Moving to Germany

  • tags Germany German German Visa
  • Things to do
    • Scan Birth certificate and other docs
    • Change Airtel to prepaid
    • ‌international roaming plan
    • ‌print and sign contract
    • ‌buy pepsid
    • ‌sneaker
    • ‌scocks
    • ‌towel atleast 2
    • ‌sunglass
    • ‌strepsills ors vicks
    • ‌photos
  • Lists
    • Money
      • Locks, for bag and small locker
      • Get euro from bank
      • Revolut
      • N26
      • Forex card
    • Packing
    • Accomodation
    • Visa and docs
      • Transaltion services
      • Passport and visa and photocopies
      • Flight ticket
      • Accomodation
      • Job contract
      • Edu certificates
      • birth certificates
      • Driving lisence
    • Medical
    • Insurance
    • Shoppping
      • Clothing
        • 2 jeans
        • 2 casual pants
        • 3 T shirts collar
        • 3 T shirts non collar
        • 1 Fleece
        • 1 sweater
        • 1 gym pants
        • 4 shorts
        • 1 Base layer thermals
        • 2 Socks
        • Shoes
        • travel pillow
        • life straw /steripen
      • Ziplock
      • Umbrella
      • Vaccum bag
      • Noodles
      • Spices
      • Cutlery
        • Spoons
        • mug
        • bottle
        • Tiffin box, decathon travel cutlery
  • Resources
  • Finding Accomodation in Germany
    • Terminology
      • Kaltmiete — cold rent, or the base monthly rent without building utility costs or heating.
      • Warmmiete — warm rent, or the base monthly rent plus heating.
      • Nebenkosten — additional building utility costs, e.g. the price of maintaining the hallways and stairwells.
      • Gesamtmiete — total rent, or the base monthly rent plus building utility costs and heating.
      • Kaution — security deposit, typically three times the cold rent.
      • Möbiliert — furnished.
      • Saniert — refurbished, or a partial renovation.
      • Renoviert — renovated, or a complete renovation.
      • Altbau — old building, in which rooms typically have parquet floors and high ceilings with decorative mouldings.
      • Neubau — new building, in which rooms typically have laminate floors and low ceilings.
      • Wohnfläche — living area, or the total size of the entire place in square meters.
      • WBS (Wohnberechtigungsschein) — permit for subsidized housing. If you see a listing that says WBS, it’s only available for people who have this permit.
      • EBK (Einbauküche) — fitted kitchen. In Germany, an unfurnished flat typically means it doesn’t contain any furnishings at all, like a built-in kitchen. Don’t be surprised if you attend a viewing and the kitchen is completely empty, which means you’d have to purchase an oven, refrigerator and cabinets on your own when you move in.
      • Vorderhaus, Hinterhaus, Seitenflügel — front house, side wings, rear house, or all the parts of a multi-building complex.
      • Erdgeschoss — ground floor, sometimes at street level, sometimes elevated above street level.
      • Dachgeschoss — attic floor, sometimes with normal ceilings, sometimes with arched ceilings.
      • Aufzug — elevator, sometimes only available to tenants on certain floors.
      • Schlafzimmer, Badezimmer, Wohnzimmer — bedroom, bathroom, living room. Be advised that a “2-room flat” means there are literally just two rooms, not two bedrooms.
      • Provisionsfreie / null provision — no broker fee. In Germany, the Bestellerprinzip law dictates that whoever orders the brokerage service to show a property must pay the broker fee. So, if a landlord has hired a broker to show the flat, he/she must pay the fee. If you hire a broker to find a flat, you must pay the fee. The fee can only be two to three times more than the cold rent amount.
      • WG (Wohngemeinschaft) — flatshare.
      • Zentralheizung — central heating.
      • Etagenheizung — floor heating.
      • Balkon/Terrasse — balcony/terrace.
      • Garten — garden.
    • Finding accomodation foreign ki dhunia
      • Make sure to sign handover protocol to make sure exisitng damages are noted.
      • Translate the contract in German and read all the clause, look for min duration, sublet?, who is responsible for what damages.
