Lower Saxony · Newcomer guide
Settling in Hannover
Hannover is the capital of Lower Saxony; services are well-organised and the city is used to a steady flow of new arrivals. Work through the steps below — each guide lists the exact documents to bring.
Typical monthly cost in Hannover: ~€1.680 (rent + essentials). See the full city guide →
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung) in Hannover
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class in Hannover
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account in Hannover
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance in Hannover
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit in Hannover
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live in Hannover
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract in Hannover
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→Extend your residence permit in Hannover
Aufenthaltstitel verlängern
Read the guide→As you settle in
Exchange your driving licence in Hannover
Führerschein umschreiben
Read the guide→Claim child benefit (Kindergeld) in Hannover
Kindergeld
Read the guide→Get a public transport ticket in Hannover
Deutschlandticket
Read the guide→Register as a freelancer in Hannover
Freiberufler anmelden
Read the guide→File an income-tax return in Hannover
Einkommensteuererklärung
Read the guide→Register a car (Kfz-Zulassung) in Hannover
Kfz-Zulassung
Read the guide→Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Hannover
Elterngeld
Read the guide→Apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) in Hannover
Wohngeld
Read the guide→Find a daycare place (Kita) in Hannover
Kita-Platz
Read the guide→Enrol your child in school in Hannover
Schulanmeldung
Read the guide→Apply for German citizenship in Hannover
Einbürgerung
Read the guide→Apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Hannover
Niederlassungserlaubnis
Read the guide→Get a German driving licence (driving school) in Hannover
Führerschein / Fahrschule
Read the guide→TiG Desk — free iPhone app
The letters that come with your move to Hannover, 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