Checklist: the first week
- Move into a temporary place where you can register (see below).
- Book an appointment at a Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) on service.berlin.de right away: you must register within two weeks of moving in. Details: Anmeldung.
- Make sure you have health insurance — it is compulsory for everyone living in Germany.
- Get a SIM card: prepaid is the easiest start; you need an identity document to activate it.
- Buy a Deutschlandticket for buses and trains: in 2026 it costs €63 a month.
Checklist: the first month
- Register at the Bürgeramt and keep the Meldebestätigung (registration certificate) safe — you will need it often.
- Open a current account (Girokonto).
- Your tax ID (Steuer-ID) arrives by post after your first registration, so put your name on the letterbox. If it has not come after three months, contact the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt).
- If you need a residence permit, apply in good time to Berlin’s immigration office, the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA).
- Register your flat for the Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting fee) — or give the fee service (Beitragsservice) the contribution number of the person who already pays for it.
- Prepare your documents and start looking for a permanent home.
Temporary housing first
Finding your own flat in Berlin can take a long time, so many newcomers start with a furnished room or flat for a few weeks or months (often advertised as “Wohnen auf Zeit”), a temporary sublet (Zwischenmiete) or a room in a shared flat (WG). These are easier to get than a regular flat, but furnished flats usually cost more, and contracts are often fixed-term. Check what the rent includes and how much notice you have to give.
Before booking, ask whether you can register at the address and whether you will get the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (the landlord’s confirmation that you have moved in). Never transfer money before you have seen the place in person and signed a contract.
Bank account and health insurance
Salary, benefits and rent usually go through a current account. Banks ask for an identity document and often for the Meldebestätigung. Every consumer legally resident in the EU, even without a fixed address, has the right to a basic account (Basiskonto): the bank must offer it within ten business days of receiving a complete application, and the fees must be reasonable. Your first German account usually also starts your credit history with SCHUFA, which many landlords want to see.
Most people are insured with a statutory health insurance fund (Krankenkasse): employees choose a fund themselves, and their share of the contributions is deducted from their salary. Private insurance is only possible in certain cases, for example for self-employed people or employees with a high income. If you receive Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support, formerly Bürgergeld) from the Jobcenter (job centre), you are usually insured through it. If you only have travel insurance or a policy from abroad, check early whether it is enough.
Residence documents: the LEA
EU citizens do not need a residence permit. Everyone else deals with the LEA, formerly called the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ office). Many applications — for example for work, family or humanitarian reasons — are now submitted online on berlin.de/einwanderung. Apply before your visa or permit expires and keep the confirmation of your application.
If you come from Ukraine
- Temporary protection (residence permit under §24 of the Residence Act, AufenthG): the EU has extended it until 04.03.2028. In Germany, §24 permits that were valid on 01.02.2026 currently remain valid until 04.03.2027, even if the card shows an earlier date. Watch for LEA announcements about the period after that.
- New arrivals register at the arrival centre in Reinickendorf and are allocated to a federal state. If you are allocated to Berlin, you apply online to the LEA and immediately receive a PDF confirmation of your right to stay and work. Under an EU decision, first-time applicants from 05.08.2026 who have military obligations in Ukraine must, as a rule, prove that they comply with them; ask the LEA how this is applied in practice.
- Benefits: until you have the permit or this confirmation, the Sozialamt (social welfare office) pays benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (AsylbLG). After that, the Jobcenter pays Grundsicherungsgeld if you are able to work; otherwise the Sozialamt is responsible. If an office is to pay your rent, read what to clarify before signing.
- A planned law would move people who arrived from 01.04.2025 onwards from the Jobcenter to AsylbLG benefits. As of early October 2026 it has not taken effect — ask your Jobcenter about the current situation.
Ticket, broadcasting fee, phone and internet
- Deutschlandticket: €63 a month in 2026 for local and regional buses and trains throughout Germany (not ICE or IC); the subscription can be cancelled monthly. If you receive social benefits, ask about the cheaper Berlin-Ticket S for fare zones AB (€27.50 a month in 2026).
- Rundfunkbeitrag: currently €18.36 a month per flat, however many people live there; in a WG, one person pays for everyone. Recipients of Grundsicherungsgeld, AsylbLG benefits and some other benefits can apply for an exemption.
- Phone and internet contracts: the initial term may be at most 24 months, and providers must also offer a contract of at most 12 months; after the initial term, you can cancel with one month’s notice — and the same applies if you move to an address where your provider cannot supply the service. Providers often check your creditworthiness before a contract, so prepaid is easier at first.
From temporary housing to your own flat
- Read how to find a flat in Berlin and whether a WG room or your own flat suits you better.
- Check whether you can get a WBS, which opens up subsidised flats with lower rents.
- Go to viewings well prepared with our viewing checklist.
- On Flat-Radar, browse the listings catalog and create a free housing request: landlords see what you are looking for, and new matching listings come to your e-mail.
Where to get help
- Tenant advice: every Berlin district offers free tenant advice (Mieterberatung) for tenants living in the district.
- Migration counselling: free counselling services for immigrants (Migrationsberatung) help adults and young people with letters from authorities, applications and next steps, often in several languages. You can find one near you with the BAMF-NAvI search on bamf.de.
- More answers on renting in Germany: all our guides.