Residency Registration - Anmeldung

Schedule an appointment

If you are allowed to register in your temporary apartment, you can book a registration appointment even if you are abroad.

An appointment should take place after the official move-in date form your landlord’s confirmation.

You can schedule an appointment at any district office Bürgeramt, regardless of where you stay or live. Here’s the website - https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/120686/

💡 Appointment Finder by allaboutberlin https://allaboutberlin.com/tools/appointment-finder

Start booking an appointment by clicking on the button in the right upper corner.

You will be redirected to the date choice.

Very often, you may see no available (red) time slots. In this case, keep refreshing the page, or try it at different times - early in the morning or at lunchtime. Time slots may appear very quickly and also be gone very quickly.

You will have to use your valid email address, the confirmation will arrive in a couple of minutes. If you didn’t get it, check the spam folder.

If you are registering yourself and your spouse, you may use one appointment slot for this. If you register your family of three or more people, you may need to book the next time slot.

Anmeldung invitation

In the invitation, an email you’ll receive as a confirmation of the booking, you will find the name of the Bürgeramt, its address, and the date and time of the appointment. Another important detail is the waiting number.

It will also contain a list of documents (see below).

There will be information about canceling the appointment - the link, and the canceling number. Please always cancel an appointment if you cannot attend it. This way someone else will surely make use of it.

Anmeldung documents

❗ If you have a family but they didn’t travel to you to Germany, it is still necessary to have their documents as simple photocopies.

Anmeldung appointment

You will have to attend the Anmeldung appointment in person at the local district office (Bürgeramt) on the scheduled date.

The residence registration procedure is straightforward, many caseworkers will try to speak English with you. You may, however, like to take a German-speaking friend with you to support you with translation.

When you arrive at the Bürgeramt you will find a waiting room. You will be assigned a waiting number in your appointment confirmation before you attend the Bürgeramt. Your waiting number will appear on a screen alongside the room number and place number you will have to proceed to. Be attentive, and do not miss your number.

The waiting time may be longer than your actual appointment time. Be patient. If the waiting lasts longer than an hour, please ask at the reception if you missed your waiting number.

At the desk, the caseworker will ask you to give them your passport first, then all other documents from the list.

Usual questions are:

The Anmeldung procedure usually takes around 10 minutes.

If you are more than three people and booked two appointments, you may, of course, go to the room altogether, just mention this fact of booking two time slots.

Please keep your Anmeldung confirmation at home in a safe place, and send a copy to ask-peopleops@goflink. It will be needed to your residence permit application (see more below).

The Anmeldung triggers an automatic process with the tax authorities who will send your tax ID to the address of the Anmeldung - usually, it arrives within 2-3 weeks. Flink will need your tax ID as soon as possible to calculate your income tax. More about the Tax ID below.

❓FAQs

I have found a good apartment with Anmeldung possible, but its earliest date is in two months. Is it OK for you if I get my Anmeldung this late in my work? Before this date, I will find a place to live without registration.

It'll be difficult without Anmeldung because you will need to open a bank account and buy a sim card based on residency registration. Some providers could be more flexible, but not that credible.

It’s always necessary to register your address in Germany (Anmeldung) if you’re moving from place to place, and as for the law, you have two weeks for this. But to be honest, this rule is not that strict in Berlin.

If you think that you can manage without a bank account, or will be able to open one without an Anmeldung, well, you can register only at the second place.

Do I need to complete the residence registration process again if I move to another place?

Yes. If you change your place of residence, you must complete the registration procedure again. This must also be done for your spouse and children too. Please note that if you move to a country outside Germany, you are required to undergo a de-registration procedure (Abmeldung) at your current Bürgeramt office.

Social Security Number

The German public pension fund (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) uses the social security number - Sozialversicherungsnummer to identify you. It's a unique number, and it never changes. When you start working, Flink needs this number as soon as possible. This lets us take pension contributions from your paycheck. You also need this number if you leave Germany, and want to get your pension payments back.

What does the social security number look like?

