What are the things I should do after getting into Germany?

Question

I recently got the type D Visa for the employment purpose. Now I'm confused. What are the things I shall be doing after entering Germany. When I checked my visa I could see the above lines being printed. Can someone please explain this to me?

Answer 1

You have been issued a D-Visa for

• Blue Card §9a AufenthG
• with permission, as a foreigner, to work §39 AufenthG
• with a specialized qualification §2 BeschV

---

The following steps are needed before you start working

• Accommodation and Registration
• Registration at the Foreigners Office
• Becoming am member of a Health insurance company (Krankenkasse)
• Registration for Television / Radio Tax (Rundfunksbeitrag)
• Useful documents to have
• Leaving Germany

Tip:
Report in to your employer, since they may assist you in going through these steps!

---

Step 1: Accommodation and Registration

One you have arrived in Germany, the first thing you have to do is find an accommodation.

Once you have a contract for an accommodation, you must register (Anmeldung) your residence

• this must be done within 14 days after moving in

Depending on which city your in, the office may have different names

• City Hall, Bürgeramt, Meldebehörde
  • appointments are often needed

Togeather with your rental contract you should also recieve a

• Einzugsbestätigung des Wohnungsgebers (Vermieter)

which is a confirmation from the landlord needed for registration.

The result will be a Meldeschein, which is proof of registration and will be needed later.

Tax Card / Number (Lohnsteuerkarte)
Can (must) also be applied for if you don't have one.

The Tax card is now electronic and has the wonderful name of:

• ElektronischeLohnSteuerAbzugsMerkmale (ELStAM)

They will ask you which church you belong to and if it belongs to the church tax system an extra tax is deducted.

'Church of England' is one that does not belong to the church tax system and of course none is also a valid answer

• in such cases no Church tax will be deducted

This Tax information should be given to your employer.

---

Step 2: Registration at the Foreigners Office (Ausländerbehörde)

• Step 2 does not apply to EU Citizens

Precondition: Meldeschein, Passport and possibly working contact

Since you have been issued a D-Visa, this must now be replaced with a

• residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel)
  • which in your case will be a Blue Card

Since the issuing of the residence card may take some time a

• a temporary residence permit (Fiktionsbescheinigung)

may be issued, which serves as a replacement until the final Aufenthaltstitel is issued.

Note:
The Ausländerbehörde will know who you are and what you want, since they are the ones who granted the visa.

---

Step 3: Becoming am member of a Health insurance company (Krankenkasse)

See this answer on how to become a member of a Krankenkasse (Health insurance provider)

• which is the compulsory health insurance (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung)

This information will also be needed by your employer.

---

Step 4: Registration for Television / Radio Tax (Rundfunksbeitrag)

See this answer which contains some background information about this topic

The registration process can be done one here:

• Der Rundfunkbeitrag - Wohnung anmelden

See this answer which contains some information what to do when moving or leaving Germany

---

Useful documents to have

For a long time residency, some documents may be needed that is easier to get

• while you are still in your home country

This answer lists these documents and for what they may be needed for in the future.

---

Leaving Germany

• de-register your residence and Rundfunkbeitrag

While working in Germany you will paying in to the pension system

• How to apply for a Versicherungsverlauf

describes how to get the needed document which proofs your payments and may be useful when appling for a pension later on in life.

Answer 2

In such cases, one only needs to do the following steps actively on him/herself after entering Germany (for others he/she will be asked and/or get post):

1. Rent an apartment and register there --> this is needed for steps 2 and 3
2. Get a health insurance (if one is working and his/her salary is lower than 62,550 Euro per year, he/she should be registered at public insurance, but nobody prohibits him/her from taking a private one on top of that later)
3. Apply for a Blue Card or other residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before your visa expires

That's it!