Saxony · Newcomer guide
Settling in Chemnitz
Chemnitz is Saxony's third city and shares the same state portals as Leipzig and Dresden, but with shorter waits and noticeably lower rents. Work through the steps below — each guide lists the exact documents to bring.
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung) in Chemnitz
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class in Chemnitz
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account in Chemnitz
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance in Chemnitz
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit in Chemnitz
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live in Chemnitz
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract in Chemnitz
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→Extend your residence permit in Chemnitz
Aufenthaltstitel verlängern
Read the guide→As you settle in
Exchange your driving licence in Chemnitz
Führerschein umschreiben
Read the guide→Claim child benefit (Kindergeld) in Chemnitz
Kindergeld
Read the guide→Get a public transport ticket in Chemnitz
Deutschlandticket
Read the guide→Register as a freelancer in Chemnitz
Freiberufler anmelden
Read the guide→File an income-tax return in Chemnitz
Einkommensteuererklärung
Read the guide→Register a car (Kfz-Zulassung) in Chemnitz
Kfz-Zulassung
Read the guide→Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Chemnitz
Elterngeld
Read the guide→Apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) in Chemnitz
Wohngeld
Read the guide→Find a daycare place (Kita) in Chemnitz
Kita-Platz
Read the guide→Enrol your child in school in Chemnitz
Schulanmeldung
Read the guide→Apply for German citizenship in Chemnitz
Einbürgerung
Read the guide→Apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Chemnitz
Niederlassungserlaubnis
Read the guide→Get a German driving licence (driving school) in Chemnitz
Führerschein / Fahrschule
Read the guide→TiG Desk — free iPhone app
The letters that come with your move to Chemnitz, 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