German abbreviations: the decoder ring
German abbreviations expats hit daily: bureaucracy (ABH, Steuer-ID), payslip (RV, KV, KiSt, Soli), rent ads (KM, WM, NK, ZKB), and insurance (GKV, PKV).
Last updated: August 18, 2026
What do common German abbreviations mean?
Germany runs on abbreviations, and newcomers hit walls of them - on payslips, rent listings, official letters, and insurance cards. The essentials: on rent ads, KM = cold rent, WM = warm rent, NK = utilities, ZKB = room/kitchen/bath. On payslips, RV/KV/PV/AV are the social contributions, LSt is income tax, KiSt is church tax, and Soli the solidarity surcharge. GKV/PKV are public/private health insurance, ABH is the immigration office, and MfG/LG sign off letters and emails. This guide decodes the ones you'll actually meet, grouped by where you'll see them.
What this guide covers
Why Germany loves abbreviations
German officialdom, and daily life, are dense with abbreviations (Abkürzungen) - long compound words get shortened, laws get initialised (you can look any law up on gesetze-im-internet.de), and listings get compressed to save space. For newcomers it's a genuine barrier: a rent ad or a payslip can look like code. This guide is a reference - skim it now, bookmark it, and come back when a letter or listing baffles you. The wider "how to survive German paperwork" playbook is in Surviving German bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy and documents
The abbreviations you meet at offices and on official mail:
| Abbr. | German | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Steuer-ID / IdNr | Steueridentifikationsnummer | Your permanent tax ID (from the Anmeldung) |
| St-Nr. | Steuernummer | A separate tax number (for freelancers/tax filing) |
| ABH | Ausländerbehörde | The immigration/foreigners' office |
| BAMF | Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge | Federal migration office (visas, integration) |
| EMA / Bürgeramt | Einwohnermeldeamt | Residents' registration office (Anmeldung) |
| WBS | Wohnberechtigungsschein | Certificate for subsidised housing |
| Kfz | Kraftfahrzeug | Motor vehicle (used everywhere in car admin) |
| PLZ | Postleitzahl | Postal/ZIP code |
| z.Hd. / z.H. | zu Händen | "Attn." (attention of) on mail |
Your payslip and taxes
The cryptic codes on your Gehaltsabrechnung (payslip) - decoded in full in Your German payslip decoded:
| Abbr. | German | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| AG / AN | Arbeitgeber / Arbeitnehmer | Employer / employee |
| brutto / netto | - | Gross / net (pay) |
| LSt | Lohnsteuer | Income tax (wage tax) |
| KiSt | Kirchensteuer | Church tax (8-9% of income tax) |
| Soli | Solidaritätszuschlag | Solidarity surcharge (high earners now) |
| SV | Sozialversicherung | Social insurance (the block below) |
| RV | Rentenversicherung | Pension insurance |
| KV | Krankenversicherung | Health insurance |
| PV | Pflegeversicherung | Long-term care insurance |
| AV | Arbeitslosenversicherung | Unemployment insurance |
| StKl | Steuerklasse | Tax class (I-VI) - see German tax classes (Steuerklassen) |
| bAV | betriebliche Altersvorsorge | Company pension (salary sacrifice) |
Rent listings and housing
Decode an apartment ad without guessing - full detail in Kaltmiete, Warmmiete and the Nebenkosten settlement:
| Abbr. | German | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| KM | Kaltmiete | Cold (base) rent, before utilities |
| WM | Warmmiete | Warm rent, including Nebenkosten |
| NK | Nebenkosten | Utilities/running costs on top of KM |
| KT / Kaution | Kaution | Deposit (usually up to 3 months' KM) |
| ZKB | Zimmer, Küche, Bad | Room(s), kitchen, bath |
| Whg | Wohnung | Apartment/flat |
| qm / m² | Quadratmeter | Square metres |
| EBK | Einbauküche | Fitted kitchen (included) |
| Altbau / Neubau | - | Pre-1949 period building / new build |
| provisionsfrei | - | No agent commission to pay |
| VB | Verhandlungsbasis | "Or nearest offer" (price negotiable) |
| WG | Wohngemeinschaft | Shared flat (WG life) |
| NR | Nichtraucher | Non-smoker (wanted/preferred) |
Insurance and health
| Abbr. | German | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| GKV | Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung | Public health insurance |
| PKV | Private Krankenversicherung | Private health insurance |
| KK | Krankenkasse | Health insurance fund |
| AU | Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung | Sick note ("yellow slip") |
| HA | Hausarzt | GP / family doctor |
| Privathaftpflicht | - | Personal liability insurance |
| KFZ-Versicherung | - | Car insurance |
| U1-U9 | - | Children's health check-ups |
Transport and education
| Abbr. | German | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| DB | Deutsche Bahn | National railway |
