Baden-Württemberg · Newcomer guide
Settling in Freiburg
Freiburg, in sunny south-west Baden-Württemberg, is a green university city with a tight housing market — sort accommodation before anything else; it uses the BW state portals. Work through the steps below — each guide lists the exact documents to bring.
Typical monthly cost in Freiburg: ~€1.920 (rent + essentials). See the full city guide →
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung) in Freiburg
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class in Freiburg
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account in Freiburg
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance in Freiburg
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit in Freiburg
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live in Freiburg
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract in Freiburg
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→Extend your residence permit in Freiburg
Aufenthaltstitel verlängern
Read the guide→As you settle in
Exchange your driving licence in Freiburg
Führerschein umschreiben
Read the guide→Claim child benefit (Kindergeld) in Freiburg
Kindergeld
Read the guide→Get a public transport ticket in Freiburg
Deutschlandticket
Read the guide→Register as a freelancer in Freiburg
Freiberufler anmelden
Read the guide→File an income-tax return in Freiburg
Einkommensteuererklärung
Read the guide→Register a car (Kfz-Zulassung) in Freiburg
Kfz-Zulassung
Read the guide→Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Freiburg
Elterngeld
Read the guide→Apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) in Freiburg
Wohngeld
Read the guide→Find a daycare place (Kita) in Freiburg
Kita-Platz
Read the guide→Enrol your child in school in Freiburg
Schulanmeldung
Read the guide→Apply for German citizenship in Freiburg
Einbürgerung
Read the guide→Apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Freiburg
Niederlassungserlaubnis
Read the guide→Get a German driving licence (driving school) in Freiburg
Führerschein / Fahrschule
Read the guide→TiG Desk — free iPhone app
The letters that come with your move to Freiburg, 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