Germany Arrival Checklist for the First Two Days

Assumptions and legal baseline

In Germany, health coverage runs through a dual public/private system. The Federal Ministry of Health states that everyone residing in Germany must have health insurance, that statutory and private insurance are the two main systems, and that statutory members are also covered by social long-term care insurance. The official newcomer portal also explains that statutory insurance contributions are solidarity-based, while private insurance depends on risk profile and selected tariff, and that switching back from private to public later can be difficult.

For address registration, the legal baseline is strict but simple: you normally register your residence within 14 days of moving in, and the city office will usually require a valid identity document plus a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from the landlord or owner. Official city pages for Berlin and Munich both reflect the same rule set, and Berlin explicitly says that a rental contract does not replace the landlord confirmation. These pages also show that registration is usually free of charge, and Berlin lists its average processing time as immediate.

For accommodation, the official newcomer guidance is blunt: without a place to live, it is effectively much harder to register and open a bank account, and a temporary hotel address is rarely accepted as an official registration address. The practical consequence is that your first accommodation should not just be "somewhere to sleep"; it should be somewhere that can, if needed, produce the landlord confirmation required for Anmeldung.

For banking, official federal guidance says a German current account is usually needed for rent and salary payments, and that account opening generally requires a passport, residence permit, registration certificate, and sometimes a payslip, depending on the account type. If you are legally resident in the EU and do not yet have a payment account in Germany, the German financial regulator BaFin says you are in principle entitled to a basic payment account under the Payment Accounts Act.

For mobile connectivity, the official relocation portal says you can buy a German SIM card in provider shops, supermarkets, discounters, drugstores, kiosks, and petrol stations, but you need proof of identity to activate it. It also warns that some providers may give you trouble if you do not yet have German documents such as a registration certificate or residence permit. Contract SIMs are stricter still: they commonly require an identity document, bank details, a place of residence, and often a Schufa credit check, while prepaid is the lighter-friction option.

How to complete each task

Anmeldung

Start by confirming that your address can be used for registration. The practical question is not "Do I have a lease?" but "Will the host issue the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung?" Berlin's official page says the rented-address confirmation must name the landlord, owner if different, move-in date, address, and all persons who must register, and it explicitly states that a lease agreement does not replace this form. Munich's official page lists the same core information and even allows a declaration if the landlord confirmation is still missing, which is useful as a contingency example.

Then book the city's registration appointment immediately. Official city guidance shows the process is often free and can be immediate once you are at the counter, but appointment waiting time is outside that "processing time," which is why delaying the booking is the real mistake. If your city supports online registration for main residences and you satisfy the eID conditions, that can save a visit.

Bring your passport or other valid ID, the completed registration form if required, and the signed landlord confirmation. If someone must register for you, both Berlin and Munich mention representation and power-of-attorney mechanics. After registration, keep the Meldebestätigung and watch your mail: the official federal portal says your tax identification number is assigned automatically when you first register in Germany, and a replacement can be requested if you still have not received it after some time.

Opening a bank account

If you already came through a blocked-account bundle, first check whether your current account is already included or activatable. Expatrio says its bank account is part of the Value Package and can be connected to the blocked account and payouts. Coracle markets a choice of current account in its student packages, though its blocked-account onboarding was later paused for new applicants.

If you still need a standard German account, use the official account-opening checklist: passport, residence permit, registration certificate, and sometimes a payslip, depending on the account. Federal guidance also reminds you to compare fees and to decide whether you prefer a branch bank or a direct bank. If you are refused and you are legally resident in the EU with no German payment account, BaFin's basic payment account rules may be your fallback.

The reality-checked advice for the first 48 hours is simple: do not assume your blocked-account money will save you on day one. Expatrio itself recommends arriving with money on hand for the first weeks because account activation and payout flows can take time.

Getting a German SIM

A prepaid SIM is usually the safest first move because it gets you connected quickly without locking you into a long contract before your registration, bank setup, and Schufa profile are stable. Official newcomer guidance says you can buy a SIM in a provider shop, supermarket, discounter, drugstore, kiosk, or petrol station, but you must bring proof of identity for activation. It also warns that some providers may push back if you still lack German documents such as a registration certificate or residence permit.

If you want a contract immediately, make sure you can provide an identity document, bank details, and a German address, and be prepared for a credit check. Since many contracts still run for 24 months, a beginner-friendly rule is: use prepaid first, contract later unless you already have a stable address and German IBAN.

Finding temporary accommodation

For the first two days, the accommodation question is not "What is the perfect apartment?" It is "Can I legally and practically use this address for the next bureaucratic steps?" The official federal newcomer FAQ suggests using temporary accommodation such as a holiday apartment, a room in a shared flat, or a sublet for the first weeks or months, but you still have to register your residence. Separate official guidance also warns that a hotel address is rarely accepted as an official registration address.

