Cost-of-moving planner

Category D visa, €75 in 2026. Not needed for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens or for nationals who may apply after entry (for example AU, CA, IL, JP, KR, NZ, UK, US); some groups pay a reduced fee or none.

€100 for first issue (2026). Renewals cost €93 (more than three months) or €96 (up to three months); a change of purpose €98. Not needed for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens.

€6 at the PointID photo terminal at LEA Berlin (2026). A certified photo studio with QR code is an alternative at its own price.

Free of charge at any Berlin Bürgeramt.

€411 (2026) if your employer starts this procedure with the Business Immigration Service; clarify with your employer who pays. Leave at 0 if not used.

Assumption. Fees depend on the issuing country, the number of documents and the language. Documents from EU countries often need neither apostille nor translation.

€5 per page in 2026 (official). The default assumes four pages.

Assumption for one adult, one way. Depends heavily on origin and season; multiply for family members.

Assumption. Customs clearance of removal goods from outside the EU is free if the conditions are met; mover, freight, insurance and storage are not regulated. Set to 0 if you only bring luggage.

Assumption of two months at €1,500 for a furnished flat or room with registration possible. No official statistic exists for furnished temporary rents; adjust to the offers you see.

Legal maximum is three monthly net cold rents (section 551 BGB), payable in three instalments. Default is 3 × €790, the net cold rent of a 50 m² flat at the 2025 IBB median asking rent of €15.78 per m². Recalculate for your flat.

Assumption. Check whether your flat includes a fitted kitchen and appliances; second-hand furniture lowers this considerably.

Derived from official and semi-official figures for a 50 m² flat - median asking rent €15.78 per m² net cold (IBB, 2025) plus operating costs €1.93 and heating €1.50 per m² (Berlin operating cost overview, billing year 2024). Energy prices rose in 2026, so heating may cost more. Adjust size and price to your flat; a room in a shared flat usually costs less.

€63 per month in 2026; €66.80 from 1 January 2027 under the price index of the federal transport ministers' conference. Employer job tickets can be cheaper.

€18.36 per month per dwelling in 2026, usually paid as €55.08 per quarter. Shared between flatmates; 0 if someone else already pays for your dwelling.

For employees, contributions are deducted from salary (about 8.75% health plus 1.8% care on average in 2026, employee share) and belong in the net salary calculation, so the default is 0. Self-employed and other voluntarily insured people pay the full contribution; the 2026 minimum for health insurance is €222.80 per month without sick pay, and the maximum lies around €1,260 including care at the contribution ceiling. Private insurance premiums differ.

About €50 to €80 per year for a good, inexpensive policy (Verbraucherzentrale, November 2025), shown per month.

Assumption for a one-person household with electricity billed separately. Energy prices were 14.9% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier (Destatis flash estimate), so check current tariffs.

Assumption. Often included in furnished temporary rentals and shared flats.

Assumption. Prepaid SIM cards require an identity check with your passport.

Assumption for one adult. No reliable official per-person figure for Berlin exists; replace with your own estimate.