Your first 30 days in Germany: the complete checklist
Day-by-day arrival plan: Anmeldung week 1, tax ID, bank account, health insurance, SIM, Rundfunkbeitrag, Schufa start. Interactive expat checklist 2026.
Last updated: July 13, 2026
What must you do in your first month in Germany?
Week 1: get a SIM, find Anmeldung-capable housing and book the registration appointment. Week 2: Anmeldung, then bank account and health insurance confirmation. Week 3: tax ID arrives, give IBAN and insurance to your employer, respond to the Rundfunkbeitrag letter. Week 4: liability insurance, internet, and your Schufa-building first contract.
What this guide covers
Week 1 - land and connect
- Data: activate a travel eSIM before boarding, buy a German prepaid SIM within days (passport only - no Anmeldung needed for prepaid)
- Housing that allows Anmeldung: even temporary
- Book the Bürgeramt slot NOW (city guides for Berlin/Munich tactics) - the 14-day clock starts at move-in
- Cash: €200-300; Germany still runs on cash pockets
- Groceries without German:)
Week 2 - the registration cascade
- Anmeldung (the full guide) - take the Anmeldebescheinigung in duplicate
- Bank account same afternoon
- Health insurance: confirm the Kasse choice your employer needs (guide) - you're covered from job start either way
- Keep every stamped paper forever: German bureaucracy runs on your personal archive
Week 3 - make yourself payable
- Tax ID (Steuer-ID) arrives by post ~1-3 weeks after Anmeldung → straight to HR (else emergency tax class VI eats your first payslip - it refunds later, see payslip guide)
- IBAN to employer and landlord, standing order (Dauerauftrag) for rent
- The Rundfunkbeitrag letter WILL find you after Anmeldung: register and pay (€18.36/month per household ⚠️ VERIFY) or link an existing housemate's payment - ignoring it creates enforceable debt (guide)
Week 4 - protect and settle
- Liability insurance, the German essential - guide)
- Home internet ordered (2-4 week activation is normal; 5G-router products bridge - guide)
- First Schufa-building contract in your name (SIM postpaid works - Schufa guide)
- Deutschlandticket (€63/month all local transport - guide) if you commute
- Explore the tax return angle early: arrival-year filers average the biggest refunds (guide)
The classic first-month mistakes
Registering late because "no appointments" without booking ANY slot (book far-out, keep proof) - hotel months blocking every registration - signing PKV in week 1 because a broker found you first (read GKV vs PKV!) - ignoring Rundfunkbeitrag letters - buying furniture before checking the flat's missing kitchen norm.
Frequently asked questions
Can I compress this into one week?
With housing sorted: Anmeldung day 2-3, bank day 3, everything else follows. The 30-day frame is for normal humans.
What if my job starts before Anmeldung?
Fine - employers onboard with passport + tax ID to follow; class VI bridges and refunds.
First month total cost?
Deposit (up to 3 cold rents) + first rent + €500-1,000 setup (SIM, insurance, transit, kitchen shock). The relocation budget guide itemizes it.
I don't speak German. Survivable?
Big cities yes. But start now: integration and career both gate on it (learn German guide).