Living in Berlin in 2023: Here Is What You Need to Know
For those considering living in Berlin, this post covers some key things that you should know about, including what administrative and visa steps you will need to take, how to find an apartment and English-speaking job in Berlin, and why it might be the perfect city for you!
So, you are thinking about living in Berlin – you have heard about its reputation as a young, fun city that attracts artists, creatives and young professionals in equal measure.
😨 But when it comes to planning the move, you get bogged down in confusing German terminology, unclear guidance about when you would need to do what, and a general sense that perhaps living Berlin is just too hard.
😃 But much of this is a myth – while living Berlin is perhaps harder than living in some other European capitals, the German bureaucracy is manageable with the right resources and support.
Let us get started…
1️⃣ Anmeldung is essential for living in Berlin
🏠 Anmeldung is the process of officially registering at an address in Berlin. While it sounds straightforward, it must not be underestimated when considering living in Berlin.
In fact, it will form the backbone for your entire relocation to the German capital. Notably, you first require Anmeldung in order to:
✅ Apply for a visa in Berlin
If you are planning to apply for visa in Berlin, then the immigration authorities require that you have first completed your Anmeldung at an address in Berlin.
Whether you are planning to apply for a Working Holiday Visa, Work Visa, Freelance Visa, EU Blue Card, Job Seekers Visa, Student Visa, German Language Visa or Au Pair Visa in Berlin, none of this will be possible without first officially registering at an address.
✅ Receive your tax ID
To work in Berlin, everyone needs a tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer). And how do you obtain a tax ID? You guessed it… by completing your Anmeldung in Berlin.
When you register an address, your tax ID is automatically generated and sent to you in the mail within 2–4 weeks.
✅ Perform most administrative tasks
When living in Berlin, you will need to show your Anmeldung certificate to successfully complete most admin tasks such as signing up for a phone plan or registering for most bank accounts.
Completing your Anmeldung should definitely be high on your list of priorities in your first few weeks on living in Berlin. For further info about the Anmeldung process in Germany, read our detailed guide on how to complete your Anmeldung in Berlin.
⚠️ If you are considering living in Berlin but struggling to find accommodation with Anmeldung, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
2️⃣ You will likely need a visa to live in Berlin
🛂 While Anmeldung is an important part of living in Berlin, it is important to not overlook your visa requirements when moving to Germany. Unless you are an EU/EEA citizen, you will need a visa for Germany in order to legally work, live or study in Berlin.
While citizens of some countries can enter Germany visa-free and apply for a visa after arriving in Berlin, others need to apply for a visa at a German embassy or consulate before entering Germany.
In short:
if you are from New Zealand, the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Israel, South Korea or Japan, you can enter Germany visa-free for a 90-day period and apply for a work visa at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin. The only exception to this is the South Korean Working Holiday Visa, which must be applied for at the German embassy in Seoul.
citizens from all other countries must apply for a visa for Germany at their local German embassy or consulate before moving to Germany.
When it comes to living in Berlin, you will likely have a number of visa options. To get you started, we have put together a wide range of visa guides that detail different visas for Germany, whether at the immigration office in Berlin or at a German consulate or embassy overseas.
Visa guides for applying at immigration
office in Berlin
✔️ Work Visa
✔️ EU Blue Card
✔️ Student Visa
✔️ Au Pair Visa
Visa guides for applying at German
embassies or consulates overseas
✔️ Work Visa
✔️ EU Blue Card
✔️ Student Visa
✔️ Au Pair Visa
Whichever visa you are looking to apply for, our visa guides provide detailed application information to help ensure you meet the precise requirements for the different visas and correctly complete all the necessary paperwork prior to your visa application.
3️⃣ There are plenty of English-speaking jobs in Berlin
When living in Berlin, it is likely that you will need a source of income to sustain your life in the German capital.
As Berlin is obviously in Germany, many expats worry about not finding work without German language skills. While there are naturally going to be certain job openings that require German speakers, the English-speaking job market in Berlin is on the rise.
🧑💼 Every week, new startups, companies, restaurants and bars are springing up across the city and looking for English-speaking employees to service their international clientele. In fact, at any one time, you will find that there are 1000s of skilled and unskilled job openings for English speakers in Berlin, whether you work in hospitality, marketing, sales, tech, recruitment, finance, tourism or teaching.
💻 To help you explore your employment options in Berlin, we have put together a number of free job-hunting resources:
Lists of the top expat employers in Berlin in the fields of:
4️⃣ You will need health insurance when living in Berlin
🚑 When living in Berlin, it is essential that you have suitable health insurance cover in the event you get ill or have an accident. Not having suitable insurance can quickly bankrupt you in Germany so it is important to have coverage that meets your needs.
The type of health insurance you need in Germany varies depending on your situation and which visa you are looking to apply for. For example, the insurance requirements are different depending on whether you are a regular employee, freelancer, job seeker, student, working holidaymaker, etc.
👩⚕️ To help you identify which health insurance you need for living in Berlin, we have provided a full overview on our health insurance page, which also includes links to our favourite health insurance providers. Our insurance suggestions are based on verified providers that have policies geared towards expats living in Germany.
5️⃣ You will need a German bank account when living in Berlin
💰 Unless you plan on storing your money in your mattress, you will need a German bank account to store your hard-earned salary and savings. In addition, a German bank is generally needed for getting paid by a German employer and to have cheap access to your money.
To help you assess your choices, we have reviewed some expat-friendly banks in Germany. Our favourite options are N26, Vivid and bunq, all of which provide a great service for expats looking for a modern, cheap and efficient banking option.