    • Websites
      • immobilienscout24.de
      • immonet.de
        • Swtich to german and look for the EBK for kitchen included
        • look for möbliert/Teilmöbliert means furnished/Semi furnished
      • Places that don’t ask for schufa, you can register with them and generate a credit score, before moving to another apartment, bit more expensive
        • housinganywhere
        • Nestpick
        • wunderflats
      • places to find WG Wohngemeinschaft (WG) shared flats (12-30 sqm)
        • immoscout24
        • WG-gesucht.de
    • When renting apartments they ask for schufa which is the credit score, but you need to be registered in germany to get a credit score.
    • kaution is the deposit for the apartments by law not more than 3 times rent.
    • Kaltmiete vs warmmiete
      • Kaltmiete is the cold rent is the price that is listed in the website for the apartment.
      • Warmmiete is the cold rent plus utilities (nebenkoste). Utilities are heating, water, sanitation.** Electricity and internet are not included in utilities**
      • You dont get an invoice for the warmmiete, your landlord tell you an amount based on the average consumption and you pay that amount. In the year they balance out the amount. This is called Nebenkostenabrechnung.
      • Rundfunkgebuhr broadcasting fee for public television, by having your apartment you are obligled to pay 17 EUR
    • Bathroom and kitchen are not counted as rooms, but living room is, 2 room apartment is bedroom and living room. 1.5 room is like a studio with a small partition. Avg flat size in city ():0)
    • Pay the deposit
      • You must pay the deposit (Kaution) before your lease starts. You don’t have to pay immediately after you sign the lease. The Mietkaution is maximum 3 times the cold rent.
      • You can pay the deposit in 3 instalments.
        • 1/3 before your lease starts
        • 1/3 before the end of the first month
        • and 1/3 before the end of the second month.3
        • The landlord can’t force you to pay the Kaution all at once
      • You usually pay the rent and the deposit by SEPA transfer. If you pay with cash, always ask for a receipt. You can also use Wise to send money from another country.
        • A SEPA-Überweisung is a bank transfer between two banks in Europe. They take less than 2 days.
        • When you transfer money, you need the recipient’s IBAN. You can also leave a reference
        • IBAN means International Bank Account Number. It’s a bank account’s unique number.
        • IBANs have the format DE 1234 5678 9012 3456 7890 12. The first two letters are the country code of the bank.
      • If you don’t have enough money for the deposit, you can open a Mietaval. Rent payment suretyThe bank guarantees the deposit for you, and you pay a small fee to the bank every month.
      • Pay the deposit with cash. Always ask for a receipt.
      • Make a SEPA transfer from a bank in another EU country.
      • Use Wise to transfer money from a bank in another country.
      • After move out
        • The landlord must return your Kaution in a reasonable time.7 There is no legal limit, but 6 months is normal
        • The landlord usually keeps your Kaution until they know how much utilities (Nebenkosten) you used. Sometimes, you used more water and heating than expected, and you must pay more. The utilities bill is adjusted once per year, with the Nebenkostenabrechnung.
        • After you get the utilities bill (Nebenkostenabrechnung), and everything in the Übergabeprotokoll is repaired, the landlord must give your deposit back. They have no other reason to keep your deposit.
        • The landlord can only use your deposit to make repairs or pay your debts.10 They can’t keep your Kaution to punish you. If they make repairs, they must give you a detailed invoice with the cost of repairs.11 They must show receipts for everything.12 They can’t charge you for things they do not repair.
        • If your landlord won’t return your deposit, you can get help from your tenants’ association or a lawyer. Conny also offers a deposit recovery service. You only pay if they are successful.
    • Pay the rent
      • You must pay the rent before your lease starts. You don’t have to pay immediately after you sign the lease.
      • You only need to pay rent if you can actually live there. For example, if your leases starts on January 1, but you only get the keys on January 15, you don’t pay rent from January 1 to January 15
    • Get an Internet contract
      • Sign an internet contract as soon as possible. It takes a few weeks for the company to connect the internet.
      • Use Verivox or Check24 to compare internet service providers.
    • Put your name on the mailbox
      • German apartment buildings rarely have individual apartment numbers. You have the same address as everyone in your building. If your name is not on your mailbox, you won’t get mail addressed to you. You must add “c/o” or “bei” to your address.
      • When you move in, the landlord or the Hausverwaltung puts your name on your mailbox. They can’t make you pay for this
        • [your name] bei [your roommate’s name] (the person whose name is on the mailbox)
        • Musterstraße 17
        • 12345 Berlin
        • Deutschland
    • Register your address
    • Get an electricity contract
      • Your warm rent (Warmmiete) usually includes central heating and hot water. It does not include the electricity inside your apartment (lights, appliances, …). You need to get your own electricity contract.
