered address and active insurance.
• Your payslips settle into the correct tax class once the tax ID is on file.
• The next milestones are the permit renewal and, over time, permanent residence.

Related questions

Can I start working before the residence permit is issued?

It depends on what your visa or interim certificate permits. That document, not the pending application, decides it — check it before your first working day.

What if my flat falls through after I arrive?

Register wherever you actually live, including at a host's address with their signed confirmation, and re-register when you move. Do not stay unregistered.

Do EU citizens go through the same steps?

The entry and permit steps are much lighter, but registration, insurance, tax ID and the broadcasting contribution work the same way.

Related guides

• Health Insurance in Germany

  Compulsory cover explained: statutory versus private, rules per situation, and the proof visas and permits require.

• Delayed Application

  How to follow up in writing, protect your legal position near expiry, and know when to seek legal advice.

• Fiktionsbescheinigung

  What the provisional certificate documents under § 81 AufenthG, and what it does not prove about work or travel.

Related answers

• Bank account without Anmeldung

  Registration is a bank policy requirement, not a legal one. Where the basic account right comes in.

• Filing a tax return

  Mandatory in specific situations, optional for many employees — and often worth it either way.

• Insurance before Anmeldung

  Not required at the registration counter, but required almost everywhere afterwards.

Related situations

• Permit expiring soon

  File before the expiry date, appointment or not. How to cover the gap until the decision.

Related compare

• Public vs private insurance

  Income-based and family-friendly versus risk-priced and individual — and why the switch back is hard.

• Blue Card vs Opportunity Card

  One requires a qualified offer, the other is for finding one. What each permits while you are here.

• Anmeldung vs residence permit

  One records your address, the other authorises your stay. Different offices, different documents.