The German social insurance number has this format: 12 123456 A 1231. It is divided in 4 parts:

How do I get my social security number?

If you just moved to Germany, you don't have a social security number yet.

If you have no German address yet, make sure to use the company address (Brunnenstr. 19-21, 10119 Berlin) and our office management team will inform you about the letter you received. Ask your health insurer for a membership confirmation document (Mitgliedsbescheinigung) or a Sozialversicherungsausweis. These documents have your social security number. You can usually do this online. It takes a few minutes, and it's free.

How do I submit the social security number to Flink?

Flink needs your social security number as soon as possible.

External Links

Make it in Germany

Tax ID

The residence registration (Anmeldung) triggers an automatic process of tax ID issuance. The Federal Central Tax office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern) receives your information such as address, marital status, children, and issues you a unique 11-digit number. You will receive it in a letter in four weeks after your residence registration (Anmeldung).

How do I submit my tax ID to Flink?

Flink needs your tax ID as soon as possible to calculate your income tax correctly. Provide it to us as soon as you have it:

If you don’t have your taxID now and by the first pay-check, you’ll be deducted, probably, more taxes than needed. But no worries, you will receive it back in a new payroll with the corrected tax class.

❗ If you want your tax ID faster, you can go to the Tax Office (Finanzamt) after your Anmeldung, and ask for it. You can do this a few days after your Anmeldung. You don't need a Finanzamt appointment.

Tax Classes

After residence registration, you will be assigned a tax class by The Federal Central Tax office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern). Married couples will have the combination 4/4 on default. However, if your income differs a lot, you may think of changing the combination to 3/5 or 5/3. Please, talk about it to your tax advisor. Flink is not responsible for this procedure

☝ Here you can approximately find out how much net you’ll receive after all deductions

❓FAQs

I’m a European citizen and have my Taxpayer Identification Number. Can I use it in Germany?

This European tax number is not used in Germany yet, so you will get a German tax ID as described.

Will I get a new taxID when I move to another address in Berlin and do a new Anmeldung?

No, this number remains with you as long as you live in Germany. If you leave Germany and come back in a couple of years, register address, then you will be issued another taxID.

External Links

The Federal Central Tax office

Berlin’s Tax Offices (Finanzamt)

Bank Account

To get your salary timely, you need a German bank account right after you get your Anmeldung. You need to get a Girokonto - checking or current account. For this, you have to prove that you are staying in Germany longer by providing the following documents:

You can consider between two major options: a traditional bank and online banking.

Traditional Banks

Traditional banks have a wide range of branches and ATM all around Germany.

To open an account, you have to schedule an appointment with a clerk and bring your documentation in the original. Alternatively, you can fill out the application form on the website and get your identification verified over the special service Video-Ident.

Some accounts may be opened only for certain level of salaries, thus you are required to bring your last salary slips.

Some accounts come with monthly maintenance fees.

You can deposit cash and get personal advice directly at a branch.

Almost all branch banks offer additional online banking app to manage accounts, do transactions and download documents.

Websites are mostly in German (De)

Most popular branch banks:

Online banking

These providers are affiliates of “physical” banks and do not have branches and offer only online customer support. You can open an account only online. They can be better for expats because they operate mostly in English.

Different account plans are offered here as well: You may choose a free plan and a virtual card, or pay a small monthly fee. Also money withdrawals are limited here. Such benefits as pockets, investment, cash back are commonly offered here.

Most popular online banking apps:

❗ Carefully study the List of accepted documents for clients living in Germany (April 2022) before opening an account at N26.

Choose your bank solution carefully by reading their Terms and Conditions.

❗ Flink does not cooperate with any bank. Banks can reject your application and may not give you reasons for it.

External Links

Make it in Germany

Mobile Number

Mobile Operators in Germany

The mobile phone sector in Germany is increasingly competitive, with a whole host of German cell phone companies vying for your business. For new arrivals to the country, this means one thing: choice, and lots of it.