      • You must choose an electricity provider and sign an electricity contract. Compare options with Verivox or Check24. If you don’t speak German, Ostrom speaks English.
      • Most providers offer a lower price for the first year or two, then the price goes up. If you switch providers every year or two, you always get the lowest price. You can save a lot of money. – More information.
    • Buy furniture and appliances
      • You can buy used appliances from eBay Kleinanzeigen. Used appliances are much cheaper. Professional sellers offer a 12 month warranty and free delivery. Only buy your appliances from sellers with old accounts.
    • Get liability insurance
      • Liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) is really important in Germany. 85% of German homes have it.4 It costs around 5€ per month.
      • If you cause an accident in Germany, the victim can sue you. If the victim wins, you have to pay reparations.5 A lawsuit like that can easily ruin you. Liability insurance protects you from such damage claims. If you cause an accident, your insurance company will pay the legal fees and the reparations. For example, if your washing machine breaks and floods your neighbour’s apartment, your insurance will pay for it.
      • What it covers
        • Damage you cause to the apartment you rent
        • Damage you cause to other people’s property If you accidentally send someone a virus that breaks their computer, or scratch someone’s car with your bicycle
        • Damage caused by your spouse and children Liability insurance covers your family too, except your children under 7
        • Injuries caused to other people If you accidentally trip someone and they break their leg, they can sue you for damages.
        • Lost keys If you lose your apartment keys, the landlord might need to replace the locks for the entire building.6 This can get really expensive.
        • Damage to things you rent or borrow (geliehene Sachen) For example, you break the couch in your furnished apartment,7 you damage a hotel room while you are on vacation
        • Other people’s insurances not paying you (Forderungsausfall) If someone else hurts you, and they cannot pay the damages, your liability insurance will pay you.
      • What it doesn’t cover
        • Damage to your own things
        • Damage caused by your business activities If you are a freelancer or a business owner, you will need professional liability insurance (Betriebshaftpflichtversicherung)
        • Car accidents If you drive a car, damage to other people and their cars is covered by your car insurance,
        • Legal disputes If you want to sue someone, your liability insurance won’t protect you. Legal insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung) can be useful.
        • Piracy and copyright infringement If you get in trouble for illegally downloading movies, your liability insurance will not cover you.
        • Locking yourself out If you lock yourself out of your apartment, and you call a locksmith to open the door, your liability insurance will not pay for it.
      • If you rent a furnished apartment, choose a liability insurance that covers rented things (geliehene Sachen). This will also cover the rented furniture.
      • 83% of German homes have liability insurance.17 It’s the most important type of insurance after health insurance.
      • How to choose liability insurance ➞
        • Use Tarifcheck to compare prices
        • Tarifcheck only shows you the prices. It does not help you pick a good liability insurance.
        • Use Test.de’s liability insurance checker
        • This tool checks if your liability insurance covers the important things.
        • Check your insurance company on Trustpilot
        • See if people have problems getting paid by the insurance company.
        • Read your insurance policy
        • All EU insurance policies come with an Insurance Product Information Document (IPID).18 This one-page summary tells you what your liability insurance covers. Then you should read your entire contract. It takes less than an hour, and it’s really worth it. If you don’t speak German, Feather and GetSafe have their contracts in English.
      • The minimum coverage you need
        • Your liability insurance must cover you well. This is the minimum it should cover:
          • Minimum insured sum
          • These are the minimum sums a good liability insurance should cover.
            • At least 10 million euros19 in damages to other people. 50 million euros is better.20
            • At least 300,000€ in damages to the apartment you rent.21
            • At least 50,000€ in damages while using a computer.21
          • Worldwide coverage
          • It should cover you anywhere in the world, not just in Germany.21
          • Coverage for rented things (geliehene Sachen)
          • If you rent a furnished apartment, it should cover rented things. This covers you if you break the furniture.
      • How to pay less
        • Yearly payments are cheaper than monthly payments22
        • Combine liability and household insurance to get a lower price.23
        • Choose a higher deductible (Selbstbeteiligung). If your deductible is higher, your insurance is cheaper. The price difference is small, so it’s better to pay more, and have a small deductible.24
        • Declare it on your tax return. Liability insurance is a tax-deductible expense.