So before paying, ask four things in writing: Can I register there? Will you issue a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung? What exactly is included in the rent? What is the minimum notice period? If the answer to the first two is "no," treat that accommodation as a short sleep-only stop and plan an alternative address for registration.

Securing health insurance coverage

If you are employed on or immediately after arrival, statutory public insurance is usually the default route unless you fall into a category that can choose private insurance and have decided to do so intentionally. TK's official English pages say its 2026 health contribution is 17.29% of gross income in total, shared equally between employer and employee, and that voluntary choice of public versus private opens up for employees above the annual threshold and for the self-employed. TK also offers family co-insurance under the statutory rules, no health underwriting, and cashless treatment within the statutory system.

If you are a degree student under 30, public student insurance with TK is the simplest baseline. TK's official 2026 student rates are €141.16 if you are below 23 or have at least one child, and €146.29 if you are 23 or older without children. You can apply directly with TK, or through a platform such as Expatrio or Coracle if you are using a student bundle workflow.

If you arrive before your semester starts, or if you are a language student, Studienkolleg student, or non-EU job seeker without employment, the immediate problem is usually the coverage gap before long-term public insurance begins. Official guidance says non-EU job seekers without employment generally need private insurance, while Expatrio and Coracle both explicitly market incoming travel insurance to bridge the pre-semester period. Expatrio says its DR-WALTER incoming insurance can cover up to the first 92 days for customers with certain partner plans; Coracle states its incoming travel cover in the PRIME packages can run for up to 365 days, and its Cannywings private plan for language-course and Studienkolleg users starts at €35 per month on the cited page.

The operational caution is this: application is not the same as activation. Expatrio's TK workflow requires activation after arrival and lists a two-to-four-week activation process for TK after you provide the required information, even though the preliminary certificate usually arrives much faster. Coracle likewise says health insurance can be activated only once you have landed in Germany and uploaded your registered German address, enrollment certificate, and German current-account details.

Pitfalls, official sources, and printable checklists

The most common expat mistakes in the first two days are predictable. People book a hotel or short let that cannot support Anmeldung; they assume that "I applied for insurance" means "my insurance is active"; they confuse incoming/travel insurance with a long-term public policy; they lock themselves into a 24-month phone contract before their German documents and bank account are ready; they assume blocked-account payouts will solve their first-week cash flow; and they budget from stale platform numbers rather than current insurer tariffs. Coracle's own public-premium estimate is a good example of why that last point matters.

Primary sources used

The highest-value primary and official sources for this report were the English materials from the German newcomer portal Make it in Germany on health insurance, housing and registration, bank accounts, SIM cards, and first-arrival formalities; the official city service pages for address registration from Berlin and Munich; the English guidance from the Federal Ministry of Health and BaFin; TK's own English membership and contribution pages; and the official help centers or product pages for Expatrio and Coracle.

Printable master checklist

The checklist below condenses the official requirements and provider workflows cited above.

Arrival day

• [ ] Confirm I have valid health coverage from today.
• [ ] Verify whether my address can be used for Anmeldung.
• [ ] Ask for the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung in writing.
• [ ] Book the earliest registration appointment.
• [ ] Keep cash and one working payment card for the first weeks.
• [ ] Buy a prepaid German SIM.
• [ ] Save insurer and landlord contact details in my phone.

Next day

• [ ] Prepare passport, accommodation papers, and registration documents.
• [ ] Open or activate my German bank account.
• [ ] Activate my health insurance if post-arrival activation is required.
• [ ] If I am a student, confirm M10 or exemption workflow with my university.
• [ ] If I am an employee, inform my employer of my insurer choice.
• [ ] Create a folder for Meldebestätigung, tax-ID letter, insurance certificate, and bank confirmation.

Document wallet

• [ ] Passport
• [ ] Visa or residence document if applicable
• [ ] Accommodation contract or booking
• [ ] Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
• [ ] Health-insurance certificate or incoming-insurance certificate
• [ ] University admission or enrollment letter, if applicable
• [ ] Employment contract, if applicable
• [ ] IBAN confirmation or bank-account opening proof
• [ ] Emergency cash reserve

Open questions and limitations

A few details remain inherently variable. Municipal appointment availability depends on the city; bank-by-bank onboarding requirements can be stricter or looser than the generic federal checklist; and some private-plan fine print, especially on reimbursement exclusions or internal waiting periods, sits in policy documents that were not exhaustively parsed here. I also treated Expatrio and Coracle primarily as platforms and workflows, not as substitute "insurers," because that is how their current official materials present them.