Mobile operators in Germany include:

German Mobile Phone Plan

Mobile phone service takes different names across the globe. For clarity’s sake, let’s define what kind of offers you can expect in Germany.

Post paid contract

One of the most popular choices and best suitable for people who will stay longer in Germany. You usually commit to a 12 or 24 months contract with a defined plan, which is billed to you after the fact, including extras along the way. In many cases, you also purchase a phone with your plan, financed as part of the contract. It’s also sometimes called “bundled contract” because of this.

❗ Long-term post contract is binding and providers may want to see your documents such as passport, residence permit, Anmeldung. You may be rejected by providers if you do not have the required documents.

Postpaid Contracts Overview

SIM only contracts

You already have a device and you order a SIM card to go with it. Your sign a contract for a specific plan, and your actual consumption is billed to you after the fact. In Germany, those contracts are synonymous with more flexible terms.

Prepaid or Pay-as-you-go

In this case, you first purchase a SIM card and activate it. You need to top-up your account in order to get service (calling minutes, texts, data). You don’t commit to any contract. Once you run out of credit, the services stop. Topping up is done online, or at local stores & supermarkets.

Prepaid Plans Overview

Most of the SIM cards can be obtained in supermarkets, or local stores for around 10€. They come with no minimum costs and no minimum commitment. Most of them bill 9 cent per SMS and per minute.

❗ To register the sim-card you purchased at a supermarket cashier, you will need your registered address in Germany (Anmeldung).

For a better overview of offers relevant to you, you may want to turn to comparison platforms like Verivox or Check24

Health Insurance

You may have applied for public insurance back home using Flink’s address in c/o. That means you will receive the confirmation and other documents from your health insurance provider through our office management team. Please inform your health insurance in case of a new address.

❗ If you have no German address yet, make sure to use the company address and our office management team will inform you about the letter you received.

Some companies (for instance AOK, TK, SBK, BARMER, DAK) are very large and have millions of members while others (often called BKKs) might have just a few thousand members. This does not mean that the benefits are very different, as all health insurance funds must adhere to the government regulations on the benefits they offer. The premiums may also vary somewhat due to changing regulations and it would also be optimal to research which voluntary supplemental programs the Krankenkasse offers in order to be able to participate in, for instance, a no-claims bonus, free checkups or discounts on supplemental health plans.

You can have an overview of health insurance companies that work in Berlin here. You can choose any company.

The bigger companies are:

BARMER

Contact Person: Melanie Griebsch [email protected]

English support: ✅

App: ✅

BARMER Hub for Startups and Relocation focuses on expats’ needs and develops smooth processes and helpful products.

You can sign up for BARMER with the help of this Sign-up link

As soon as you register over this link, you will receive a membership confirmation within one working day with the welcome email. As soon as Melanie receives the social security number, she will send it to Flink automatically via email.

You can also subscribe to Welcome Year Newsletter. With seven editions, each of them stuffed with important information, case studies and some fun facts, BARMER will accompany your first year here in Germany.

Techniker Krankenkasse - TK

Contact Person: Magdalena Purschke [email protected]

English support: ✅ if you call their English helpline (+4940460661010), they answer in a minute and explain everything extremely clearly.

App: ✅

To register follow this link: Join TK here

You just need to choose "online application form" and then "application form employees".

Please also upload a photo (approx. 45 mm x 35 mm in size, preferably a neutral background, clearly recognisable full face and front view) of yourself directly in the online process. This is necessary for your future TK health insurance card.

Please find further useful information about your TK health insurance card here: TK health insurance card

You can also subscribe to TK-Welcome Guide: An email welcome program that accompanies new customers from abroad in the first three months with helpful information about TK. If you wish to receive this newsletter, you could easily register by registering via the above link.

After you subscribed successfully, you will receive a confirmation of membership.

Find further information regarding health insurance benefits here.

How to proceed with the health insurance when in Germany

You get a Sozialversicherungsnummer automatically after you apply for public health insurance. You will get it later by post.

