UniRents Guides
Everything you need to know about living in Germany
Step-by-step guides for international students and expats arriving in Germany.
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42guides
5cities
8 minavg read
- Berlin7 min readHow do I get a German tax ID number in Berlin and what do I need it for?The Steuer-Identifikationsnummer (tax identification number), usually shortened to Steuer-ID or IdNr, is an 11-digit number that stays with you for life in Germany, regardless of where you live or…
- Berlin7 min readHow do I get health insurance in Berlin as an international student or new employee?Germany has two parallel systems: gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (statutory public health insurance, GKV) and private Krankenversicherung (private health insurance, PKV). Most international students…
- Berlin7 min readHow do I register my address in Berlin after moving into a new apartment?The Anmeldung is Germany's mandatory address registration system. Every person living in Germany — German citizen or foreign national — must register their address at the local residents' office…
- Berlin8 min readWhat are the coolest areas to live and hang out in Berlin for expats?Three districts come up again and again when expats talk about where they actually want to live: Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, and Neukölln. Each attracts a different type of person, and the rent gap…
- Berlin8 min readWhat can I not bring to Berlin when moving from abroad?Germany runs on 230V/50Hz electricity with Type F sockets (Schuko plugs). If you're coming from the US, Canada, Japan, or most of Latin America, your home country uses 110–120V/60Hz. Plugging a 110V…
- Berlin8 min readWhat do people actually do on weekends in Berlin?Yes, and it's one of the more reliable weekend rituals in the city. The Flohmarkt am Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg runs every Sunday from around 9am and draws a mix of locals selling furniture, vinyl,…
- Berlin7 min readWhat documents do I need for Anmeldung in Berlin as an international student?Show up without the right paperwork and the clerk will turn you away — appointment wasted, and new slots in Berlin can take weeks. Bring all of the following:
- Berlin7 min readWhat does a German tenancy contract actually mean in Berlin and what should I sign?German rental contracts follow a mostly standard structure, but the terminology can stop you cold if German isn't your first language. Here are the terms you'll see in almost every Mietvertrag and…
- Berlin7 min readWhat German words and phrases do I need to know before starting a job in Berlin?Berlin offices — especially in tech and startups — almost always default to du (the informal "you") rather than Sie (formal "you"). If your company has an English-speaking culture, this probably won't…
- Cologne8 min readHow do I get a German tax ID number in Cologne and what do I need it for?The Steueridentifikationsnummer is an 11-digit number issued by the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (Federal Central Tax Office). Every person who registers a residence in Germany receives one. It stays…
- Cologne7 min readHow do I get health insurance in Cologne as an international student or new employee?Germany runs a two-track system: gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (statutory public health insurance, known as GKV) and private Krankenversicherung (private health insurance, PKV). Most international…
- Cologne9 min readHow do I pack fragile and valuable items for an international move to Cologne?Buy supplies before you start packing, not during. Running out of bubble wrap halfway through means improvising with towels, which is not enough protection for a sea freight journey of four to six…
- Cologne7 min readHow do I register my address in Cologne after moving into a new apartment?Bring all of the following to your appointment. The clerk will not register you without every item on this list.
- Cologne9 min readHow long does it realistically take to learn enough German to get by in daily life in Cologne?Berlin has enough English-speaking infrastructure that many expats go years without needing serious German. Munich's international corporate scene means you can work, socialise, and rent in English in…
- Cologne7 min readWhat are the coolest areas to live and hang out in Cologne for expats?Three districts come up again and again when expats talk about where to settle: Ehrenfeld, the Belgian Quarter (Belgisches Viertel), and Südstadt. Each has a different character, a different price…
- Cologne9 min readWhat can I not bring to Cologne when moving from abroad?Germany runs on 230V / 50Hz. Most modern laptops, phone chargers, and camera equipment are dual-voltage — check the label on the power brick for a range like "100–240V, 50/60Hz" and you are fine with…
- Cologne9 min readWhat do people actually do on weekends in Cologne?Yes and no. Kölsch — the city's light, top-fermented beer served in small 0.2-litre Stangen (slim glasses) — is genuinely woven into how locals socialise, but it's not the whole picture. The tradition…
- Cologne8 min readWhat documents do I need for Anmeldung in Cologne?Anmeldung is the official process of registering your home address with the city. In Germany, it is a legal requirement — not optional paperwork you can defer until you feel settled. Once you move…
- Cologne8 min readWhat does a German tenancy contract actually mean in Cologne and what should I sign?German rental contracts are standardised enough that the same vocabulary appears across almost every lease in the country. Here are the terms you'll encounter and what they actually commit you to.
