Skip to content
HomiStart
Create your plan

About us

About HomiStart

Last updated:

Moving to a new country means dozens of steps — registering your address, insurance, taxes, a bank account, a flat, a job, making friends — and most of the information is scattered, outdated or written for people who already know the system. HomiStart brings it together in one calm place and turns it into a plan you can actually follow.

1. Our mission

We want every newcomer to know what to do next, by when, and where to check it — without paying for basic orientation and without wading through forums and advertising.

  • A personal plan: the tasks that apply to your situation, in a sensible order, with deadlines and reminders.
  • Guides you can trust: step by step, with official sources and the date they were last checked.
  • Practical tools: checklists and planners for the tricky parts.
  • Community: answers from other newcomers and locals, and housing listings.

2. How our content is researched

  • Official sources first. We write from authorities, government portals and other official bodies, and link them in every guide so you can check each step yourself. Where we use other sources, we label what kind of source they are.
  • Visible check dates. Every guide shows the date an editor last verified it against its sources.
  • Re-verification intervals. Each guide has its own review interval — typically six months, shorter for topics that change often, such as fees and deadlines. When a review is due or overdue, the guide is marked so you know to double-check.
  • Link checks. Linked sources are checked automatically, and broken links are flagged for our editors.
  • Corrections. If you spot something outdated or wrong, use "Suggest a correction" on the guide or write to us. We review every suggestion and update the guide and its check date.
  • Clear labels. Editorial answers in the community are marked as such, and community answers are never presented as official information.
Our content explains common processes; it is not legal, tax or immigration advice. For your individual case, the responsible authority or a qualified adviser has the final word.

3. No ads, no sponsored rankings

HomiStart shows no advertising, and nobody can pay to appear in our guides, lists, rankings or search results. We do not earn money from the providers we mention. Listings that do not meet our rules are removed.

4. Our privacy stance

  • You can read everything without an account.
  • Profile details are optional, used only to tailor your plan and never shown to other people.
  • We run our own analytics, only with your consent — no third-party trackers, no advertising networks.
  • You can export your data and delete your account yourself, at any time.

Details are in our privacy policy.

5. Where we are today

We would rather cover a few places well than many places badly. That is why we are honest about our coverage:

BerlinIn depth
Guides, a personal plan, neighbourhoods, services, community, and housing listings. Explore Berlin.
GermanyCountry-wide guides
Rules that apply everywhere in Germany, such as registration, taxes, health insurance and residence. Explore Germany.
Munich, Hamburg, Paris and AmsterdamIn depth
City guides, a personal plan, neighbourhoods and services, plus country-wide guides for France and the Netherlands. France · Netherlands.
More destinationsStarter guides
The most important first steps for further cities in Europe, North America and Australia. See all destinations.

We expand when we can offer the same quality. The app is available in ten languages; guides are mostly written in English and include the local terms you will meet at the authorities.

6. Contact

Questions, ideas or corrections? Write to info@pragpath.com. Legal information is in the imprint and the terms of use.