❗ Make sure you ask about the possibility of communicating in the English language to make your life easier, though only a limited number of companies actually offer this service and have English-speaking staff.

Related pages

Social Security Number

External Links

Make it in Germany

Short-Term Accommodation

There are two main types of housing in Berlin - temporary and permanent. For those relocating from abroad they should be seen as two consecutive steps.

Temporary housing is expensive but we do recommend renting it for the first 2-3 months in Berlin. This way you will be able to get your residence registration (Anmeldung) and find a permanent apartment.

🗂 Paperwork for temporary accommodation

❗ When booking an apartment, make sure you can get the landlord confirmation aka you can register in the apartment aka get your Anmeldung.

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👯‍♀️ Our Partners

When booking with SMARTMents and The Social Hub, Flinkers get 5-15% discount. See details on the corresponding page.

SMARTments

What it is

SMARTments is serviced apartments houses in three Berlin locations: Charlottenburg, Prenzlauer Berg and Karlshorst. It is a great opportunity to find suitable accommodation for days, weeks or months at a time.

While hotels are usually limited to just a bedroom with a bathroom, a serviced apartment offers a whole new dimension.

Many of the apartments are like small dwellings with an additional living room as well as a spacious kitchen or a nice balcony. They are fully equipped and provide everything you need to relax, live and sleep. You can enjoy the comfort of a fully equipped kitchen, so there is nothing to stop you doing your own cooking.

A TV and washing machine are in place along with your own separate bathroom. You do not have to bring half of your household with you or buy anything new when you arrive. This saves you both time and unnecessary expense.

It is for you if

Your Benefit

🥳 Flinkers have 10% off for all types of stay till 01.01.2024

How it works

Direct Links with the Included Promo code:

City-West: https://onepagebooking.com/smbbercw?id=smbbercw&lang=en&bookingcode=Flink

Karlshorst: https://onepagebooking.com/smbberkh?id=smbberkh&lang=en&bookingcode=Flink

Prenzlauer Berg: https://onepagebooking.com/smbberpb?id=smbberpb&lang=en&bookingcode=Flink

Conditions

Included Services

Extra services:

Payment

Payments are due before arrival and for longer stays at the beginning of each period. You will receive a prepayment notice and can settle outstanding balances by bank transfer and/or a payment link (e.g. credit card, PayPal or bank transfer). After payment is received, SMARTments will issue a VAT invoice according to § 14 UStG (Germany).

The Social Hub

What it is

The Social Hub's unique hybrid hospitality model means being as flexible as it gets, welcoming guests from all walks of life: from a day to a year. It's a space to learn, stay, work and play, with flexible working spaces, a Workcafé & Bar for bites and cocktails, and meeting and event spaces for functions big or small, and whole lot more.

It’s situated in Berlin Mitte, near Alexanderplatz, and is very easily reachable from the Flink office.

Facilities

It is for you if

Your Benefit

🥳 Flinkers have 15% off for Hotel stay and 5% off for Extended stay till 31.12.2023

How to make your reservation

TSH kindly requests you to make your reservations directly at TSH’s reservation department per e-mail: [email protected] (.co, not .com). Always refer to your company name, Flink SE

Please fill in below template and send this including (Corporate Booking) – (company name) in the subject rule of your e-mail:

*It’s important to give an active corporate flink email address. If you still do not have one, give the one of your recruiter or relocation specialist.

Conditions

*always check the cancelation conditions on your booking confirmation

Payment

Hotel Stay:

Extended Stay:

❓ If you have questions, contact [email protected]

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🏡 Websites

*may not provide Anmeldung

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🏨 Services Apartments

These are something in between of a hotel and a furnished apartment. They usually have services as laundry, cleaning, workspace, kiosk. Almost all offer Anmeldung.

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💶 Costs

A studio or a 1-room apartment in a central area (Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Neukölln, Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg) starts from 1200€.

Deposit is an obligatory. For temporary apartments is twice a monthly rent. You will get it back some months after you move out if there has been no damage to the apartment during your stay.

Usually, all costs are included in the rent - heating, electricity, Internet.

