Berlin · Newcomer guide
Settling in Berlin
Berlin's Bürgeramt appointments are the scarcest in Germany — book the moment you have an address. Work through the steps below — each guide lists the exact documents to bring.
Typical monthly cost in Berlin: ~€2.030 (rent + essentials). See the full city guide →
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung) in Berlin
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class in Berlin
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account in Berlin
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance in Berlin
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit in Berlin
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live in Berlin
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract in Berlin
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→Extend your residence permit in Berlin
Aufenthaltstitel verlängern
Read the guide→As you settle in
Exchange your driving licence in Berlin
Führerschein umschreiben
Read the guide→Claim child benefit (Kindergeld) in Berlin
Kindergeld
Read the guide→Get a public transport ticket in Berlin
Deutschlandticket
Read the guide→Register as a freelancer in Berlin
Freiberufler anmelden
Read the guide→File an income-tax return in Berlin
Einkommensteuererklärung
Read the guide→Register a car (Kfz-Zulassung) in Berlin
Kfz-Zulassung
Read the guide→Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Berlin
Elterngeld
Read the guide→Apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) in Berlin
Wohngeld
Read the guide→Find a daycare place (Kita) in Berlin
Kita-Platz
Read the guide→Enrol your child in school in Berlin
Schulanmeldung
Read the guide→Apply for German citizenship in Berlin
Einbürgerung
Read the guide→Apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Berlin
Niederlassungserlaubnis
Read the guide→Get a German driving licence (driving school) in Berlin
Führerschein / Fahrschule
Read the guide→TiG Desk — free iPhone app
The letters that come with your move to Berlin, read for you
Photograph an official letter and TiG Desk tells you who sent it, what you have to do and by when — then keeps the document on your phone and reminds you before the deadline. Free, and it works without an account.
Filling the form on a computer? TiG Pilot explains every German field while you fill it, in your browser.
- 📷Photograph a letter — sender, deadline and what to do
- 🗂️Every document in one place, kept on your phone
- ⏰Reminders before a Frist, not after it
- 🇩🇪German terms shown alongside, because that is what the clerk says