There are many times in life when everything turns upside down. Perhaps, in one of these turns, you will end up landing with both feet in Berlin. I won't go over all the reasons why Berlin might be a great destination, but I will say this: even though the Berlin hype is still strongly resonating abroad and might not reflect real-life, the German capital is still a terrific place to look for self-realization.

With proper preparation and some luck, you could turn this idea into the next-chapter of your life. To that effect, this post will cover the first few steps that should be crystal clear to maximize your chances of success. And I should know: after 10 years as an expat and blogger, I help thousands of people everyday to tackle it all when first arriving in Berlin.

Finding a job 

Let me do a reality check for you. The days where you could live in Berlin with a part-time job to cover all your expenses are long-gone. With growing popularity, prices have gone up. You will need to secure a proper job to establish yourself long-term.

As one of the European tech Meccas, Berlin is craving for profiles related to software development: devs, product managers, data analysts, IT managers, etc. If you are part of that group, you will do very well here.

Other international profiles have good chances in sales, biz-dev, customer support, marketing, etc, but competition is fierce as the talent pool is already very rich here. On the other hand, Berlin is a creative city, where artists from all horizons are congregating here to collaborate, but stable positions are hard to get-by.

In my experience, with a little bit of persistence, you can find a job relatively easily. It might not be the best paid or most relevant for your profile, but it will pay the bills. The real challenge is to find a job that leads to a fulfilling career, in line with your passion and interests.

Oh and please, do try not to lower your salary exceptions and try to hone your negotiating skills.

Where do I find job opportunities? 

With Europe Language Jobs' own portal, you are already ahead of the game. You can find other worthy options on this page as well.

Can I find a job in advance? 

Yes, this is possible if your profile is unique and attractive enough. However, in most cases, being in Berlin is going to be the most efficient though. The global pandemic we are currently experiencing does however play in your favor as everything has gone remote, recruiting included.

Is there an application format I should follow?

Apart from old-fashioned German companies that want applications in a very specific format, there is no "standard" to adopt. A lot of applications are processed through HR software nowadays anyway.

Securing a visa 

If you are a non-EU citizen (or soon to be, wink-wink to our UK readers), you might need a residence permit to enter the country and establish yourself. German bureaucracy does live to its reputation and I would not underestimate the amount of work to be done.

You can either find a job before entering the country and apply directly for a work visa. Alternatively, you can apply for a job-seeker visa. This would allow you to come to Germany and search for a job here, for an initial period of 6 months. After finding a job, the transition for a work visa is a lot easier then.

Finding a place to live 

There is no way around it; the Berlin renaissance since the mid 2000s has led to a shortage of living space across the city. Everybody is moving there and the city is struggling to cope. If you are currently in a large metropolis with the same problem, such as London or Paris, you will find yourself at home on this front!

So consider this: don't look for the perfect place right away. Find something for the short-term/mid-term that will allow you to first settle in Berlin, clearing the first hurdles. It might not be the best location or cleanest flats, but it's something stable. This will prevent you from falling in the typical traps, when confronted with the lack of time.

In general, avoid popular areas like Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Friedrichshain, and Prenzlauer Berg. Berlin has an excellent transportation network. Provided you are well connected, you can live in less hyped-areas. You can do some research on this topic before arriving as well.

Catch 22 for newcomers to Germany: 

Germany has a credit-rating company called SCHUFA, which provides a rating for each individual in Germany. Landlords ask for a copy of this record for each application. Problem: newcomers don't have such a record until they have a place of residence & opened a bank account. This is a typical catch 22 situation for a lot of people moving to Germany. This is why a lot of people start living in a flatshare before getting their own space.

Registering residence at town hall & tax ID 

This is perhaps the most important step to take with the German authorities when moving to Germany. You need to register your residence with the local authorities, otherwise known as doing the "Anmeldung". This is very important because without it, you can't register with the tax authorities, get health insurance or even open a bank account.

It's fairly simple: take a registration form, your tenancy contract, and a confirmation from your landlord. Go to your local town hall (known as "Anmeldung") and book an appointment. The actual process is only a few minutes long. During this appointment, make sure to state you need a tax ID to start working. Your employer will need that.

Here is a complete guide on how to do the Anmeldung. You can also use this web app to fill in the Anmeldung form in English.

Get health insurance 

Once you have officially registered residence in Germany, you will need to switch to a local insurance provider. Health insurance in Germany for expats is a little bit complex when first encountering it. 

To keep it short: 

• There are 2 types of health insurance providers: public ones & private ones.

• Public providers are used by 90% of the population because it is compulsory for people earning less than 56 000€ per year or so. It is also the best option for most people. Rates are set by law at around 15% of your gross income. Half of this is paid by your employer, and the other half by you. Coverage is very good. Your dependents with no resources can be insured with your policy for free.

• Private providers are used by a minority of people who can afford it. Rates are set by a risk assessment of your profile. If you are a high-risk profile, your rate goes up. This gets costly with time because as you get older, your health profile worsens, and you pay more. Each family member is insured separately for an additional fee. However, you do get perks like shorter waiting times, faster access to specialists or more expensive treatments.

Banking 

Even though you can probably survive with your current bank account the first few weeks, it's probably smarter to sign-up for a local banking option. This enables us to pay less transaction fees and sign-up for local electricity, gas and internet providers.

And what a difference a few years make! The past 4 years has seen a complete new offering arrive on the market. No longer do you need to spend an hour at a branch, speaking a language you barely understand, and signing up for something you don't need. You can now sign-up for a bank account, completely digitally and get service in English.

Even if N26 is often the go-to option for most newcomers in Germany, there are other banking options to consider for expats in Germany.

A note on credit cards: 

Most banks won't give you one by default since it's based on your SCHUFA record (the credit rating thing, remember?). You will need to wait a few months to apply to one for most cases. You will need to make-do with a credit card in the meantime.

2 last things: 

Learning German:

Before you ask: Yes, you can live in Berlin and not peep a word of German. Some people have been here several years and do just fine with the basic vocabulary. However consider this: would you like somebody to come to your own country and remain forever in their own community?

Learning German is key to not only understanding of the world surrounding you, but also to social AND professional success. Most decision-makers are still Germans. If you work in customer facing jobs, you will need German. Yes German is hard, but there are more ways than ever to learn the language in fun, engaging, and interactive ways, especially in Berlin.

Getting a bike is a must:

Berlin is big & wide. Its transportation system is great and modern but in a lot of cases, using your bike will be the best solution to get from A to B. Biking lanes and other infrastructure may be lacking behind countries like Denmark or Holland, or cities like Hambourg, but it's a lot safer than other places. I'd highly recommend getting a bike as soon as you can.

This expat guide has been written by Bastien Allibert, editor and creator of the blog settle-in-berlin.com

About SiB: Active since 2011, settle-in-berlin.com helps anybody coming to Germany tackle all practical aspects of moving here. Everyday, up to 2500 visitors come find answers on registration, tax returns, unemployment, insurance, visa applications and more. Over the years, SiB has been recognized for its work and has been featured on Bundesregierung.de, Expat.com, Deutschlandfunk and Süddeutsche Zeitung.