Very often you will have to pay final cleaning additionally - approx. 100€.

In most cases, you will have to pay tv-radio fee - 18.36€ /month.

Some buildings have coin-based laundry in cellar, each usage is about 2€.

When you relocate to Berlin and move in to a temporary apartment, you can start searching for a permanent apartment.

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❓FAQs

What is a typical scam scenario?

Scammers send out emails as if you applied to an apartment of theirs, the email address usually private. They write in simple English, offer a very cheap (starting from 500€ warm) apartment in Mitte with everything included. After that they usually say they bought that apartment in Berlin long ago and had to go abroad some time ago because their partner got a job there. They usually apologize for bad English.

Do not reply to this email and do not send any personal documents.

Long-Term Apartments Pros and Cons

The search for a permanent apartment can take from one month till ♾ if you aim to find a dream home.

It’s the most usual housing in Germany.

Where to Search for a Long-Term Apartment

Internet

Of course, the first source for the apartment search is the Internet. Immobilienscout24 is the largest platform to look for apartments. There you can create your profile and save your search criteria. Moreover, you can set up notifications of freshly arrived ads. If you pay for the Premium Account, you’ll be able to verify yourself, upload your application documents and even pull the bank account statement as proof of regularly paid rent in the past. It’s recommended to get its app on the phone and apply for new ads as soon as they appear.

Other websites are

*may be used for scammers and we do not recommend those sites for unexperienced

Friends

It’s a common thing that many people search for an apartment in Berlin and probably you will hear about it constantly at each party or night out. Do not hesitate and tell your people that you are looking for a place, and you will probably get a lead or two.

Colleagues

At Flink we have a slack channel #apartment-hunting-berlin. Don’t shy out and post your search there too. You should use any opportunity to get heard.

Real Estate Agents

If you pay those professionals, they may guarantee you a successful result. However, you may be aware of what they charge. Normally it’s a 1,5 - 2 cold rents + VAT.

Relocation Consultants

These professionals do not guarantee success and charge you package-wise, depending on scope of services. They may act as individual consultants, as well as be a part of a relocation agency. Flink does not cooperate with any of them and do not reimburse the costs.

❗ Do not transfer money before both parties sign the lease

Required Documents to Apply for a Long-Term Apartment

It is an understandable situation when a landlord or landlady wants to make sure you are a reliable tenant. That’s why they require a full package of the following documents.

They may also ask you to provide a current certificate from work stating that your employment relationships have not been terminated. For this, please email to [email protected]

❗ Collect all the document to a GoogleDrive or other digital folder and send it out right after you visited and liked an apartment.

What is Included in the Accommodation Cost

In your apartment contract you will find two rents. One is the cold rent (Kaltmiete), which is a fixed price just for the apartment itself and the other is warm rent (Warmmiete), which is your total rent amount including utilities (Nebenkosten). Also, an essential part is the deposit.

Deposit - Kaution

Every apartment requires a deposit, which is usually three times the cold rent (Kaltmiete). The money has to be transferred to the landlord before apartment handover. Once you move out of the apartment you will get your deposit back, unless you have caused any damage to the apartment. Therefore, always make sure to take pictures of the apartment when you move-in to avoid any extra costs claimed by the landlord.

“Cold” rent - (Netto)Kaltmiete

It’s the cost of the living space, just the walls, the floor, and the cellar. That’s why it’s also called net rent.

🚿 Running costs - Nebenkosten

They are all maintenance costs, like cleaning the staircase and the area around the house, bringing away the garbage , elevator etc.Also they are the costs of heating and water, sometimes gas, as fixed average amount paying in advance. Do not rely on this number, because in the end of the year you will get a final invoice depending on your actual usage of water and heat. Saving is always a good idea. Also, the other way around, if you consume less, you will get some of your utilities expenses back.

“Warm” rent - Warmmiete

Is the total rent that will be stated in your lease agreement, combining cold rent and running costs. You will transfer this amount to the landlord. However, it’s not a final amount you will spend on the accommodation.

