Sunday 27 May 2018

406. Brit to Berlin. How to.

Recently I moved to Berlin with my boyfriend, it was an easy decision to make for us as we both wanted out from London for a year or so now. And I finally got offered the job that I had been interviewing for the last 8 months.

As expats looking to make the move, you'll understand it's not the easiest thing to do. The amount of paperwork etc is insane. So in this post I will try and break it down to be as easy and as manageable as possible.


1. The infamous Anmeldung.


What is it? It's a piece of paper that confirms where you live. Essentially you registering your address.


Why do you need it? Main reason is so you can get your tax number, and then get paid by your job.


How do you get one? You need to make an appointment at the burgeramt. You can do this online here. I would recommend rather than booking an appointment in advance (can wait up to 3 months) wait until 8am when the time slots come up and book on the day.


What do you need to bring? You'll need to bring this form Wohnungsgeberbestätigung which needs to be completed by yourself and the current landlord you live with.

Passport. And anmeldung form


What happens when you visit? I don't know if it's different in each burgeramt, but for me my number (when you register for an appointment you get given a number) was on a screen. And it told me which room to go to, it ran about 15 minutes late. Go into a room, hand your papers over. She prints off a piece of paper and stamps it. Bobs your uncle. You've got your anmeldung.

Now what? You'll receive a few letters in the post. 1, Being your tax number. 2, Social security number and 3. A letter from the ARD to pay for essentially a tv licence. It's compulsory as it's also for internet, radio etc.


2. How do I find somewhere to live?


The prep: Before you even start going to house viewings, I highly recommend you prepare the following paperwork to bring with you to the house viewings.


1. Photocopy of your passport.

2. Last 3 months payslips. (if you're new to your job, don't bother with payslips from the uk, just bring you work contract.)
3. Schufa, this is a credit check. You're entitled to a free once a year. Get one here. If you're in a rush you can go to the post bank and get one. But make sure you bring your passport and you might need your anmeldung.

4. Debt free form. Basically confirms you don't owe your landlord any money. Form is here. This can be signed by your old landlord from the uk.


Tip: Once I had all this i made myself several copies ready to take to each houseviewing.


Where to look: There's plenty of facebook groups. However your best bet if you're looking for your own appartment is immobilienscout24


3. Other useful things to know:


Only need to register/ get an anmeldung, if you are planning to stay over 3 months.

Once registered you will need to get health insurance. This is compulsory.
If you have moved from a different city/country ensure you keep receipts from moving cost as you can claim all this back when you file your taxes.
Join the facebook group free advice berlin.


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