| ICE / IC / RE / RB | - | Fast / intercity / regional-express / regional trains |
| TÜV | Technischer Überwachungsverein | Vehicle safety inspection |
| VHS | Volkshochschule | Adult education centre (cheap courses) |
| Uni / FH | Universität / Fachhochschule | University / university of applied sciences |
| NC | Numerus Clausus | Grade cutoff for a degree place |
| BAföG | - | Student financial aid |
| WS / SS | Winter-/Sommersemester | Winter / summer semester |
| APS | Akademische Prüfstelle | Academic verification (for Indian students) |
Letters, emails, and everyday text
The sign-offs and shorthand in German correspondence:
| Abbr. | German | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| MfG | Mit freundlichen Grüßen | "Kind regards" (formal sign-off) |
| LG | Liebe Grüße | "Warm regards" (informal) |
| VG | Viele Grüße | "Best regards" (semi-formal) |
| z.B. | zum Beispiel | For example (e.g.) |
| d.h. | das heißt | That is (i.e.) |
| bzw. | beziehungsweise | Respectively / or rather |
| ggf. | gegebenenfalls | If applicable / if necessary |
| usw. | und so weiter | And so on (etc.) |
| ca. | circa | Approximately |
| inkl. / zzgl. | inklusive / zuzüglich | Including / plus (extra) |
| u.a. | unter anderem | Among others |
| MHD | Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum | "Best before" date (not expiry) |
| Str. | Straße | Street (in addresses) |
Frequently asked questions
What do KM, WM, and NK mean in German rent listings?
KM (Kaltmiete) is the cold base rent before utilities; NK (Nebenkosten) is the utilities and running costs added on top; and WM (Warmmiete) is the warm rent - KM plus NK combined. So a listing's WM is closer to what you'll actually pay monthly, before electricity. ZKB means room(s), kitchen, and bath. See Kaltmiete, Warmmiete and the Nebenkosten settlement.
What are RV, KV, PV, and AV on my German payslip?
They're your social insurance contributions: RV is pension insurance, KV health insurance, PV long-term care insurance, and AV unemployment insurance. Together with LSt (income tax), possibly KiSt (church tax), and Soli (solidarity surcharge), they're deducted from your brutto (gross) to give your netto (net) pay. See Your German payslip decoded.
What's the difference between GKV and PKV?
GKV (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) is public health insurance, which most residents have and which covers family members free; PKV (private Krankenversicherung) is private health insurance, an option mainly for high earners, the self-employed, and civil servants. Your KK (Krankenkasse) is your specific health insurance fund within the public system.
What does the AU or "yellow slip" mean?
The AU (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) is the sickness certificate a doctor issues when you're too ill to work - historically a yellow paper slip, now largely electronic. You give it to your employer to justify sick leave, during which they pay your full salary for up to six weeks. Your HA (Hausarzt) is the GP who usually issues it.
What does ABH stand for?
ABH is the Ausländerbehörde - the immigration or foreigners' office that handles residence permits, visa extensions, and related matters for non-EU nationals. It's one of the most important offices for expats, and one of the hardest to get appointments at. BAMF (the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) is the separate federal body handling asylum, integration courses, and citizenship policy.
How do Germans sign off emails and letters?
Formally with MfG (Mit freundlichen Grüßen, "kind regards"), semi-formally with VG (Viele Grüße, "best regards"), and informally with LG (Liebe Grüße, "warm regards"). In full professional correspondence, write the phrase out rather than abbreviating. These sign-offs, plus shorthand like z.B. (e.g.), d.h. (i.e.), and ggf. (if applicable), fill everyday German writing.
What does MHD mean on food packaging?
MHD (Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum) is the "best before" date - a quality indicator, not a safety expiry. Most food is fine well beyond it; only the Verbrauchsdatum ("use by") on raw meat and fish is a real safety date. Knowing the difference cuts food waste. See Eating well on a budget in Germany for eating well and wasting less.
Why does Germany use so many abbreviations?
German's long compound words and the density of its bureaucracy and legal system lend themselves to shortening - laws get initialised (AufenthG, EStG), institutions get acronyms (BAMF, ABH), and listings get compressed to save space (ZKB, KM). It's efficient for locals but a real barrier for newcomers, which is why a decoder like this helps. See Surviving German bureaucracy.
Related guides
Keep going: these guides continue where this one ends.
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