Moving to Germany?
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Complete relocation guide for Germany: Anmeldung, health insurance, Blue Card and work visas, blocked accounts, bank accounts, taxes and housing. No middlemen, practical steps that work in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and everywhere else.
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Recently added guides
The newest practical guides for expats settling in or moving to Germany.
Berlin for expats: the honest guide
Germany's biggest expat city without the filter: which neighborhoods fit your budget, the real cost of housing in 2026, Anmeldung survival tactics, and why English-only works until it suddenly doesn't.
German citizenship: the 2024 law changed everything
5 years to naturalize (3 with C1 German), dual citizenship now allowed. Requirements, the Einbürgerungstest, income rules and how Blue Card years count. The post-2024 rules explained for expats.
Learning German: the honest guide
What A1 to C2 actually mean for daily life, realistic hour counts per level, course costs from free apps to intensive courses, and the fastest paths that actually work for working expats.
Electricity in Germany: stop paying the default tariff
New arrivals land on the Grundversorger default tariff and overpay by hundreds per year. How German electricity contracts work, switching in 15 minutes, bonus hunting, and the Abschlag system decoded.
Essential guides for expats
Step-by-step guides covering the most important aspects of moving to Germany
Anmeldung
Register your address within 14 days: documents, appointment tactics, and what the Anmeldebescheinigung unlocks.
Health insurance
GKV costs about 17.5% of gross in 2026, employer pays half. Public vs private, enrolling, and English-friendly insurers.
EU Blue Card
The skilled-worker fast track: €50,700 threshold 2026 (€45,934 shortage list), process, family perks and PR after 21-27 months.
Bank account
Open a German account as an expat: online banks without Anmeldung, traditional branches, and the SEPA rules that protect you.
Blocked account
The Sperrkonto explained: €11,904 for a year in 2026, €992/month released, and the provider comparison students need.
Tax return
Deadlines (31 July 2026 for 2025), the €1,095 average refund, and why expats who arrived mid-year almost always get money back.
Apartment hunting
ImmoScout, WG-Gesucht and the application folder (Schufa, payslips) that makes German landlords say yes.
First 30 days
The complete arrival sequence: SIM, Anmeldung, bank, insurance, tax ID, Rundfunkbeitrag - in the order that actually works.
Calculators and tools
Run your own numbers before you sign anything
Net salary calculator
Brutto to Netto with every deduction explained: tax class, church tax, GKV, pension.
GKV vs PKV helper
Public or private health insurance? The decision that follows you for decades, modeled.
Blocked account calculator
How much your Sperrkonto needs (€992 × months) plus provider fee comparison.