⚡️Electricity

Electricity is never included in the long-term lease contract. You will have to choose a provider on your own and have a contract with them. The same principle works here: You pay an average amount in advance, and will receive an invoice in the end of the year.You can see the availability and compare tariffs here:

💻 Internet

No household can do without the Internet. And yet again, it’s up to you to choose any provider that serve your house. Internet cost is a fixed amount. You can choose some add-ons to your tariff, as cable TV or a telephone line.You can see the availability and compare tariffs here:

📻 TV Tax (Rundfunkbeitrag)

Everyone in Germany must pay TX tax, even if you do not have a tv set or a radio. The cost is currently 18.36€ (2022) per household per month. After you register at the Bürgeramt (Anmeldung), you will receive a letter with your customer number and request to set up transaction cadence - monthly, quarterly or annually. When you move to another apartment, your customer number will remain and you will have to inform the organisation (Rundfunk) about the address change.

Types of Buildings

In Berlin there buildings generally classified as either Altbau (older building) or Neubau (new construction). The plurals are Altbauten and Neubauten. Altbauten can be built as far back as the middle of 19th century up to the 1930s, and Neubauten from post-WW2 to buildings under construction right now.

Altbau

Neubau

❓FAQs

What is WBS and why those apartments are so cheap?

WBS apartments are those subsidised by the state and are available to rent only for socially insecure groups of people. If you see on the ad “WBS”, do not apply for this apartment as you are not eligible.

Berlin’s Districts and Rent

Welcome to Berlin, the best city in the world! ❤️

Berlin has 12 bigger districts which altogether make 97 smaller neighbourhoods.

As of December 2020, 3.664.088 people live in Berlin, 20,9% are foreigners.

By TUBS - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20836869

Flink’s office is Mitte and very close to Prenzlauer Berg.

Population

The most populated district is Pankow, which includes a very popular and densely populated Prenzlauer Berg.

https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1109841/umfrage/einwohnerzahl-bezirke-berlin/

Security

On the website of the criminal police Berlin you can see the dynamic map of crime frequency to 100.000 citizens.

https://www.kriminalitaetsatlas.berlin.de/K-Atlas/atlas.html

Rent prices

Below is the map from the largest rental portal of Germany, and it represents average net rent prices of a two-room apartment, around 70 sqm (750 sqft), built 30 years ago.

https://allaboutberlin.com/tools/rent-map (2026)

It’s obvious that central districts are more populated and at the same time, accommodation is more expensive there. The area within the city train circle line (S-Bahn Ring) is very competitive, and very convenient in terms of everyday commute to the office in the city center.

Popular neighbourhoods

Green neighbourhoods

Becoming interesting neighbourhoods

To avoid the stress of finding a long-term apartment in a “hyped” area, you may consider calmer and more affordable ones.

❓FAQs

Related

See dropdown "What is Included in the Accommodation Cost"

Carefully prepared and presented to you by People Ops Flink SE Brunnenstr. 19-21 10119 Berlin [email protected]

Getting Around Berlin

Berlin boasts some of the best public transportation networks in Europe. Public transportation in Berlin is very well-connected that it is designed to get you from point A to B with minimal hassle, even if you live in the outskirts of the city.

Getting around in Berlin is fairly convenient, with easy access to the S-Bahn, U-bahn, trams, and buses. There is no “center” because of the city’s history - we have multiple hubs instead.

Depending on your need, we recommend getting a yearly subscription with BVG which gives you unlimited access to trains, buses, and trams. Click here to see which options work best for you.

More resources:

Useful transportation apps

Getting around Berlin is fairly easy, thanks to the well-connected public transit. You can buy daily/weekly/monthly/yearly tickets from the BVG app, covering most buses, trams, U- and S-bahns.

To get from point A to B, Bolt, FreeNow, Uber, Lime, and Tier offer different modes of transport, from cars to scooters. For car sharing/trips around the city or outskirts of Berlin, there’s ShareNow and Miles.

