Moving to Germany: an overview of routes, timeline and first steps

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

You do not need a visa or a residence permit. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), you can enter with a valid ID card or passport and stay longer than three months if you work, are self-employed, study, look for work (initially up to six months), or have sufficient funds and health insurance. Like everyone else, you must register your address within two weeks of moving in. Family members who are not EU citizens themselves share this right and receive a residence card (Aufenthaltskarte) from the local immigration office. The guide EU citizens in Germany has the details.

Nationals who may apply after entering

Under section 41 of the Residence Ordinance (Aufenthaltsverordnung), citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States may enter Germany without a visa and apply for their residence permit locally. The application must be made within 90 days of entry. Citizens of Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino have a similar option, but only for stays that do not involve employment (with narrow exceptions).

Entering visa-free does not by itself allow you to work. Under section 4a of the Residence Act, you may work once you hold a residence title that permits it, so plan your start date with your employer accordingly.

Everyone else

You need a national visa (category D) before you travel. You apply at the German embassy or consulate responsible for your country of residence, and for many purposes through the Federal Foreign Office's online Auslandsportal. A short-stay Schengen visa (category C) is for visits of up to 90 days in 180 days and is not a substitute: as a rule, section 5 of the Residence Act requires that you entered with the visa that matches your purpose. Exceptions exist but are decided case by case, so do not rely on switching after arrival.

German law ties each residence title to a purpose. The most common routes for newcomers are:

• EU Blue Card for people with a university degree and a qualifying job offer. In 2026 the salary threshold is €50,700 gross per year in general and €45,934.20 in shortage occupations and for people whose degree is less than three years old (figures published by Service Berlin). See EU Blue Card.
• Skilled worker residence permit for people with a recognised vocational or academic qualification and a job offer. See the guides skilled worker visa and recognition of qualifications.
• Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) to come and look for work, based on a points system. See Opportunity Card.
• Studying at a German university, usually with a blocked account as proof of funds. See studying in Germany.
• Family reunification to join a spouse, partner or parent who lives in Germany. See family reunification.
• Self-employment and freelancing. See self-employment and freelancing.
• Protection and asylum, which follows a separate procedure. See protection and asylum orientation.

For a side-by-side comparison of titles, renewals and the path to permanent residence, read the residence permits overview.

Three to six months before

• Confirm your route and read the official requirements for it. The Federal Foreign Office notes that national visas can take several months to process, depending on the purpose and the mission.
• Collect originals of the documents you will need and find out whether they need an apostille, legalisation or a certified translation. Use the documents to bring checklist.
• If your profession or your residence route requires it, start the recognition of your qualifications early, because it can take weeks to months.
• Book your visa appointment or submit your online application as early as the mission allows.

One to two months before

• Arrange your first accommodation, ideally one where the landlord will confirm your move-in so you can register. See temporary accommodation in Berlin.
• Make sure you have health insurance from the day you arrive. See health insurance.
• Budget for the move and the first months. See cost of living in Berlin.
• Decide what to ship and check the customs rules. See shipping belongings and customs.

Employer-supported fast track

If you are coming as a skilled worker, your employer can use the accelerated skilled worker procedure (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) with the local immigration office. In Berlin it is run by the Business Immigration Service, costs €411 (2026) and, according to Service Berlin, takes at least about 15 weeks from start to visa.

Most later steps depend on your registered address, so the order matters:

1. Register your address (Anmeldung) within two weeks of moving in, as required by section 17 of the Federal Registration Act. Registration is free. In Berlin, see Anmeldung in Berlin.
2. Wait for your tax ID (Steuer-ID). After your first registration, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) assigns it automatically and sends it by post. See tax ID.
3. Open a bank account. Anyone lawfully resident in the EU has a right to a basic payment account (Basiskonto). See opening a bank account.
4. Apply for or convert your residence permit if you are not an EU citizen. In Berlin this is handled by the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), largely through online applications. See residence permit at LEA Berlin.
5. Sort out the everyday basics: a German phone number, a transport ticket and, once you have your own flat, the broadcasting fee.

For a day-by-day plan specific to Berlin, follow your first 30 days in Berlin.

• National visa: €75 (Federal Foreign Office). A Schengen short-stay visa costs €90. Some groups pay reduced fees or none; your mission will tell you.
• First residence permit, EU Blue Card or ICT card: €100 (section 45 Residence Ordinance). Renewals cost €93 for more than three months or €96 for up to three months; a change of purpose costs €98.
• Digital passport photo at the immigration office: €6 at LEA Berlin's photo terminals.
• Address registration: free.

Translations, apostilles, recognition procedures, flights, deposits and temporary housing are usually the larger costs. The moving costs tool helps you add them up with your own assumptions.

• The German embassy or consulate in your country answers questions about visa applications and documents.
• In Berlin, the Landesamt für Einwanderung handles residence permits and publishes current notices about online applications.
• The Berlin Welcome Center (Willkommenszentrum) offers free counselling on residence law, recognition of qualifications and labour law.