- Frankfurt8 min readHow do I get a German tax ID number in Frankfurt and what do I need it for?The Steueridentifikationsnummer — often shortened to Steuer-ID — is an 11-digit number issued by the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (Federal Central Tax Office) to every person registered as a resident…
- Frankfurt8 min readHow do I get health insurance in Frankfurt as an international student or new employee?Germany has two parallel systems: gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (statutory public health insurance, abbreviated GKV) and private Krankenversicherung (private health insurance, PKV). Most people…
- Frankfurt9 min readHow do I pack fragile and valuable items for an international move to Frankfurt?The difference between a broken item and an intact one usually comes down to three things: cushioning density, box strength, and how well the contents are immobilised. For an international move —…
- Frankfurt9 min readWhat can I not bring to Frankfurt when moving from abroad?Germany runs on 230V at 50Hz. If you're coming from the United States, Canada, or Japan — where the standard is 110–120V — most of your appliances will not work without a voltage converter, and some…
- Frankfurt9 min readWhat do people actually do on weekends in Frankfurt?The short answer: more than the stereotype suggests. Yes, a portion of Frankfurt's workforce commutes in Monday to Friday and leaves by Friday evening — this is especially true in banking and…
- Frankfurt8 min readWhat documents do I need for Anmeldung in Frankfurt?Anmeldung is Germany's mandatory address registration system. Every person living in Germany — regardless of nationality or visa type — must register their address with the local authorities within 14…
- Frankfurt9 min readWhat does a Frankfurt tenancy contract actually mean and what should I sign?German tenancy law is heavily standardised, but the vocabulary on the page can feel like a different language even if your German is decent. These are the terms you will see in almost every Frankfurt…
- Frankfurt7 min readWhat German words and phrases do I need to know before starting a job in Frankfurt?Frankfurt's financial district — the Bankenviertel, centred around Taunusanlage and the tower cluster visible from the S-Bahn — runs on formal register by default. The standard morning greeting is…
- Frankfurt8 min readWhat is a SCHUFA score and how do I build credit in Frankfurt as a new expat?SCHUFA (Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung) is Germany's dominant private credit bureau. It collects data from banks, telecoms providers, utility companies, and other creditors, then…
- Hamburg8 min readHow do I get health insurance in Hamburg as an international student or new employee?Germany has two systems: gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (statutory public health insurance, GKV) and private Krankenversicherung (private health insurance, PKV). Most international students and new…
- Hamburg7 min readHow do I register my address in Hamburg after moving into a new apartment?Bring the following to your appointment. Missing any one of them will result in a failed visit.
- Hamburg8 min readHow long does it realistically take to learn enough German to get by in daily life in Hamburg?Yes — more easily than in most German cities. Hamburg has a large expat population, a strong international business culture, and enough English-speaking service workers that you can get through most…
- Hamburg8 min readWhat are the coolest areas to live and hang out in Hamburg for expats?Three districts come up again and again in expat conversations: Eimsbüttel, Altona, and Winterhude. Each has a different personality, a different price point, and a different transit connection to the…
- Hamburg10 min readWhat can I not bring to Hamburg when moving from abroad?The first thing to check on any appliance is its voltage. Germany runs on 230V/50Hz. If your device was built for 110–120V (the US, Canada, Japan, most of Latin America), plugging it in without a…
- Hamburg7 min readWhat do people actually do on weekends in Hamburg?Yes — and it's one of the few tourist attractions in Hamburg that locals haven't abandoned. The Fischmarkt runs every Sunday from 5am to 9:30am (October to March: 7am start) at the Fischmarkt Altona,…
- Munich9 min readHow do I get a German tax ID number in Munich and what do I need it for?The Steueridentifikationsnummer — often shortened to Steuer-ID or IdNr — is an 11-digit number issued by the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (Federal Central Tax Office). Every person living in Germany…
- Munich7 min readHow do I get health insurance in Munich as an international student or new employee?Germany runs on two parallel systems: statutory (public) insurance, called gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (GKV), and private insurance, called private Krankenversicherung (PKV). For most…
- Munich10 min readHow do I pack fragile and valuable items for an international move to Munich?Standard single-wall cardboard boxes from a supermarket are not enough for an international shipment. You need double-wall corrugated boxes — the kind used by professional freight shippers — rated for…
- Munich8 min readHow long does it realistically take to learn enough German to get by in daily life in Munich?Yes, noticeably so. Berlin has enough English-speaking residents that you can go weeks without needing German for anything beyond reading street signs. Munich is different. The city has a large…
- Munich8 min readWhat documents do I need for Anmeldung in Munich?Anmeldung is the legal process of registering your home address with the German authorities. In Munich, that means registering at the KVR — the Kreisverwaltungsreferat, Munich's municipal services…
- Munich9 min readWhat does a Munich tenancy contract actually mean and what should I sign?Most Munich leases run to 10–15 pages and are written in formal German with no translations offered. Before anything else, understand the financial structure. The headline figure advertised is almost…
- Munich8 min readWhat German words and phrases do I need to know before starting a job in Munich?In most German cities, the default office greeting is Guten Morgen (good morning) or the informal Hallo. Munich is different. The standard greeting here is Grüß Gott — literally "greet God," but…
- Munich8 min readWhat is a SCHUFA score and how do I build credit history in Munich as a foreigner?SCHUFA (Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung) is Germany's main credit reference agency. Banks, mobile phone providers, utility companies, and landlords report your payment behaviour to…