Ordnung muss sein – Top 10 expat tasks when arriving in Gemany

First things first, before we go into how to get things done in Germany we’ve got to figure out what needs to be done and in what order. As the Germans say: “Ordnung muss sein!”

1. Register at the Einwohnermeldeamt to get your Anmeldebestätigung – must happen within the first 7 days you are there. Takes about 1 hour to complete if all your paperwork is in order.
2. Open a bank account (Konto) and transfer money from you account back home.  Requires your Anmeldebestätigung and takes about 1 hour of time at the bank, though you may need to make an appointment in advance. International money transfers can take 2-4 business days to complete.  While you may be used to paying for everything with your VISA/MasterCard/Amex, in Germany any of the transactions below are tough to complete without a true German Konto.
3. Get a mobile phone. Requires your Anmeldebestätigung and a Konto-Nummer.
4. Buy/Lease a car. Requires your Anmeldebestätigung and Konto-Nummer. Letters of employment and other proof of income can be helpful if you are trying to arrange financing.
5. Purchase car insurance. Requires a bank account and the car classification codes from the dealership. If you wish to get a lower insurance rate, a letter from your prior insurance company and/or a copy of your US driving record can be helpful.
6. Apply for your Residence Permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis). Too many requirements to list here, but there will be a full discussion of this coming up soon.
7. Spiff up your apartment. IKEA only accepts MasterCard, EC Cards (German debit cards) and cash (bargeld) – that already open bank account keeps coming in handy!
8. Learn the recycling and garbage collection system.
9. Get your driving license. Requires your Residence Permit, a translated copy of your driving license and an eye test – assuming your license was issued by a state or country that has full reciprocity with Germany (Prüfungsfreiheit). A list of the US States with Prüfungsfreiheit can be found here.
10. You’ve survived this far, go enjoy a beer.

Beyond the specific documents mentioned above it goes without saying that you’ll need your passport for pretty much everything.  It also doesn’t hurt to have a few extra passport photos made as you’ll need them at various points.  One thing to note here, the Germans have strict requirements for these photos, referred to as biometrische fotos – no smiling, grinning or laughing!