Family Matters

Schools

Compulsory Schooling

In Germany, every child is obligated to go to school after their sixth birthday. Compulsory education exists for ten years of schooling or up to a person’s 18th birthday. A release from this obligation is essentially impossible.

Berlin School System

Primary School - Grundschule: from 6 to 12 years

Secondary School - Oberschule, Gymnasium or Integrierte Sekundarschule

Gymnasium - requires special enrolment procedure, recommendation from primary school and good grades. The education has intensive curriculum and some subject with advanced study (on choice), ends with Abitur after the 12th form and gives more chances for hire education.

Integrierte Sekundarschule (ISS) - available for all students after primary school ends with Abitur after the 13th form.

General overview here.

State Schools

Free of charge.

Some schools are all-day schools.

At compulsory all-day schools, your children are required to be present from 7:30am to 4:00pm on four days of the week. Lessons and leisure activities alternate during this time. This service is free of charge.

How do I find a school?

Children, who possess a low or non-existent knowledge of German, as a rule, first of all enrol in a welcome class in which they learn German. Newly immigrated families with school-aged children without or with a low level of German are to contact the coordination centres for welcome classes of the district in which they live. There, the language level is tested and an appropriate place in a school is assigned to the child.

State Schools Database and Finder

Click here (German only)

What is a Welcome Class? (language development)

Welcoming classes are learning groups for newly immigrated pupils who cannot speak any German. They are intended to support the children and youths and help them learn German as quickly as possible in small groups and integrate them into the German school system.

Welcoming classes exist in all types of schools. The children in the welcoming classes take part in educational life and the idea is to integrate them into regular lessons as early as possible (e.g. in sport, music, art).

As soon as their German is to a sufficient level (after roughly one year as a rule), the pupils are to be introduced into regular lessons and appropriate classes, according to age and knowledge. Pupils of the welcoming classes can also take part, like everyone else, in the opportunities offered by all-day schooling (supplementary assistance and care).In some shelters, there is a schooling offer. The state of Berlin makes every effort to integrate all children as quickly as possible into regular schooling. You should definitely seek advice on which options of schooling are best for your child.

Private Schools

They undergo state requirements in terms of structures and curriculum, though established by private institutions and offer bilingual education or even monolingual in a foreign language. Very often the International Baccalaureate Program is offered there too, together with other international exams.

Private school database

Healthcare

As it probably also goes in your home country, you should have a general medicine doctor/physician (in German: Hausarzt). Your Hausarzt would then be able to issue letters of recommendations should you need to see a specialist. In any of your visits to the doctor, always bring your health card with you for the clinic/practice/hospital’s information. They will be the ones who will forward the details of your visit to your insurance provider.

In case of an emergency and you’re rushed to the ER or would need assistance for an acute condition, the hospital will ask for your doctor’s details and will forward all of the information during your stay (via e-mail). The hospital will also provide a copy for you.

🚑 For emergencies : call 112 for fire or medical assistance, 110 for emergencies requiring the police.

Something to keep in mind: While Germany has one of the best healthcare systems in the world as it’s mandatory and accessible to everyone, appointments get booked up for months. Therefore, finding a physician in Berlin is a must as you can call them should you need immediate assistance. Some clinics accept walk-ins, but check with them first via email or a phone call.

Finding a Therapist in Berlin

You would need to call up your health insurance provider to provide you a list of available therapists. Some health insurance providers also have their own database. However, while therapy sessions are covered by your health card, finding an English-speaking therapist in Berlin is quite difficult, as the system is overloaded, with waiting lists of an average of 3-4 months. Some have been paying out of pocket through therapist aggregator websites or getting therapy sessions from their home country.

Useful links

Doctolib is the most widely used website for finding doctors. You can filter by location and language, among other things. There are similar websites such as Jameda or Samedi.

It’s Complicated for finding therapists around the EU or even outside. This is however, out of pocket.

Charite is one of Europe’s most well-respected and largest university hospital. They have specialists and the best surgeons in the country.

Related

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