North Rhine-Westphalia · Newcomer guide
Settling in Dortmund
Dortmund and the wider Ruhr area share many North Rhine-Westphalia state portals, and appointments are usually quicker than in Cologne or Düsseldorf. Work through the steps below — each guide lists the exact documents to bring.
Typical monthly cost in Dortmund: ~€1.550 (rent + essentials). See the full city guide →
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung) in Dortmund
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class in Dortmund
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account in Dortmund
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance in Dortmund
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit in Dortmund
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live in Dortmund
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract in Dortmund
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→Extend your residence permit in Dortmund
Aufenthaltstitel verlängern
Read the guide→As you settle in
Exchange your driving licence in Dortmund
Führerschein umschreiben
Read the guide→Claim child benefit (Kindergeld) in Dortmund
Kindergeld
Read the guide→Get a public transport ticket in Dortmund
Deutschlandticket
Read the guide→Register as a freelancer in Dortmund
Freiberufler anmelden
Read the guide→File an income-tax return in Dortmund
Einkommensteuererklärung
Read the guide→Register a car (Kfz-Zulassung) in Dortmund
Kfz-Zulassung
Read the guide→Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Dortmund
Elterngeld
Read the guide→Apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) in Dortmund
Wohngeld
Read the guide→Find a daycare place (Kita) in Dortmund
Kita-Platz
Read the guide→Enrol your child in school in Dortmund
Schulanmeldung
Read the guide→Apply for German citizenship in Dortmund
Einbürgerung
Read the guide→Apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Dortmund
Niederlassungserlaubnis
Read the guide→Get a German driving licence (driving school) in Dortmund
Führerschein / Fahrschule
Read the guide→TiG Desk — free iPhone app
The letters that come with your move to Dortmund, 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