6️⃣ Berlin is still relatively cheap
🤑 When weighing up whether living in Berlin is for them, lots of people are swayed by the relative affordability of the city compared to other major European capitals. While average salaries are modest, your money will go significantly further than in the likes of London, Amsterdam or Paris.
A room in a flatshare in a decent part of Berlin will set you back around €450 per month while a 1-bedroom apartment will be around the €950 mark. In terms of your day-to-day expenses, a meal out with a drink is likely to cost around €12 while a 500 ml beer in a bar will be around €3.30.
🥙 And do not forget the €3 Döner kebab that is a hallmark of the Berlin food scene and is never more than a 5-minute walk away.
All in all, you get great bang for your buck in the German capital, something that should not be overlooked when moving to Berlin. Read more about the cost of living in Berlin.
7️⃣ Berlin is a fantastic place to call home.
🤩 For the last 5 years, I have had the joy of calling Berlin home. The city combines an eclectic array of nightclubs, bars and restaurants with a progressive and diverse population, resulting in a vibrant and forward-thinking feel. Whether you plan to brave the Berghain door policy, while away an evening on the Spree or BBQ in one of Berlin’s parks, no day feels quite the same in the German capital.
The city provides a fabulous work-life balance that ultimately allows its residents to pursue their interests and hobbies, a far cry from the corporate cultures that characterise Europe’s main financial hubs.
🕺🏼 Often characterised as ‘poor but sexy’, the city offers tremendous richness when it comes to lifestyle, culture and fun. And while Berlin’s fragmented and traumatic past has certainly left its mark on the city, it has resulted in moving, sobering and awe-inspiring history at almost every turn.
When debating whether living in Berlin is for you, these cultural, recreational and historical factors should definitely be considered, for it these factors that make the German capital truly unique.
Important German terminology you should know when living in Berlin
📖 Living in Berlin can be quite an overwhelming experience with many words cropping up that are as long as a German sausage. We have put together a list of 10 terms and processes you should know about when living in Berlin!
Bürgeramt
The Bürgeramt is similar to a town hall. At the Bürgeramt, you can register your address (Anmeldung), apply for a driving license, apply for a police check, and complete many other administrative processes.
You can go to any Bürgeramt in Berlin and are not restricted to just the one in the district you are living in.
Anmeldung
When researching about living in Berlin, you will almost certainly come across the infamous Anmeldung process. Anmeldung loosely translates as ‘registration’ and is one of the most essential steps to getting quickly set up in Germany. It is simply the process of officially registering yourself as living at an address in Germany.
Every person planning on living in Berlin for more than 3 months must complete their Anmeldung, which is done at a Bürgeramt (town hall). Due to the current lack of housing in Berlin, it can be difficult to find accommodation that allows address registration, which in turn can significantly hamper your relocation.
If you need an apartment in Berlin to register your address, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
Steueridentifikationsnummer
Your Steueridentifikationsnummer is your German tax ID. It is used to process everything regarding your income tax and you will require it when starting work in Germany.
Your Steueridentifikationsnummer is automatically generated when you complete your Anmeldung in Berlin and will be sent to your address 2 to 4 weeks after you complete your address registration.
The Steueridentifikationsnummer is often confused with a Steuernummer – check out our blog post on the topic to fully understand the differences between the two.
Steuernummer
Your Steuernummer is your freelance tax number. You require a Steuernummer if you wish to engage in freelance or self-employed work while living in Berlin. It is crucial for freelancers as you cannot do your tax return or invoice clients without it.
You apply for your Steuernummer at your local tax office (Finanzamt). For further details about how to apply for your Steuernummer and for advice on freelancing in Germany, check out our Freelancer guide.
Finanzamt
The Finanzamt is the German tax office.
You should always go to the Finanzamt that is in the district you are registered as living in. If you want to start working as a freelancer, you must visit the Finanzamt in your district to apply for a Steuernummer (see above).
German health insurance
You will need to sign up and pay for health insurance when living in Berlin.
The type of health insurance you need varies depending on your situation (i.e. if you are working, studying, freelancing, etc.).
To explore your health insurance options in Germany, see our German Health Insurance guide.
Rundfunkbeitrag
The Rundfunkbeitrag is a license fee for public service broadcasting that must be paid by everyone registered at an address in Germany. Essentially, it is a TV and radio tax.
The fee is €17.50 per month and is paid per household. If you live in a shared flat, only one tenant must pay and the other tenants must inform the Gebühreneinzugszentrale “GEZ” (Fee Collection Center) that the fee is being paid on their behalf.
Kirchensteuer
In Germany, Kirchensteuer, also known as Church tax, is a tax that is imposed on some religious congregations.
Unless you specify that you are not part of a church when you register your address (Anmeldung), you may have to pay an additional church tax equal to 8–9% of your income tax.
Rote Karte
A Rote Karte, or Red Card, is a health and sanitation certificate that you must obtain if you wish to work in hospitality in Germany (i.e. in pubs, bars, restaurants, kitchens, etc.).
To apply for a Rote Karte, you need to book an appointment at your local Gesundheitsamt (health department). You watch a short film in German at your appointment and it costs €20. You require a German speaker with you for the appointment.
For further details, see our guide on where and how to apply for a Rote Karte in Berlin.
SCHUFA Auskunft
A SCHUFA Auskunft is a credit report. Many landlords will request to see your SCHUFA when you apply for a long-term apartment in Berlin.
As a foreigner moving to Berlin, a SCHUFA will automatically be created once you have registered your address (Anmeldung) and opened a German bank account. Once you have done this, you can apply for a SCHUFA report online or at selected Postbank branches.
✅ Living in Berlin does not have to be overwhelming. At Nomaden Berlin, we aim to provide all the resources, guides and tips you need for a stress-free life in Berlin.