Your First Week in Germany: A Practical Checklist

The first week after arriving in Germany involves a specific sequence of administrative tasks, and the order matters. Several steps depend on having completed the previous one — skipping ahead or doing things out of sequence creates delays. This checklist covers the five most urgent items for a new arrival.

Why the Order Matters

German bureaucracy is heavily sequential. Opening a bank account requires proof of a registered address. Setting up statutory health insurance requires a bank account for direct debit. Receiving your tax ID requires having completed your address registration. Each step unlocks the next, so starting at the wrong point costs time.

Step 1: Get a SIM Card

Do this on arrival, before anything else. A German or EU mobile number is needed to receive verification codes for online forms, booking appointment slots, and setting up most digital accounts. German providers with good prepaid options include Telekom, Vodafone, and O2. Prepaid SIMs are sold at supermarkets (Rewe, Edeka), electronics stores (Saturn, MediaMarkt), and provider shops. Identity verification is required — bring your passport.

If arriving with an existing EU SIM, it will work initially, but German numbers are expected for many forms and callbacks.

Step 2: Complete Your Anmeldung

The Anmeldung (address registration) is the foundation of your administrative life in Germany. It must be completed within 14 days of moving into a permanent address. You need:

• A valid passport or national ID

• A completed Anmeldeformular (registration form)

• A Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord confirmation form) signed by whoever is letting you the accommodation

Book an appointment at your local Bürgeramt (residents' registration office) as soon as you have a confirmed address. In large cities, appointment slots are competitive — check early in the morning for cancellations, and try multiple district offices.

The Anmeldung produces a Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate), which is required for almost every subsequent step.

Step 3: Await Your Steuer-ID

The Steuer-ID (tax identification number) is a permanent 11-digit number assigned to every person registered in Germany. It is issued automatically by the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (Federal Central Tax Office) after your Anmeldung is processed and arrives by post to your registered address within two to four weeks.

The Steuer-ID is needed by employers before the first payroll run and is required for certain bank account setups. Because it cannot be expedited through normal channels, timing matters.

Workaround for employment: If starting a job before the Steuer-ID arrives, inform your employer's HR or payroll department. Employers can begin payroll processing using the highest tax class temporarily (Lohnsteuerklasse VI), which results in higher initial deductions — these are corrected retroactively once the Steuer-ID is submitted. Most employers are familiar with this situation for new arrivals.

Workaround for banking: Most banks do not require a Steuer-ID to open an account, though they are obliged to collect it eventually under FATCA and EU requirements. Provide it once received.

If the letter does not arrive after four weeks, the Steuer-ID can be requested by phone or post from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern in Bonn.

Step 4: Open a Bank Account

A German bank account is needed for paying rent, setting up direct debits for utilities and insurance, and receiving salary. Most landlords and service providers require a German IBAN.

The Meldebescheinigung from Step 2 is the critical document here. Most banks — including online banks like N26 and DKB — require proof of a registered German address before issuing an account. N26 allows account opening entirely online with video identity verification. DKB, which offers a widely-used free current account and a Visa card with no foreign transaction fees, also has an online process but requires the registered address.

For new arrivals who have not yet completed their Anmeldung, options are limited. Some banks accept a lease agreement as interim proof of address; a small number of fintech services can onboard without a German address, though their accounts are more restricted.

Step 5: Set Up Health Insurance

Health insurance in Germany is mandatory. Employees earning below the Versicherungspflichtgrenze (compulsory insurance threshold, approximately 69,300 EUR in 2025) must enrol in the statutory system (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, or GKV). Those above the threshold may choose private insurance (private Krankenversicherung, PKV).

For most employed new arrivals, the employer handles enrolment in GKV — but you must select a provider and inform your employer. Major GKV providers include Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), AOK, Barmer, and DAK. TK and Barmer are frequently recommended for international residents due to their English-language online services.

GKV contributions are collected via SEPA-Lastschrift (direct debit), which requires a German bank account — hence the importance of completing Step 4 first. For employed persons, contributions are split between employee and employer, and deducted automatically from salary.

Freelancers and the self-employed must enrol independently and pay the full contribution themselves, making the bank account prerequisite even more pressing.

Summary Sequence

1. SIM card — enables communication and digital verification

2. Anmeldung — produces the Meldebescheinigung needed for banking and more

3. Steuer-ID — arrives automatically by post; use workarounds if employer needs it urgently

4. Bank account — requires the Meldebescheinigung; unlocks SEPA direct debits

5. Health insurance — requires a bank account for payment; mandatory for all residents

Key Takeaways

• The five steps have a strict dependency chain — completing them out of order causes delays, not just inconvenience.

• Book your Bürgeramt appointment as early as possible; in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg, slots can be several weeks out.

• The Steuer-ID cannot be collected in person — it arrives by post and takes two to four weeks after Anmeldung.

• Employees can start work without a Steuer-ID using a temporary tax class arrangement; inform HR immediately.

• Health insurance enrollment requires a German bank account for the SEPA direct debit mandate.