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