      • The things you have in your apartment are not covered by liability insurance. If you want to insure your furniture or your electronics, you need a household insurance (Hausratversicherung).6 Household insurance can also cover bicycle theft.
      • Use Tarifcheck to compare liability insurance options. Feather and GetSafe offer liability insurance for less than 5€ per month and they speak English. They also have household insurance (Hausratversicherung).
    • Join a tenants’ association
      • A tenants’ association (Mieterverein) protects tenants from their landlords. When you are in a Mieterverein, you can get help from their lawyers. They can check your lease, help you with a bad landlord, get your rent reduced, and help you sublet an apartment.
      • You can also get free help from the Mieterberatung. This is a free service from the city of Berlin. They might not speak English.
      • You can also get legal insurance. Legal insurance lets you talk to a lawyer when you have a problem. It also pays for your legal costs if you sue someone. It covers more things than a Mieterverein, but it’s more expensive. If you don’t speak German, Feather and GetSafe have legal insurance in English.
  • Anmeldung
    • You enter the German beuracratic system through the anmeldung.
    • With it only you get a bank account, tax id,
    • By law you have 14 days, but 3-4 weeks is ok.
    • Google nearest** Bürgeramt Bürgebüro.**
    • https://umziehen.de/behoerdenfinder By the german post office
    • Go to the nearest office 30 mins early in the morning, 7-730 and stand in line.
    • Docs
      • Passport with Visa
      • Residence permit if you have it.
    • Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (permission from landlord to live in apartment)
      • Rental contracts are not enough, you need the Wohnungsgerberbestatigung. landlords are leagally obliged to give you in case of a proper flat.
      • __Wohnungsgeberbestätigung__ (also called __Einzugsbestätigung **des **Wohnungsgebers__ or __Vermieterbescheinigung__) (landlord certificate) is a document given by the landlord or the main tenant (Hauptmieter). This document proves that you are allowed to live at this address.
      • The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is required for your address registration (Anmeldung). Without it, you can’t register your address.
      • The main tenant can’t sign this document without the permission of the landlord.1 This means that you can’t register a place as your official address without the permission of the landlord.
    • Anmeldebestätigung or meldebestätigung
      • This is a **registration certificate **(Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebestätigung) proves that you live at a certain address. You need an Anmeldebestätigung to open a bank account, get a cellphone contract, and many other things.
    • Ummeldung or Reregistraion
      • When you move address you have to re register with the burgeramt.
    • Rundfunkbeitrag TV broadcasting Fee
      • Youe register your address and you start paying for it every month.
    • Abmeldung
      • This is the De registration , if you are moving out of Germany. This does not mean you are de registred from TV broad casting or the finances.
  • Transport
    • S Bahn Suburban train (white and green)
    • Uban Underground train (blue) main bread and butter
    • Strassen ban Street train
    • Two types of ticket
      • point to point fahrnkarte a paper ticket thats good for a few hours but only one journey. Doesn’t matter if you take another train.
      • Value ticket
        • The place is divided in to zones that cover areas from closest to farthest. They provide day, month tickets for each zones and youf
  • What to pack
    • Essentials
      • Documents
        • originals
          • Passport
          • degree certificate
          • birth certificate (translated in India)
          • Marksheets Transcripts
      • Food
        • Spices, tea, sugar
        • rice
        • Magi, ready to eat food
      • Electronics
        • Travel adapter and extension cord
        • Electric kettle (can get from there)
        • Power bank
      • Utensils (woolworth or IKEA)
        • Pressure cooker
        • Zip lock bags and small containers
        • puttu maker
        • Knifes, pots and pans
        • non stick Tawa and spoons
      • Clothings
        • Thermals and inners
        • jeans
        • thick shirts
        • Cap and scarf
        • Shoes
        • Bed sheet thick ones
      • Meds
        • Paracetamol
        • Vicks moov
        • cold
        • cough syrups
        • nasal soutions
        • eye drops
        • band aid
        • vitamin D
      • cosmetics (search on DM or ROSSMAN )
        • Shower gel
        • moisturiser
        • trimmer
        • nail clipper
        • Detergent tide 1rs packet
      • Stationary
        • Folders
  • Moving to Germany

Notes mentioning this note

Moving to Germany
tags Germany German German Visa Things to do Scan Birth certificate and other docs Change Airtel to prepaid ‌international roaming...

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