Lower Saxony · Newcomer guide
Settling in Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a university city close to the North Rhine-Westphalia border; it runs on Lower Saxony's portals, and both housing and appointments are less contested than in the Ruhr. Work through the steps below — each guide lists the exact documents to bring.
When you arrive
Register your address (Anmeldung) in Osnabrück
Anmeldung
Read the guide→Get your tax ID & tax class in Osnabrück
Steuer-ID / Finanzamt
Read the guide→Open a bank account in Osnabrück
Girokonto
Read the guide→Sign up for health insurance in Osnabrück
Krankenversicherung
Read the guide→Apply for a residence permit in Osnabrück
Aufenthaltstitel
Read the guide→Find a place to live in Osnabrück
Wohnungssuche
Read the guide→Get a SIM or phone contract in Osnabrück
Handyvertrag
Read the guide→Extend your residence permit in Osnabrück
Aufenthaltstitel verlängern
Read the guide→As you settle in
Exchange your driving licence in Osnabrück
Führerschein umschreiben
Read the guide→Claim child benefit (Kindergeld) in Osnabrück
Kindergeld
Read the guide→Get a public transport ticket in Osnabrück
Deutschlandticket
Read the guide→Register as a freelancer in Osnabrück
Freiberufler anmelden
Read the guide→File an income-tax return in Osnabrück
Einkommensteuererklärung
Read the guide→Register a car (Kfz-Zulassung) in Osnabrück
Kfz-Zulassung
Read the guide→Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Osnabrück
Elterngeld
Read the guide→Apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) in Osnabrück
Wohngeld
Read the guide→Find a daycare place (Kita) in Osnabrück
Kita-Platz
Read the guide→Enrol your child in school in Osnabrück
Schulanmeldung
Read the guide→Apply for German citizenship in Osnabrück
Einbürgerung
Read the guide→Apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Osnabrück
Niederlassungserlaubnis
Read the guide→Get a German driving licence (driving school) in Osnabrück
Führerschein / Fahrschule
Read the guide→TiG Pilot — free browser extension
Doing your move to Osnabrück online? Let TiG Pilot read the form with you
Open any German authority form and TiG Pilot tells you what each field means in plain English, warns you about the ones that cost money, and fills in the details you saved once — stored only in your browser. Free, and it never submits anything for you.
- 🏛️Detects German authority forms and explains every field
- ⚠️Flags the traps — church tax, Hauptwohnung, declarations
- ✍️Fills your saved details — stored in your browser only
- 🧩Works on job application forms too — one profile fills both