To enter Germany, you need a valid passport or another document that confirms your identity. You will also need identification when you visit a government office. Non-European citizens also need a visa.
You can apply for a visa at the German embassy (or a German consulate) in your own country. Do you already have an employment contract in Germany, or are members of your family already living here? Do you have vocational training or professional experience? If this is the case, it will be easier for you to get a visa. You can obtain information from the Federal Foreign Office and on the German government portal “Make it in Germany” for skilled workers from abroad.
Residents’ registration office and residence title
The first thing you have to do in Germany is register at the
residents’ registration office
Glossary in the town where you live. The waiting times are often long, so be sure to make an appointment as soon as possible. You can also make an appointment online. Search for “Einwohnermeldeamt” and the name of your town. You must then go to the
immigration office
Glossary, where you will be given a residence title. This is a card that indicates your residence status. It says how long you’re allowed to stay in Germany and whether you’re allowed to work.
Checklist for your first steps in Germany
Integration course: If you can’t speak German very well, you can take an integration course. In some cases, you are required to take a course. For more details, read the section Integration course.
Finding work and vocational training: The Federal Employment Agency will help you find a job and provide you with information about vocational training programmes and courses. For more details, go to the sections Finding work and Studying and Vocational Training.
Children and school: In Germany, school is compulsory for all children. You can find out more in the sections Early education and School system.
Insurance: Some types of insurance are very important, for example health insurance, pension insurance and long-time care insurance. More information is available in the sections Healthand Insurance.
Contact a migration counselling centre, a migrant organisation or a Welcome Centre in your area. The section “Getting help” contains a list of support services.
Here are some tips to help you understand official letters from German authorities:
You can contact a counselling centre. In the “Getting help” section, you will find information about migration counselling services for adult immigrants and youth migration services. Under “Important addresses”, you will find migration counselling centres in your area. These services can tell you what you can do and how you should proceed.
The Einwohnermeldeamt is the local office in Germany where you have to register your home address. Whenever you move into a new apartment, change your address, or leave Germany, you must go there to update your details. They give you official proof of where you live (a registration certificate), which you often need for things like opening a bank account, getting health insurance, or applying for a residence permit. In short, it’s the place that keeps track of where people in the city or town live. You will need a valid passport or an alternative document that confirms your identity.
The Ausländeramt is where you go when you first arrive in Germany. But you also go to the immigration office if your visa is about to expire and you need to apply for an extension. Your local town hall (Rathaus) can tell where the immigration office is.
