Settling in Germany
Step-by-step guides to German bureaucracy
Every official task a newcomer faces — explained in plain English, with the exact documents to bring and whether you can do it online. Pick a task, then your city for the local details.
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung)
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→As you settle in
Guides by city
Meet Amtly
Your German paperwork, in your pocket
The free companion app for German bureaucracy. Get a personal arrival plan, track every Termin with the exact documents to bring, and scan papers into a private on-device vault. Available in English, Deutsch and 中文.
- 🗺️A plan tailored to your persona, city and Bundesland
- 📅Appointment reminders with the right document checklist
- 🔒On-device document vault — your papers never leave the phone
- 💬Ask Amtly + a community of internationals who've done it