Bremen · Newcomer guide
Settling in Bremen
Bremen is a compact city-state, so most offices and the Bürgeramt are centrally run and relatively easy to reach. Work through the steps below — each guide lists the exact documents to bring.
Typical monthly cost in Bremen: ~€1.620 (rent + essentials). See the full city guide →
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung) in Bremen
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class in Bremen
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account in Bremen
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance in Bremen
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit in Bremen
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live in Bremen
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract in Bremen
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→Extend your residence permit in Bremen
Aufenthaltstitel verlängern
Read the guide→As you settle in
Exchange your driving licence in Bremen
Führerschein umschreiben
Read the guide→Claim child benefit (Kindergeld) in Bremen
Kindergeld
Read the guide→Get a public transport ticket in Bremen
Deutschlandticket
Read the guide→Register as a freelancer in Bremen
Freiberufler anmelden
Read the guide→File an income-tax return in Bremen
Einkommensteuererklärung
Read the guide→Register a car (Kfz-Zulassung) in Bremen
Kfz-Zulassung
Read the guide→Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Bremen
Elterngeld
Read the guide→Apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) in Bremen
Wohngeld
Read the guide→Find a daycare place (Kita) in Bremen
Kita-Platz
Read the guide→Enrol your child in school in Bremen
Schulanmeldung
Read the guide→Apply for German citizenship in Bremen
Einbürgerung
Read the guide→Apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Bremen
Niederlassungserlaubnis
Read the guide→Get a German driving licence (driving school) in Bremen
Führerschein / Fahrschule
Read the guide→TiG Desk — free iPhone app
The letters that come with your move to Bremen, 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